Mexico Missouri message., 1910-04-14
Gil DTNAS RLBY


all that time she has never once for
gotten to say the Fatiheh three times
day, and to say eel hamdu illah' to
herself after she has eateni She
would understand. l know she would.
But you, never!"
The exquisite little aquiline fea-
lures wore look of unutterable con-
tempt.
IF l we're you," said Logotheti,
smiling, 81 would not tell her what
you are going to do"
"You sect" cried Baraka, almost an
grily. you do not understand. A
servant! Shall tell my heart to my
handmade, and my secret thoughts to
a hired man? tell you, because you
are a friend, though you have no I'M
derstanding of us. My father feeds
many flocks, and has many bondmen
and bondwomen, whom he beats when
it pleases him, and can put to death
If he likes. He also knows the mine
of rubies, as his father did before
him, and when he desires gold he
takes one to Tashkent, or even to
Samarkand, long journey, and sells
1t to the Russians. He is great
man. If he would bring a camel bag
full of precious stones to Europe he
could be one of the greatest men in
the world. And you think that my
fathers daughter would open her
heart to one of her servants? l said
well that you do not understand"
Logotheti looked quietly at the slim
young thing in a ready-made blue
Lady Clara We're de We're would
scarcely dare to say above her breath
in these democratic days; and he
watched the noble little features, and
the small white hands, that had come
down to her through generations of
| chieftains, since the days when the
primeval shepherds of the world
counted the stars in the plains OF
KAT.
He himself, with his long Greek de-
scent, was an aristocrat to the mar.
row, and smiled at the claims of men
who traced their families back to the
Crusaders. With the help of legend
| or two and half a myth, he could al
most make himself far descendant OF
the Tyndaridae. But what was that
compared with the pedigree of the lit
tie thing in a blue serge frock? Hell
race went back to time before
Hesiod, before Homer, to date that
might be found in the annals of Egypt
but nowhere else in all the dim tradt
tons of human history.
mo" he said, after a long pause
81 begin to understand. You had nos
told me that your father was a grea
man, and that his sires before hin
had Joined hand to hand, from the
hand of Adam himself"
This polite speech, delivered in hi:
best Tartar, though with sundry Turk
ish examinations and accents, some
what Modified Baraka, and she pushed
her little head backwards and up
wards against the top Of the decl
chair, as if she was drawing hersel
up with pride. Also, not being useC
: to European skirts, she stuck out ont
tiny foot a little further across thu
other, as she stretched herself, ant
she indiscreetly showed a pale-yellov
silk ankle, round which she coult
have easily made her thumb meet he
second finger. Logotheti glanced at II
you will never understand" sh
said, but her tone had relented, ant
she made a concession. IF you viii
take me to him, and If he will not b
: my husband, will let Spiro kill him.
THAT might be better" Logothet
answered with extreme gravity, for h
was quite sure that Spiro would neve
kill anybody. eff you will take a
: oath which l shall dictate, and swea
3 to let Spiro do it, will take you t
4 the man you seek"
what must be, must be-" Barak
3 said in a tone of resignation. "Whe
e he is dead, Spiro can also kill me an
e take the rubies and the money"
"That would be a pity" observe
Q the Greek, thoughtfully.
"Why a pity? 1t will be my pc
ton. l will not kill myself becaus
then I should go to hell-flre, but Spir
can do it very well. Why should
|, still live, then?"
Because you are young and beal
It tiful and rich enough to be very hal
by. Do you never look at your face
n the mirror? The eyes of Baraka al
h like the pools of paradise, when tn
o moon rose upon them the first tim
her waist is as slender as youn
l. willow sapling that bends to II
s breath of a spring breeze, her mout
q is a dark rose from Gulistan-"
l But Baraka interrupted him with
,, faint smile.
It "You speak emptiness" she sal
o quietly. What is the oath, that
IS may swear it? Shall l take Allah, ar
< the prophet, and the Angel Israfit
o witness that l will keep my wore
b. Shall l prick my hand and let Il
RI drops fall into your two hands thi
Of you may drink them? What shall
IF do and say? am ready"
lie you must swear an oath that n
T? fathers sWOre before there were Chri