The Washington herald., 1921-08-14
ASHES OF ROSES
When Zueika Dropped Petals the Ruer Message to
Her LoUe She Sealed Her DUN Fate and That of Men

and / began to watch the stream.
l could not see. Zuelika then, but my
eyes can always see her when ] draw the
lids over them, so. Her fingers and lips
needed no henna to color them. nor did her
eyes need touch of black on their lids or
lashes. Her teeth were as those OF a
yearling colt, even. white and clean. She
was round and quick. and her little tongue
had a trick of kissing her lips that made
a man wish A. ..
Huei, bcnefactor. So It was. Strain
ing my eyes ere the light failedS / picked
the rose petals off the water, and when
they ceased to come | heard the stream
IS!king TO its pebbles. How is it, benefac-
tor. that just with the last Of the light
water talks to water so clearly, as II at
that moment hard set on making the birds
hear or the breezes carry its chatter?
Yes, put the rose petals in a clay pip
kin and heated it and took the ashes and
placed them in an amulet.
After the weeks of preparation were ended
the ancient one and Zuelika went. The
country was quiet. She went yelled. There
was no reason to think q pilgrim and his
attendant would be harmed on the way
down to Kiva and Ashkabad, and through
Persia to Turkey and Arabia, or over the
sea to Arabia-that way as seemed best.
No, surely the girl was not to kiss the black
stone or make the full pilgrimage; that was
for the ancient one But she could 20 witt
him, comfort him. guide him, protect him,
serve him. as might turn out needful on the
way. They set out with four mares, two
10 draw each litter. In one was the girl.
in the other her father. We had hired Kiya.
-drlVers-who we're to see them we'll Joined
to large company Of pilgrims bound for
the south, and for hire have part Of the
money the mares would bring in Kiya's bors.
market.
All, benefactor, the year passed. The
ANU waIed With the yellow waters from
beyond Bokhara. and the birds came again
and the rivers banks stood high with good
growth for fat-tailed sheep and horses and
catne. The time of little rain came and
went, and the storks few southwark. and
clouds Of winged ones from the high stepp.,
beyond Lake Aral Jared south snd-,h.
year had passed. At the time set We watched
the morse route By the river for our ancient
one and Zuelika. One evening we saw on.
coming, leaning heavily on a staff, tott.r;n,
ne barely stood erect until we could rom.
70 him 1t was Zuelika's father.
But where is the maid?" I demanded
iorEeuul Of all manners. pushed m,,.l,
ahead OF older men to his side.
PUSTUM UL SHAITAN. wb., , h,ov
~ my father gave me! Never sine. b.v.I
been rude to an elder. benefactor.
The moon had risen when NV no,h.,
came to where 1 was stretched out on ~.
hard earth waiting to hear the word
Our ancient one is dead" she besa,
But Zuelika-"
1T fell ont thus" she answered. ..rb.v
were in NaIimpur, on the way home tbr..
moons since Zuelika's veil cam. Ioo.. =.
they waited one night there in hb.,
There were many people there-cam.l
drivers hors. traders, pilgrims. iugsler,
Tartars- dispute arose between two bors.
traders, and soon the khan was in an mn.
roar. In the midst Of it Zuelika an IN.
ancient one were seized, bound, hu-.led out.
No doubt the whole thing wa, to cover I'D
the crime. The two were hurried out of the
city, where, at the streamside, the old man
was beaten and cast aside and the girl.
bound, cast down beside him. Then two Of
the dogs rent away. While the ancient on.
and Gle girl were thus kept they heard thei-
captors tell how they expected to profit BY
the sale Of the girl to Cherkin Efendi, a rich
Turk Of Nazimpur, who had asked the CAP
tain of the girl thieves to steal for him q
young woman. Zuelika, the ancient one told
my people, was taken away when the two
dog brothers returned, and he, the old man,
was beaten again and left for dead But his
soul returned to his bruised body by the help
Of Allah, to whom be praise! Bismillah,
First the ancient one complained. But
he could find no one to take up his cause
and he was hustled about. Then he fell sick,
and only that some returning pilgrims from
near the Elbruz Range took pity on him
he had died on the streets. Only his will to
live brought him on to his home place to
die
See, benefactor, the first Of the lights
has been set aglow in the garden up above,
and the people are pushing out into the
stream the little boats with tapers in them.
And the lanterns are being hung among the
trees and lighted. Yes, it is . pretty sight.
After my mother went away I decided
what to do. i knew if made q great
uproar in Nazimpur or shed blood 90
was blamed for the deed it would come
back on to our people, as the Shah at Teheran
would be glad Of hitting the government Of
kivas for it, and they, in turn, would set
upon our village. So 1 do not take any
weapons nor ride NV horse I walked ont
with nothing but my bare hands and my
hot heart and bubblihg brain.
TWO months later 1 was here in Nazim-
L pur. I had linked myself to some Tatar
horse traders coming down, and had kept
my ear open to all the chatter of their
camps. We had prime Kirghis mares and
two great stations from the Volga regions