El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-31
NightfaH In Pera
= short story.


the time in this bewiIdering place. with
all its glamO- Of romance and dirt its
mosques and beggars, its dogs and
scOundrels of every cline
After I had arranged for rooms near
the Crimean Memorial church, my land
lord-a decayed specimen of English
humanity, drifted eastward-gave me a
most untasty dinner.
His wife cooked the dinner. She was
a weird looking woman with snaky
black ringlets clingIng to her lean neck,
and my landlord, when he thought J
was safely settled oown, told me that
she was only half there 50 was her
cookery.
After dinner 7 asked the landlord
where 1 could go for a stroll.
The landlord washed his hands with
invisible soap and impercep10le water,
and implied that my blood would be on
my own head or my own back if any
one were to stab me from behind Then
he went away and returned with a Chi
nese lantern containing an unlighted
candle stuck in the middle.
"One franc" he said. softly
What am 1 to do with this thing2" I
asked.
You're not allowed out at night, af-
ter 10, unless you carry light. It's a
municipal regulation, sir
'Why2"
The landlord stroked his pointed
chin with his thin fingers
It's this way, sir. Spose a thief or
murderer wants to get you, you walk
in the middle of the road with your
lighted lantern, and can see his ap-
prOach."
l paid the franc. took the candle out
of the lantern, crumpled up the latter.
and deposited them both in my pocket.
1 also put q loaded revolver beside them,
and sailed out into the highways
Though a crescent moon shOne over
the BOShphOruS, it failed to light I'D the
recesses of the tOrtuous streets, where
to my excited imagination, every but
treSS seemed to shelter an assassin
Here and there I Lumbled over a dog,
who, without listening to my apologies,
Imply Withdrew
At the top Of the street four zaptiehs
(native pOEcemen) energetically pur-
sued a man who stumbled and fell just
as he reached me. WhereupOn his cap
turers proceeded to strike him with
the butts of their guns.
Why this unkindnessT' I asked
Their English was limited.
He thief. He run away We run
after him." said the leader of the
party.
But why do you whack him?"
He gives US the trouble to run after
him. said the leader. You give me one
medjidleh me let him GO
gave the Zaptier medjidieh,
about four shillings), and the THIEF
disappeared in the darkness.
We exchanged cigarets, and the zap
itch became affable- We parted with
expressions of mutual esteem and ]
continued my walk amid a weird crowd
OF people OF all nauOnalities, Until ]
finally came to a music hall Some
sailors (tipsy) lay outside. while a
sober one watched over them.
Inside the music hail were little
marble-tO tables, where people of
all Municipalities sat drinking. They
were waited upon by lightly attired
damsels, who took sips from the Gus
90 No. ole
appeared on the stage, where they
sang songs
You come wit me. Effendi. I take
you behind suggested greasy-lOOk-
ing Armenian Give me tcherik Ca
shilling), I show you rouge ct noir
tables You win mOSh money"
With much inward trepidation. but
feeling that I was seeing life" 1 fol-
lowed my guide down a narrow pas
sage into big room behind the stage,
where rouge nO1r was played Several
scant1ly attlred women sat round on
sofas Others Of them played at the
tables.
You play you win mOsh money"
said the tempter at my elbow.
prayed ana won mos6 money" at
least five med1idiehs, and was about
to adventure my winnings on one
grand coup, when a tail, hook nOsed
Spaniard took me by the arm and
asked Are YOU the Mons. Bourregan
who left his card for me today?''
Yes" replied
Then go home 10 bed"
But 1 don't want to go home to
1T is better for you to go home to
bed than to stop here"
But 1 want TO see what it's like"
on GO home to bed" repeated the
Spaniard firmly, and with a grip OF
iron led me to the door. Keep to the
middle OF the road and go straight
home, little one
Then the tempter rejOined me.
y on come round other door when
ne go front, and win mOsh money"
But decided to return TO my rooms.
started back.
The Grand Rue was crowded with
people everyone walked in the mid
ole Of the road and the little lighted
sion of fireflies. Only the private
houses and the shops were black. 81
lent, formidable.
When I reached the street which
turned down to the Memorial church
the moon had disappeared. Z was like
gong into tunnel NJ lantern cast
q 1Ilckering light on the stone cob
pies. A Waterman came along strilr
Ing his ironshOd staff upon the stones
TO let thieves know where he vas
eyed me suSpiciOuSly and passed or.
men! men the cold nose of a hungry dog
IuOoed against my leg and nearly
MADE me drop my lantern. Fortunate
~, mad biscuit in my pocket He
swalIeWed It at a gulp and followed
7
The house was as silent as the grave
Slowly, slowly, just as began to fear
mat was locked out. a shutting step
sounded along the passage, the door
was cautiously unbarred and opened
with the chain still on.
VINO is it," quavered the landlords
Only T.
~, Lucky you didn't stay any longer.
mere a Greek family over the way
1 S1dt starts out at IL" said the land
lord, as he cautiously unfastened the
But what does it natter"
Nothing much. only the BOsphOrus
Is pretty handy and the landlord went
OH 10 his subterranean lair.
was not proud, only pleased with
myself, for / had seen life and won
five medjidiehs.
HOME RULE PARTY ELECTS
MEMBER To PARLIAMENT 1
Londonderry. Ireland. Jan. 31.-The I
Irish home rule party won a notable I