Gilpin observer., 1920-04-15
A $500
KERMANSHA
By R. RAY BAKER


frown, Armen Doomborijian stood at
the window of his business place and
watched Doctor Azaad Boyajian march
past on the opposite side of the street,
head erect. shoulders back, twirling a
cane.
Armen's black eyes followed the
other until he arrived at bazaar near
the end Of the block. The doctor did
not enter the bazaar. Instead he
passed through a 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-
GUS. 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 its en-
tire length with few steps; because
1t was only niche. 1t 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,
rivaled 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 1t came to husbands. In
her opinion, selling rugs was a menial
existence Armen, however, could not
bring himself to dissociate 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 1t was
the best he could devise in his
cramped quarters.
'T love you." he whispered to the
rugs. Next to Arax.a and my moth
er. 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 81 1000,
and that was sufficient. Armen was
accumulating n neat sum in the bank.
DR.. Azaad Boyajian was the fly in
Armen's ointment. Before the other
came back 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 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 II was better to be,
even though a financial failure, than
a rug merchant, no matter how sue
cessful. Besides. Azaad was hand
some and strong, albeit he had a very
excitable nature, which Arax!a excused
ms temperament. Armen himself had
a rather attractive physIognomy. but
he was short Of stature.
So things began to 60 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-
fessional calls. Then. before long, Ar
men was left out entirely, for Araxia
always found some excuse when he
asked II he might call.
Only yesterday Araxia had been in
v!ted 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, hut with
marked disdain In her demeanor. Ar
men had fairly raved to her about
new Kermansha which had just be-
come n part OF his stock, but she had
thrown cold water on his fervor with
the remark:
"Oh. sure Armen. It is nice to look
Mt. but one of these (polnting to sew