The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1915-09-10

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| greatgrandmothe had gone lightly to
the scaffold, exQuisitely courteous till
| the last.
Il ask your pardon II jostsed you in
the tumbreI," the old comtesse had
said to her companion on the way to
the guillotine. THE springs OF the cart
are poor and she went up smiling.
In the companionship of the Ameri-
can girl, Therese de La Maine had
thrown off restraint. II the Marquise
d 'Esclignac had felt Julia's influence,
Therese de la Maine. being near her
own age, echoed Julia's very feeling,
Except for their dragoman and their
servants, the two women were alone
in the desert
Smiling at Julia. Madame de la
Maine said: Il haven't been SO far
from the Rue de la Paix in my life"
How can you speak OF the Rue de
la Paix, Therese?"
only to show you how completely
have left 1t behind"
Julia's eyes were fixed upon the linn
itless sands. ~ sea where faint line
lost itself in the red west and the hori-
ION shut from her sight everything
that she believed to be her life.
This Is the seventh day Theresel'
Already you are as brown as an
Arab, Jullal"
you as well, ma chere amiei"
Robert does not like dark women"
said the Comtesse de la Maine, ana
rubbed her cheek. Il must wear two
| wells"
Look. Theresel"
Across the face of the desert the
glow began to withdraw It's curtain
The sands suffused an ineffable hue, a
shell-like pink took possession, and the
desert melted and then grew colder-it
waned before their eyes, withered like
a tea-rose.
Like rosel" Julia murmured,
smell its perfume!" She lifted her
head. drinking in with delight the
fragrance of the sands.
Ma chere Julia" gently protested
the comtesse. lifting her head, per
fume. Julial" But she breathed with
her friend. while sweetly subtle. in
tcxicating odor, as of millions and mil
lions of roses. gathered. warmed, kept,
then scattered on the airs of heaven,
intoxicating her.
To the left were the huddled tents Of
! their attendants. No sooner had the
sun gone down than the Arabs com
menced to sing--a song that Julia had
especially liked:
Love is like sweet perfume.
1t comes, It escapes.
When It's present. II intoxicates;
When It's memory. It brings tears.
Love is like sweet breath.
1t comes and 1t escapes.
The weird music filled the silence OF
the silent place. 1t had the eyanescent
quality OF the wind that brought the
breath of the sand-fiowers. The voices
of the Arabs, not unmusical, though
hoarse and appealing. cried out their
loye.song, and then the music turned
to invocation and to prayer.
The two women listened silently as
the night fell, their figures sharply
outlined In the beautiful clarity Of the
eastern night.
Julia stood upright. In her severe
riding dress, she was as slender as q
boy. She remained looking toward the
horizon, immovable. patient, silent
watcher over the communicative
waste,
Perhaps" she thought, there is
nothing really beyond that line. so fast
plotting itself into highland yet
seem to see them come!"
Madame de la Maine. in the door
OF her tent, immovable. her hands
clasped around her knees. look affec-
tionately at the young girl before her.
Julia was delight to her. She was
carried away by her, by her frank sim
pllcity. and drawn to her warm and
generous heart. Madame de la Maine
had her own story. She wondered
whether ever. for any period of her
conventional life, she could have
thrown everything aside and stood out
with the man she loved.
Julia, standing before her, dark
slim figure in the night-isolated and
alone-recalled the figurehead of a
ship. its face toward heaven. pioneer.
ing the open seas.
/
Julia watched, indeed. On the desert
there is the brilliant day. passionate
glow, and the nightfall, They passed
the nights sometimes listening for a
cry that should hail an approaching
caravan, sometimes hearing the wild
cry OF the hyenas, or of passing vul-
ture on his horrid flight Otherwise,
until the camp stirred with the dawn
and the early prayer-call sounded "Al.
lah! Allah! Akbar!" into the still.
ness. they were wrapped in complete
silence.
(To BE CONTINUED