Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-12-15
Ill
The Palace
Of Darkened
Windows
By
MARY
HASTINGS
BRADLEY
It had all followed upon acquaint-

It had all followed upon acquaint-
ance with the one-eyed man.
Taciturn in the beginning and aus
picious of Billy's questionings. that
F., dark skinned Individual had at first
betrayed abyssmal ignorance of all
save the virtues of stuffed croco-
dies, but convinced at last that this
was no trap, but genuine situation
from which he could profit, his greed
overcame his native caution, and
thru the aid of his jerlSy English and
Billy's jagged Arabic a certain meas
ure of confidence was exchanged.
The one-eyed man then recollected
that he had noticed Turkish officer
and an American girl returning to-
gcther to the hotel upon that We'd
nosday afternoon. He had stared.
because truly it was amazing. even
for American madness-and also the
young girl was beautiful. IA wild
gazelle." was his word for her. The
man was Captain Kerissen. He was
known to all the city-well known,
IL
not a good way for the ladies. Yes,
he had a motor cara grand, gray
car. Chilly remembered that the fatal
limousine had been gray.) It was
well known that he had bought 1t
for foreign woman whom he had
brought from over seas and installed
in the palace Of his fathers. Yes. he
knew well where that palace was.
His brothers wif,s's uncle was a
eunuch there. but he was hard man
who held his own counsel and that
Of his master.
Could girl be shut up in that pail
ace and the world be no wiser? The
one-eyed man stared scathingly at
such ignorance. Why not? The I'M
derworld might know. but native
gossip never reached white ears.
What was the best way Of finding
out, then? The onc-eyed man had
no hesitation about his answer.
A native must use his eyes and
ears for the American. Thru his
subtle skill and the Americans
money the discovery could be made.
The women servants would talk.
That was the way. Billy agreed.
and quoted to the Arab his own pro-
verb, "A saint will weary of we'll
doing and a braggart, of his boasts.
but q woman's tongue will never
stop of ITSELF" and the one-eyed man
had nodded, with an air Of resigned
understanding, and quoted In answer,
There Is nothing SO great and moth
ing so small. nothing SO precious and
nothing so foul, but that woman
will put her tongue to It," and an
understanding appeared to have been
reached.
The one-eyed man was to loiter
about the palace, calling upon the
brothers wife's uncle If possible, and
discover all that he could without
arousing suspicion. And Billy de-
termined to do little lettering him.
self and quicken the one-eyed mans
Investigations and keep watch of
kerissens comings and goings, and
a donkey boy was hired by the one
eyed man to follow the captain
when he appeared in the street and
report the places to which he went.
1t was all very ridiculous, of
course, Billy cheerfully agreed with
himself, but by proving Its own folly
| 1t would serve 10 allay that extra
ordinarily nagging unea.siness OF his.
If lie could just be sure that little
Miss Beecher wasn't tucked out OF
sight somewhere in the power Of that
barbaric scamp with his Continental
veneer!
Meanwhile the Oriental methods ia
| be employed in the finding out APP
pcaled to the young Americans hui
NOR and his rash love Of adventure
He vas srinning as he sat there or
that stool and stared at the blank
| canvas before him. He had felt the
role of artist would be an excellent
screen for his lettering, but he had
done no painting for little matter
of twenty years, not since he was
q tiny lad, flat upon his stomach IL
| his home library, industriously tint
! ing the robes and boards of Bible
! characters and the backgrounds OF
the Holy Land-this work Of art be-
ing one of the few permitted diver
sions of the family Sabbath. Now
he reflected that the scenes for his
brush were decidedly similar.
With humorous interest he fell to
work, scaling off the palace on his
left, blocking off the cemetery ahead
and trying to draw a palm without
emphasizing the thought of feather
buster. His engineering training
made him critical of his lines and
outlines, but when it came to the
introduction of color he had the SEN
sation of shipwrecked mariner
afloat upon uncharted seas.
The color that his eyes perceived
was not the color which his stubborn
memory persisted in reminding him
was the actual hue Of the events
and the color that he produced upon
canvas was no kin to any of them
But it sufficed for an excuse, and
he worked away, whistling cheerily
warily oEservant of the dark and 81
lent facade of the old palace and
alertly interested in the little groups