The Press., 1920-06-03
A $500
 KERMANSHA
By R. RAY BAKER

head erect, shoulders back. twirling {
 cane.
 Armen's black eyes followed the
 other until he arrived at bazaar neal
 the end of the block. The doctor die
 not enter the bazaar. Instead he
 passed through doorway which
 opened on stairs giving access to rooms
 over the store.
 Armen was not angry. He just felt
 sad; or rather, he was just plain jeal.
 ous. For he knew Azaad was calling
 on Araxia Altoonjian, whose father was proprietor of the bazaar and whose
 home was above 1t.
 Slowly Armen walked toward the
 back of his store, traversing it's en.
 tire length with few steps; because
 it was only niche. It appeared that
 the construction of the various build.
 ings on the street had been started at
 either end of the block and that they
 had failed to meet in the middle. In order to avoid wasting building space a little coop of building ten feet high and twice as wide had been fitted be- tween the two walls. For space was expensive on the Midway of this Lake Michigan summer resort.
 The contents of the coop, however, rvaled that of many large bazaars in intrinsic value, for it was filled with Persian rugs, so full that Armen found difficulty in making a path in his wOr- ried pacing of the floor.
 Armen's means of livelihood was against him in his campaign for Ar aXia's heart. Araxia favored the pro- feSSiOns when it came to husbands. Tn her opinion, selling rugs was a menial existence. Armen, however, could not bring himself to dissOcate his life from the business he had always known and which his fathers had fol- lowed before him. He loved rugs, and he knew them as an artist knows col ors.
 | He could not understand anybody's resisting the charm of the magnifi- cent handwOven fabrics which seemed to diffuse an atmosphere of enchant- ment from the mysterious East. As he paced the floor Armen stopped now and then to caress one of his beloved rugs which he had hung from the ceiling-rows upon rows of them. This scheme of dis play was not satisfactory, but it was the best he could devise in his cramped quarters.
 q love you," he whispered to the rugs. Next to Arax:a and my moth- CT, far away in Armenia, love you best"
 Finally he seated himself at the rear of the store and concerned himself with reflections on his unrequited love. He hoped no customers would appear, because he wanted to think of things more ethereal than business. His sales this week already netted him $1 ,OOO, and that was sufficient. Armen was accommodating neat sum in the bank. Dr. AZaad BOyajian was the fly in Armen's ointment. Before the other came 'iack from college with his de- gree Armen had been making progress in his love affair in spite of Araxia's aversion to his occupation. He had al- most persuaded her that the rug busi- ness was art, and she had even prom ised to look over his assortment some day.
 Then Azaad came home and spoiled everything. He liked Araxia. and he was professional man. He opened an office and set out after a practice. This came slowly; in fact, the doctor ap- peared to be having little more than no success. But this had no effect on Ar aXia's admiration. He was a profess sional man, which 1t was better to be, even though a financial failure, than rug merchant, no matter how sue cessful. Besides, Azaad was hand some and strong, albeit he had a very excitable nature, which Araxia excused as temperament. Armen himself had rather attractive physiognomy, but he was short of stature.
 So things began to go against Ar men. Instead of calling twice each week on Araxia, he was allowed to see her but once, while the doctor went three nights-and they were not pro- fessonal calls. Then, before long, Ar men was left out entirely, for Araxia always found some excuse when he asked if he might call.
 
 vited into the rug shop when she was walking on the other side of the street. She had grudgingly consented to enter the coop and had looked over the rugs not only without enthusiasm, but with marked disdain in her demeanor. Ar men had fairly raved to her about new Kermansha which had just be- come a part of his stock, but she had thrown cold water on his fervor with the remark:
 "Oh, sure Armen, it is nice to look at, but one of these (pointing to sev- eral hanging near the back of the store) would be just as good to walk on. You can't talk rugs to me, Ar men. I've seen so many of them, and when have a home 1t will have bare floors or old-fashioned carpets" This made Armen tear his hair, fig uratively. The Kermansha was worth $6OO while those" referred to by Ar axia would not bring more than $1OO each.
 Then, with polite sarcasm. AraXia began ridiculing Armen and his rugs until he reached the boiling point and  was glad when she left. She would not receive another invitation to look at his stock, he resolved. Yet his love | did not diminish, in spite of her cruel treatment. Rather, it was intensified Armen's cogitations were interrupted by the telephone bell.
 ''This is Mrs. Turpenning," said woman's voice on the wire. i've de- | cided to take the Kermansha. have ] some friends at my home now, and I'm anxious for them to see it. Will you have it sent right upY She gave the address. .-. l Armen was glad of the excuse to get away from the shop and the vicinity | of Araxia's home. He rolled the rug carefully-almost tearfully, for he was | lOath to part with it-and went out