Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-08-16
The Filigree
Bracelet
An Oriental Tale
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
ciation, 1911.


On the third evening after the tour
ist steamer Neptune left Constantine
pie the little group Of people whom
congenial interests had drawn togeth-
er out Of the hundreds of passengers
aboard the big ship gathered their
i sewn chairs in friendly proximity.
Professor Trayle laid his hand on
the soft white wrist Of his daughter,
Madeline. Il notice that my daughter
is wearing her fligree bracelet this
evening, and it reminds me that there
is a story connected with its purchase
in Constantinople."
"Good!" cried Mr.. Hanford, and his
wife echoed approval in her quiet
voi.e. 1--WE have had the story of A
Carpet From Mazandaran' and also
the alluring tale Of Tine Crystal Ball
and what Miss Gray saw in 1t. Let
us have the bracelet story, and mind
you omit no details, Miss Trayle."
"It's really the plainest sort OF
story" protested Miss Trayle. Il had
planned, when my turn came, TO relate
the wonderful adventure father had
with the bronze teapot"
"Ah, my dear, that is my very own
story" laughed the professor. Il see
that Mr. FELTON, has unrolled the car
pet Of MaZandaran, on which no man
can sit and tell other than the truth,
so remember that the old legend ap-
plies to both sexes"
They all laughed as Alexander Felton
spread the ancient bit Of carpet which
he had found in a remote interior
province ana Madeline Trayle with a
single graceful movement sank to a
seat upon It's silken texture.
Father and spent a day among the
bazaars in Constantinople," she began,
"but we could not discover anything
that resembled the bracelet wanted.
A dear friend of mine in New York
possessed filigree bracelet which
was considered q perfect specimen OF
Byzantine silver work. may as well
save words by saying now that this
bracelet is its duplicate in every detail
my friend said the bracelet had
| been purchased in the bazaar In Con-
stantinople, and / supposed 1t would
be an easy matter to duplicate 1t. The
day father and ! spent there revealed
that there was not another bracelet
like Emily brakes in all Constantine
pie unless it was worn by some fair
denizen Of the city Thus spoke the
shopkeepers in the bazaar.
"Father has 4 friend who Is inter-
ested in the raisin industry, and this
! gentleman has villa on a vine clad
slope beyond the tip Of the Golden
Horn, and it literally overhangs the
Bosporus sea. We drove out there
and spent day, and on our return to
| Constantinople we met an itinerant
peddler who offered me this bracelet.
"Of course we did not bargain long
for it. 1t did not need his clever tale
Of its having once belonged to the sui
| tan's favorite, who tired Of the bauble
! and gave 1t to a slave woman, who In
turn sold it to our peddler. He asked
q ridiculous price. and father paid 1t
| without murmur.
1--WE had not proceeded more than
q hundred yards before the peddler
was at our horses heels, begging for
another word with my father. or
course father had spoken to the man
in his own language, and now he un-
derstood the babel Of sounds that
| poured from his lips. AS the sounds
| were accompanied by an outstretched
| palm I knew the man wanted money
for something, and l saw father toss
the peddier Il twenty plaster piece and
| listen with interest to long recital,
accompanied by much gesticulation.
| Yes, ini eed, father, you did appear
much il crested in the story the man
| told.
when we were once more on our
way tow ard the city father related
| the storr the man had sold to him
for 20 T. asters. 1t was q good story,
well wo'th 80 piasters, father, dear.
do believe you secured bargain
in that 'storyw Madeline smiled mis-
chievously up into her fathers rueful
countena nee.
Remember, you're sitting on the
carpet Of truth, my DEAR" he warned
laughingly.
at was a good story" protested
| Madeline.
"Ah, do tell itr' cried Mrs. Hanford
impatiently.
"Please do. chimed in the others.
"The story went that the sultan
bought ii; from a fortune teller. who
predicted that whatever woman wore
1t on her arm might marry the richest
man in the world. One can we'll i'm
agine the supercilious incredulity Of
the sultan and the diSdain with which
he waved the story teller aside. Well,
never mind whether father and be-
lieved tie story or not. The bracelet
seemed % possess an added attrac-
ton for ootn Of us. and will confess
that as Ioon us we reached the Nep-
! tune that. afternoon | FASTENED to my
stateroorl and scrubbed it vigorously
! with so p and water until 1t became
quite Gle IN and bright.
"Its tlcredible how filthy some Of
that native jewelry is" remarked Miss
Gray, with shudder Of disgust.
apparently they believe that GER
tain amount of soil laid on the article
increases its interest and naturally
its value" laughed her nephew. Az
thur Clayton. "I'll confess to one fad
! Of mine when I'm travelling around
those Darts and"-