Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-23
THE SEVEN PEARLS
Episode No. 1.


Turkish pipe. dreamed as the strains
Of tho song reached him In the house:
but the melody that lulled him to sleep
also fell on ears more susceptible to
its haunting charm.
Harry Drake stopped short In HIS
patrol as the first sound came from
the tinkling strings. Cautiously he
peered over tho wall. There. sure
enough. sat the divinity of the barred
window. head raised. white throat
barred. singing like a nightingale to
the world in general. The young man
listened cntranccd. and the moment her
voice trailcd off. he took up the
melody with all tho ardor OF a trouba
dour.
Tho girl half rose. a look Of pleased
anticipation on her face. and advanced
to tho wall Harry continued TO sing,
moving along like a strolIing player.
There was a bend in the masonry as
it neared the house. and n flight of
steps led across small canal close
to the stone work. lima. now burn
ing with curiosity to learn who was
answering her song in n voice unmis-
takably Western. followed Harry
along on the inside OF the Enclosure.
Sho ceased singing and advanced to
tho barrier. Harry sang on. She
stepped on one of the protecting
stones that formed the rough exterior
OF the wall and climbed up. first care
fully laying the guitar at her feet.
Still seeing nothing, she leaped over,
and on beholding at last the daring
young man whose polite salutation had
enchanted her at the window. felt her
hold give. and In wild effort to re-
gain her balance. reached too far for
| ward and came tumbling down on tho
astonished Harry, whose lips were
forming an expression Of welcome far
different.
He held out his arms to break her
fall. but lima was not OF the stun
dreams are made OF. and the force
OF her descent sent Harry sprawling
into the canal with her.
She screamed. and Harry floundered
and splashed. She sank. He seized
her hair and managed by heroic efforts
to pull her to the bank and then to
HIT her out. Though nearly exhausted
he was frightened by the appeared life
lcssness of the beautiful singer. He
rcsorted TO hrst aid with frantic
prayers for success. and 1lma's futtcr-
| ing eyelida caused him TO redouble his
! efforts.
Once assured that she was alive. he
drew long breath and. bending. kissed
her. Apparently this did more 10
rouse her than all his former labor,
but whether she regarded It as legit-
innate reward. Harry Drake was not
at present 10 learn
II ia not the natives custom IN Con.
stantinopie TO kiss girls in public
much less Is the foreigner permitted
any such demonstrations of affection
with the yelled followers Of Mahom-
| med.
However pleasing Harry's action NAV
have been to lima, 1t reused the anger
| OF three Turkish passcrs-by To see
an unbclievcr kiss Turkish girl wa.
/ 20 act with all the savaGery of the
East. They leaped upon the astonished
young man and hurled him into the
| canal with such force that he Law un.
conscious.
! lima they escorted with righteou,
Indignation to her fathers door Two
explained to Mustapha Bey the un-
usual sight they had witnessed. while
the third returned 70 Harry. and with
GRIM humor removed all the gold from
| his pockets. together with his watch
| and chain.
By the time the much abused young
| man had recovered his senses lima
had confessed to Honest Mustapha the
cause OF her misfortune.
This is great disappointment
said Mustapha. Light of my soul, as
punishment, you shall wear the veil for
a month. Let us praise Allah that
t,,r
ting" And he dismissed lima to her
room to think over her sins and change
her dripping clothes.
Harry crawled out OF the canal. felt
for his watch and discovered that ne
had been robbed. With true American
Indignation he set up a cry, but, find
ing that no one paid the slightest at
tention, he advanced to a man I'm an
| Inverness cape and silk hat who was
strolling near the very house which
harbored the lady OF his dreams This
man was evidently an American
Naturally. Harry expected aid. and
certainly he hoped for sympathy. lie
got neither. I've been robbed" he
. cried. thrown into the water and
piundered"
The stranger did not reply. He
merely moved few PAGES nearer the
| house. DO you hear me?" he shouted
approaching near to the obdurate one
The latter raised his hand impa-
ticntly. "Tell It to the marines" he
said brusquely.
Look here" shouted Harry. now
! thoroughly angered, "I've been outrag-
cously handled. ] demand help. tell
YOU I've been attacked by thieves and
thrown into the water and all my
money taken, and this is the reward
get for saving a girl from drowning
the girl in that very house. Do you
hear?"
The stranger seemed suddenly inter-
estcd. THE girl in that house? That's
different. Perhaps I can help you-who
knows? You think you have been
robbed. Pooh, it is a mere nothing.
!. too. am a foreigner I havc been
robbed of the most valuable pearl neck
lace in the East. Forget your piflins
gold coins. watch any one can buy,