Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1920-04-08

The yataghan must have slipped
little-where was it? II was gone
she had lost it! Then began a fran
tic search hut it was not To be found
Terror-stricken, she questioned many
of the dancers, and then. as last re-
sort. ran to the dressing room and
asked the maid. No one had seen the
dagger 1t had vanished. it seemed.
Tears of fright came to Alcina's dark
eyes: she sank to Il chair in the cloak
room. miserable, utterly unhappy. Tie
evening was over for her. She could
not return to the festivities. In a
moment OR two. enveloped in her
long cloak, she was speeding home in
a taxi alone. A sorry end of the Won
derful evening.
At breakfast Phil was not even con-
cerned about how she had reached
home alone He was still under the
impression that she had been the
shepherdess and somebody had in
formed him that she had left with an
escort. Alcina did not explain, she
was too miserable to care about any
thing except how she would explain
the loss of the yataghan to Mrs. Nav
son.
very pale, quiet social secretary
crept into the great gloomy library
for work that morning. She raised
two worried eyes to the bare spot
where the yataghan had hung-but
was she dreaming-she rubbed her
eyes, for there in it's old place hung
the Turkish dagger, polished like new.
Alcina drew back, actually fright
ened, then fastened to touch it to see
if 1T was real and not an optical H.
fusion. No. 1t was the silver yata-
CHAN. there was no possible mistake.
II don't understand it," she said
aloud; t'it's the most remarkable
thing that ever happened"
"Not really so very remarkable,
considering that l put it there" said
voice strangely familiar. Alcina
swung around to see tall young man
quite unknown to her.
Don't YOU really remember your
devoted toreador?" he questioned,
coming nearer.
Alcina gasped. "How on earth did
you get here and how do you know
me. if you please?"
II think l would recognize the
dark eyes of my Turkish vamp any,
where. but seriously l owe you an
apology. took the yataghan last
night-you see it happened to be
my yataghan. / recognized it imme-
diately. But if had had an idea
that it would make you leave I never
would have done it in the wide world.
When l could not find you any,
where, then / left, too"
Alcina. mortified, her breath COM
ing fast, answered, very disturbed.
''Then you must be Mrs. Mawson's
youngest SOM"
He nodded. 81 am very much
ashamed OF myself for causing you
an anxious moment over that old
knife. And I'm going to confess still
further. When I came home night
before last happened to glance In
the library, and 10 and behold very
charming young woman was taking
down my old Turkish yataghan and
putting it in her muff. wondered
what on earth she could possibly want
with that sword. On questioning
mother found out who you were and
that you intended to go to fancy
dress ball. Then and there l decided
that | was going to the ball, too, but
1t was not the silver yataghan that
made me go! Please forgive me- and
let's be friends" He held out both
hands beseechingly, and before AL
Gina knew what she was doing she
had laid her hands in his! 1t was a
silent but true promise Of future part
nership in the silver yataghan!