The Press., 1915-01-27

l Fl honor mySetI Dy cIoSSiHS !oaH l n,sr exalted threshold grively re piled Ali Khan. l Iltar ha.l sped tu the kitchen to as l sist il preparing deIcacics for the I evening meal Her heart sang as she ] thought of the long evening when. if her father wiletl it. she would sit III | the corner and watch this gracious l young man eat and listen to his tales of the charmed life of his people If she had been born an lliyat and could bcstnw her rug upon such one!
 Suddenly the strange words of the SaIl.b Smith came into her mind
 They had seemed to have no relation to her own life Now she heard them again definitely significantly
 On the instant she wanted this
 Iliyat. wanted him with all the inten sity of hundred dreams unrealized
 wanted him with all the ardor of q thousand wild. dark eyed ancestors
 wanted him with all the fervOr of soul about to be cast into hopeless slavery.
 She realized hopelessly that it was
 her last opportunity to save herself and her precious rug, and she decided to use desperate means Her father had said that the Feringee women stared at their lovers and charmed them with their eyes.
 What if her rouhband should acci- dentally fall and her face should find
 favor with him? But even the thought was monstrous She felt she could
 never uncover her face before stranger
 Other plans were born of her des- pair. but with them all was one blight ing refection-she could never escape
 her fathers watchful eyes, happen what would.
 She spread the guest rug before the :, hearth with trembling fingers. She F scarcely heard Haji Kassem as he
 twittered away. heaping his guests !, plate with curds and chicken rissoles , As she passed the kalyan filled with
 moistened tobacco to the young man a chin of sandalwood fell upon his out stretched palm
 He glanced at her quickly, then at
 her father and placed it slowly in his
 sash. As all the world knows. this means much. Whenever l see thee l
 love thee"
 : But he did not glance toward her
 corner as he began the tale of his wan, derings Every Persian loves his r own place, though it be he'll" is the : old saying.
 T E, Ali Khan talked first of the beau
 ties of I1alazar, place of tulips, near which his fathers tiocks pastured. He told how the wood Spurge spread it's Il sheets of vivid yellow in the fields and Il how the air was sweet with the laven- II der and the celandine.
 The river ran soft and clear for the ! use of the dyers At sunset the foam danced red like crimson roses upon It's swirling waters It was the year o1 !! the rabbit There had been much rain The fiocks had increased bountifully
 the world was deep in the colors of '' luxuriant spring. q Soon the scorching days woulc It. come His people were even then pre- % pairing for their annual pilgrimage t( > the cool mountains.
 He spoke of Herman. where tht
 nightingales sing. enamored of the
 roses: of Yezd filled with the fire wor
 shipers in their yellow gowns: o
 Yefdikhast, with its mud houses hang
 ing like bats to the precipice of th'
 mountain He talked of the country
 of the Beluchi. with its feathery dat
 trees and graceful palms. it's wavin!
 pampas and its lush grass.
 Then he began the Herman version
 of "The Dragon and the Shah's Daugf
 ter" tale beloved by the Persians
 His voice rose and fell ill the rhythm
 of the good story teller the world over
 Despite his eager interest. the ex ! citement of the day and the smoke o . the kalyans began to have their wa
 with Haji Kassem. The downwar
 wrinkles in his face deepened Hi
 eyelids closed Without change of il
 tonation Ali Khan turned toward Iltal NJ 'I would l might see thy face" b T said. .'I would might see thy face q Q daughter of my hostr' q Iltar started. leaning forward mt = tionless for moment.
 . Then she loosened her rouhband an
 slowly rose Her eyelids fiuttered uT
 ward once then fell. Her face. f1usf
 ed at first became a pale amber. He
 hand felt for the wall behind her. 1I Fiaally Ali Khan spoke. and hi 1 voice was deep. Thou art very bea l aful-more beautiful than the wome | of my people. Thou art more fai al thou art more slender"
 l He paused; then began to chant u J phrases spoken from time immemori
 by the Persian lover.
 SyNI> R~1< Se. I< iii almond. Thou hast the graceful for Is of cypress. Thou art beautiful
 the moon on it's fourteenth night" h Iltar swayed against the wall. I'll he tears sprang from her half closed eye nd Suddenly she covered her face vii in her chuddar and stole out of the rooI
 Haji Kassem followed his guest Of the street the next morning with apol as gies many and varied.
 he "I will eat some leaves of kat ng night he said. ''I would not lo 'd Accordingly Iltar crouched tn an night unnoticed in her corner. risil to now and again to i'll the kalyar
 Only when Ali Khan recounted u ne courting of the beautiful Zarin-taj le- gazed boldly at her. and she breat Int lessly knew that she was hearing b 'ly first mating song.
 On the third evening Ali Kh' he drew from his pocket leathe ed pouch.
 rot Tomorrow morning, please Ala
 1 must leave thee and return to n CT. own people. A true heliever has pl )m scented me with this packet of pure lrd hashish. Wilt thou deign to smO Till with me, D descendant of the proph' nd that my poor story of the forty parru