The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-03-23
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
The Silver Yataghan.
sy LILY MANpgL

3 a.
~ end of her pencil in Mrs. Nav
sons great library. She was off
IN a corner with her typewriter and
letters, but she was not thinking OF
work. Tomorrow was holiday and
IN the evening there was to be fancy
dress ball. Phil, her brother, in u
rare burst of brotherly interest, had
fpromieed TO take her to the festiyity.
YOU eGsetting to be regular little
mouse, and I'm going to take you out
among people," he had said patroniz-
1ngly. Nov, don't worry and be bash
ful; I'LL scare up a,few fellows to dance
with you, but Of course you can't ex-
apect to be the belle of the evening and
all that sort Of thing. Get yourself
costume-something that suits you;
$,.be a Quarteress or schoolmarm."
She had nodded and thanked him,
but inwardly resolved to throw off
her little mouse. cloak and be some
body else just for one evening. I'm
sick and tired of being the sedate
private secreRry; I'm just as fun-lov-
ing and jolly as any other girl II have
l3lf a chance. And I'm going to-
lave 1t, too. A masquerade ball is
Just the thing!" And then and there
she decided to go as Turkish vamp!
At homo In a locked 5urcau drawer
iay the costume quite handy-yellow
silk trousers, crimson bolero jacket
and white batiste chemise, red turban
and floating, fimsy veil, even turned.
up Turkish slippers and wonderful
black and red sash. 1t was a perfect
outfit; she really would look like a
Turkish woman, but she wanted to be
yampl Something was needed, a.
little touch-she did not know what
So she continued to bite the unoffend.
ing pencil and stare with wrinkleu
forehead at the high bookcases, anti
que shields and swords that decorated
the somber walls. Right above her
little typewriter table hung queer
looking thing, dagger or knife
thought Alcina idly. Very black and
tarntshed, an odd handle, too, the US
iial crossbar missing and the blade
more than a foot long, fexed in a
graceful double curve. On the handle
something was engraved, curious
characters-she rose to see 1t better
-why-that must be a Turkish in
scription. Oh, now she knew, the
logger was Turkish yataghan! Sup.
pose 1t were polished and cleaning
stuck in her sash; then she would look
like a vamp-a real Turkish vamp!
That was the touch that her costume
ineeded. The only trouble was would
MRS. Mawson lend it to her for the
ball She doubted it, for the old
lady had recently refused to lend her
9 book from the well-stocked library.
There was another way. Mrs. Nav
son never entered the gloomy room.
Aicina always went to her employers
parlor or. dressing room for dictation
OF instruction. If she took the yata-
CHAN home with her tonight and re-
turned 1t the day after tomorrow no
one would know the difference.
When s o'clock came Alcina, bit
conscious stricken, took down the
dagger, and wrapping it quickly in a
piece OF newspaper stuck it in her
muff and without looking right or left
hurried from the house.
At home, in the privacy OF her room
she rubbed and polished it, and behold,
the black melted away and beautiful,
cleaning silver came to view! Her
eyes sparkled with delight as she saw
aherself in, her pretty Turkish suit with
q silver yataghan stuck in her sash.
IT was bound to attract the attention
Of everybody.
When they left for the dance long
coat covered her up completely so that
not even Phil had an inkling of her
costume. He was not even curious,
flor he thought he would know her in
any kind of dress.
She fingered in the dressing room,
and then, conscious that she looked
very pretty and attractive, took the
plunge into the ballroom just In time
to see Phil beneyolently tuck the hand
Of demure little shepherdess under
his arm and patter off with her under
q the impression he was doing his duty
to Alcina.
Alcina was surrounded at once.
Everybody was sure they knew her.
Knights and clowns, sailors and Ro-
man soldiers, all were highly interest
ed in the Turkish vamp with the gilt
tering silver yataghan. Alcina had
not known that any one could have
such glorious time. BY and by she
realized that she had danced three
times in succession with a certain fas-
cinating toreador, and decided it was
time to change, bue he persuaded her
to sit out dance. Laughing they
found a little nook for tete.atete.
That silver yataghan, it attracted
me at once when you entered the
rom; where on earth did you find
anything SO wonderful" he asked.
Alcina flushed under her veil at loss
for an answer, when rather merry
Pilgrim strutted UP and pulled her off
for fox;trot. She gave little sigh
Of relief; the toreador was lovely, but
the questioning about the yattghan
was embarrassing. She noticed with
delight that 1t was near IL, almost
time to unmask. She quite longed to
zee the Spaniard's face. And then the
10y Of Pills amazement when he saw
who the Turkish vamp was!
The fox-trot over, Alcina put her
hand>in her sash-it felt trifle loose.
The yataghan must have slipped lit