The Lamar register., 1920-06-02
THE SILVER
YATAGHAN
By LILY WANDEL


Alcina thoughtfully chewed the end
Of her pencil In Mrs. Mawson's great
library. She was of 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 a rare burst of
brotherly interest had promised to
take her to the festivlty. You're get
ting to be regular little mouse and
I'm going to take you out among peo-
ple," he had said patronlzingly. Now.
don't worry and be bashful; I'll scare
up q few fellows to dance with you,
but Of course you can't expect to be
the belle Of the evening and all that
sort of thing Get yourself a costume
something that suits you; be
Quakeress or a schoolmarm."
She had nodded and thanked him.
but inwardly resolved to throw OF
her little mouse cloak and be some
body else just for one evening. I'm
sick and tired OF being the sedate
private secretary; I'm Just as fun
loving and jolly as any other gill II
I'd have half a chance. And I'm 60
ing to have II. too. masquerade ball
is Just the thing" And then and
there she decided to go as Turkish
vampl
At home In a locked bureau drawer
lay the costume quite handy-yellow
silk trousers. crimson bolero jacket
and white batiste chemise. red turban
and floating. filmy veil. even turned
up Turkish slippers and n wonderful
black and red sash. II was a perfect
outft; she really would look like a
Turkish woman. but she wanted to
be vampi Something was needed,
little touch-she did not know what.
So she continued TO bite the unofrend-
ing pencil and stare with wrinkled
forehead at the high bookcases,
antique shields and swords that dec
GRATED the somber walls. Right above
her little typewriter table hung
queer looking thing. a dagger or knife.
thought Alcina idly. Very black and
tarnished. an odd handle. too. the
usual crossbar missing and the blade
more than a foot long. hexed In
graceful double curve. On the handle
something was engraved, curious char
acterp-she rose to see It better-why
that must be q Turkish Inscription.
Oh, now she knew. the dagger was
Turkish yataghanl Suppose It were
polished and cleaning. stuck in her
sash: then she would look like q
vamp--a real Turkish vampi
49,
tune needed. The only trouble was:
Would Mrs. Mawson lend 1t to her for
the ball, She doubted II. for the old
lady had recently refused TO lend her
book from the weli-stocked library.
There was another way. Mrs. Nav
son never entered the gloomy room.
Alcina always went to her employers
parlor or dressing room for dictation
or instructions. II she took the yata-
CHAN home with her tonight and re-
turned II the day after tomorrow no
one would know the difference.
When five O'Clock came, Alcina. q
bit conscience stricken, took down
the dagger, and wrapping II quickly
In q piece OF newspaper, stuck It In
her mum. and without looking right
or left hurried from the house.
At home. in the privacy OF her room.
she rubbed and polished 1t. and be-
hold. the black melted away and
beautiful. cleaning silver came to
viewl Her eyes sparkled with delight
as she saw herself In her pretty Turk
ish suit with silver yataghan STUCK
In her sash. II was bound to attract
the attention OF everybody.
When they left the dance a long
cloak covered her up completely
SO that not even Phil had an inkling
of her costume. He was not even
curious. for 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 benevolently tuck the
hand Of demure little shepherdess
under his arm and patter on with her
under 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
Roman soldiers, all were highly In
terested I'm the Turkish vamp with
the glittering silver yataghan. Al
Gina had not known that any one
could have such n glorious time. By