The Washington times., 1920-09-26

apartments Besmi q miniature scimetar such as the
harem eunuchs carry, cleaning in her hand intercepted
her. Bitter denuneiaton Of heg rival trembed at her
lips for utterance but zubsyda the gitterng knife,
and saw too her fate written the flashing eyes of the
Hanoum E6endi
She tried to scream, but no sound came from her
parched throat She dropped her robe and turned fee
to the safety Of her slaves but Bsm eaped upon her and
drove home the long, cruel kne-drove into the favor
ties heart Zubayda fell at Besms feet the beautiful
body inert and lifeless.
In another moment Zubaydas company of slaves bear
ing her toilet articles trooped into the antechamber and
FELL screaming about the form of their mistress Eunuchs
answering their cries, from all directions. The
alarm spread. but Besmi safe by then in the
apartments Of the Imperial Mother where none dared to
seek her.
Before word could be carried the Sultan the muezzn
called the hour of the First Prayer Every frightened
eunuch dropped his knees his face to Mecca and
in the harem from the lowest slave the highest
stood silent and mooness, though her veins pulls
ing with the exquisite excitement caused by the assass
nation Of the mighty Zubayda.
When the FIVE prayer minutes passed the Imperial
Mother through whom the of the haremk tragedy
must reach the Sultan went at to her imperial sons
apartments and requested an audience
What the Imperial Mother said to Abdul will be
known Of course how she pleaded for Besm but it is
safe to that she convinced her that Besms
act inspired by her ovcrpowerng love for him and
punishment for Zubayda's treacheries. The Imperial
Mother formally summoned Besm to trial before her
for her deed and after few short ceremonies Of
ton and defense ruled that the deed be condoned and
esm restored to her position and rights as mother OF an
imperial son. That evening the Sutans black came to
Besmis daras and called her to the imperial presence
sign Of her complete forgiveness.
The Hope Diamond was removed from the jewel boxes
of the slain favorite and placed in the Sutans private
vaults from which emerged only with the Sutans fall
World politicians and statesmen will scout the
thought that fate began to set the stage for the de-
thronement Of the cruel Abdul at the moment the
Hope Diamond passed into his possession-even his
torians do like say that the tragedy that befe
Louis XVI, OF which have told before the result
of Marie Antoinette's wearing the Blue Gen. but my
readers will agree with that is at least strange that
every monarch who owned this sparkling stone lost
either his throne Or his favorites and sometimes both
And Abdul the last monarch to have it in his vaults be-
to feel his throne totterng under him the moment
the diamond of Tavernier into his possession.
The news of the assassination Of Zubayda spread
through Constantinople with startling results Within
the haremlik the Imperial Mother all powerful She
could Besmi from punishment and even by work
ing upon the of her persuade him to condone
the crime and place Besmi in the high position Of favor
Zubayda had occupied
But in the year that Zubayda had been the ruling
favore and the real power behind the throne inAuenc
ing nearly all the Sultans official acts she had bound
TO her many influential and in official life.
She had been shrewd enough to attach to her several of
the Imperial Princesses daughters of the Sultan, who
had married ministers Of state and lived in palaces of
their Almost every Of these princesses was
jealous OF the Imperial Mother and glad to thwart her
plans at every opportunity They ruled their husbands
absolutely, man in Turkey is high enough in the
social or official scale to cross an Imperial Princess even
though she be his own wife.
When it was learned that Besm had slain Zubayda
and had been retained in the Sutans favor, intrigue
against the Imperial Mother and the favorte
began to manifest itself in the capital Great pashas,
beys and governors stirred by the Governor of Scuar
who had been the recipient of many favors from Zu-
bayda in return for his pains in training her for the i'm
peral harem bound themselves to bring about the pun
shment of the Imperial Mother and the debasemen of
Besni.