The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-02
A MAN IN A
BOAT
By ETHEL HOLMES

Among the reasons for establishing
the capital of the eastern Roman en-
pire at Constantinople-it was first call
ed Byzantium-was that the site was
very beautiful The Bosporus, on which
II Is built, connecting the Black sea
and the sea of Marmora, is one of the
most attractive streams Of water in
the world. All manner OF craft are
sailing and steaming back and forth
and across it, while the shore on Ell
Their side, especially the European, Is
lined with attractive buildings.
On the European side of the Bospo-
rus-the side on which Constantinople
Is built-a portion Of the water front
Is a park or garden free to the public.
One day a Turkish woman, whose
daughter was In delicate health and
needed the air, took the girl to this
place and, seating themselves near the
margin of the water. looked out on the
many boats plying back and forth
across 1t. They were the only persons
about, and any one passing on the walk
behind them could only see their backs,
their faces being turned to the water.
lift your veil. DEAR" said the moth
er. shat you may get the benefit of the
breeze. No boats are passing near us,
and your face cannot be SEEN"
The girl lifted her veil and, resting
her head against her mothers shoulder,
enjoyed the constantly moving piano.
rama and the breeze cooled by the wa
ter. At times she closed her eyes for
brief nap, and her mother fell asleep.
The daughter, after one of her cat maps.
on opening her eyes found herself look
ing straight into the face of a young
man sitting In boat not dozen yards
from her. And the young man was
gazing upon her rapturously.
Margaritza. the young lady, instantly
dropped her veil, but not soon enough
to shut out the effect of that hand
some, youthful face, those admiring
eyes. The young man. who had APP
preached without being seen or heard
and had rested on his oars, gazing on
the dazzling beauty. pulled away. but
not so far but that he could keep the
two women in sight. Margaritza saw
him far out in the stream and Knew
that to see her. even at distance, was
a pleasure to him.
In time the girl awakened her moth.
er. They arose and walked away. for
time keeping on the shore westward,
then, turning inland, ascending a rise
in the ground to the house in which
they lived. The man in the boat could
observe them from the water and saw
them go into their home.
1t was not long after this that a
proposition Of marriage was made for
Margaritza's hand. Marriages In Tur-
key are made by the parents Of the
young persons, who are not permitted
to see each other until after the we'd
ding. Margaritza, from whose mental
vision the young man who had seen
her from his boat had never been
dimmed, was filed with grief at this
application. The social standing of
the sutton and his financial condition
were all that could be desired. and his
suit was met with favor by Margarit-
za's parents. so there was nothing for
her to do but yield to her fate.
And yet, though there was something
dreadful In her marrying with the
memory of the vision she had seen
constantly before her, why should she
not do so2 She had no reason to sup
pose she would ever again see the man
who through that brief vision had cap
! tured her heart And even If she did
he would not see her, for 1t is not per-
mitted in Turkey that man shall look
upon the face of any woman except
his wife or one Of his own blood.
While the preparations for the we'd
ding were being made Margaritza
showed no interest In them. On the
contrary, she grew thin and pale. Her
health. which after her visit to the
bank of the Bosporus seemed to i'm
prove, was again delicate. Her mother
frequently took her to the river. but
without the previous effect One day
Margaritza while there saw the young
man she had seen before go by In his
boat, but since all Turkish women, be-
ing yelled, look alike, he did not recog-
IAzc AcEs hOH Snt tOuscA W I'LL hSH
veil and call to himl But even had her
mother not been present and now
awake she would not have done so, for
this for a Moslem girl would have been
immodest And what panied her was
that while she was plunged in grief on
account Of him be seemed contented
and happy.
The day of the wedding finally came
around. The wedding guests were as
sembled in the groom's house-not at
the brides house, as in Christian coun-
tries-and were looking over the we'd
ding presents while waiting for the
bride to be brought. Then it was an
nounced that she was at the door. The
groom passed out to receive her, the
guests lining up within. leaving pas
sage for the pair to enter.
Margaritza stood yelled waiting for
her betrothed who in another mo-
ment emerged from his house with
look Of supreme happiness on his face.
And behind Margaritza's veil that look
was repeated, though more intense in
contrast with the dolorous expression