Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1918-05-02
English behind him. "Aren't they

SWcctS
Yasmini stood not two arms lengths
away, lovelier than the dead woman
because of the merry life In her, young
and warm, aglow, but looking like the
dead woman and the woman Of the
frieze-the woman Of the lamp-bowls-
the statue-come to life, speaking to
him in English more sweetly than II
1t had been her mother tongue. The
English abuse their language. Vas
mini caIessed 1t and made 1t do it's
work twice over.
Being dressed as native, he
salaamed low. Knowing him for what
he was, she gave him the SIENNA
stained tips Of her warm fingers to
kiss, and he thought she trembled
when he touched them. But a second
later she had snatched them away and
was treating him to raillery.
"Man Of pills and blisters !" she said.
"tell me how those bodies are pre-.
served! Spill knowledge from that
learned skull Of thine"
He did not answer. He never shone
in conversation at any time, having
made as many friends as enemies by
saying nothing until the spirit moves
him. But she did not know that yet.
IF l knew for certain why those
two did not turn to worms" she went
on, almost would choose to die now,
while I am beautiful! What would
they say, think you. King sahib, If
they found us two dead beside those
two? Speak. man, speak! Has kim
Jan struck you dumbY'
But he did not speak. He was star.
ing Mt her arm, where two whitish
marks on the skin betrayed that brace
lets had been.
ooh. those! They are theirs. ]
would not rob the dead. or the gods
would turn on me. I robbed you, In.
stead. while you slept. File, King sa.
hib. while you slept"
But her steel did not strike on flint.
1t was her eyes th,it flashed. He would
have done better to have seemed
ashamed. for then he might have
fooled her. at least for a while. But
having judged himself, he did not care
a fig for her judgment of him. She
realized that instantly and having
found tool that would not work,
discarded 1t for q better one. She
grew confidential.
II borrow them," she explained.
''but l put them back. I take them
for so many days. and when the day
cOmes-the gods like us to be exact
You we're near death when took the
bracelet last night. The time was up.
I would have stabbed you IL you had
tried to prevent net"
Now he spoke mt last and gave her
a first glimpse Of an angle Of his mind
she had not suspected.
princess" he said. He. used the
word with the Difference some men can
combine with effrontery. so that very
tenderness has barbs. "You might
have had that thing back If you had
sent a messenger for II at any time.
A word by servant would have been
enough"
"You could never have reached
KhinjaR then!" she retorted. Her eyes
flashed again, but his did not waver.
Princess" he said. "why speak Of
whit you don't know?"
lie thought she would strike like q
snake. but she smiled ut him instead
And when Yasmini has smiled on q
man he has never been just the same
man afterward. lie knows more, for
one thing. He has had a lessen In
one Of the finer arts.
II will speak Of What I DO know"
she said. INC. there Is no need. Look !
Look !"
She pointed ut the ted--at the man
on the bed-flngers locked in those Of
woman who looked so like herself.
He looked, knowing well there was
something to be understood, that
stared him in the face. But for the
life Of him he could not determine
question or answer.
"What Is in your bosomW she
asked him.
He put his hand to his shirt.
"Draw 1t out - she said, as teacher
drills a child.
lie drew out the gold-hilted knife
WITH the DTOuZe Uiuue, Will WHICH
man had meant to murder him. He let
It lie on the palm Of his hand and
looked from II to her and back again
The hilt might have been a portrait .ot
her modelled from the life.
"Here is another like It." she said
stepping to the bedside. She drew back
the woman's dress Mt the bosom and
showed knife exactly like that ir
Kings hand. ''One lay on her bosom
and one ON his when found them ~
she said. "Now, think again!"
He did think, Of thirty thousand pos
sihilities. and of one impossible ides
that stood UP prominent among then
all and insisted on seeming the only
likely one.
II saw the knife In your bosom las,
night" she said, land laughed so tina,
I nearly Weakened YOU"
"Why didn't you take 1t with the
braceletT King asked her. holding II
out. "Take 1t now. l don't want it,.
She accepted It and laid II on thu
mans bronze armor. Then. however
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