Evening star., 1923-01-12
A Son of the Sahara
A Modern Story of the Desert
Continued from Yesterdays star0
Copyright. 1872. BY the Mac


Continued from Yesterdays Starr
Under her gaze he began to find
excuses and explanations for himselt
ana his behavior.
Don't you remember telling me in
mat letter of yours that you were
NOT quite the same as other girls
putting that forward as a sufficient
reason for breaking faith with me:
wen, Pansy, I'm not quite the same
as the other men you've known. To
begin with, my religion is different
IN my own small way I'm king
rule absolutely within Il radius OF
more than hundred miles round
mere. Then, I'm n millionaire, and
my trading extends far beyond my
KIN hgdom, as far as st. Louis. in fact
And millionaires. more especially il
/ lney Re men and unmarried, are feted
ana welcomed everywhere. And, like
kihgs, millionaireS can do no wrong
Inen I'm half Arab, half French
whlch You must agree is a wild COM
Dlnatlon. Such mixture doesn't
tend to make a man exactly virtu-
GUS. I've done exactly what I liked
practically ever since l was born
everybody, except my mother, did
lhelr best to spoil me. She was the
only one who ever tried to keep ME
IN order in any way, but she died
teen l was sultan here in my own
rlsht. And no one ever dared, or
troubled to criticize my doings until
You came along. And now you're ex-
pectlng me to be a better man than
be"
Pansy said nothing; she still looked at
him. trying now TO see his point of
.! call 'trifiing' what you've done
win me. Promising to marry me and
then drawing back I've never trified
with you. And if you can believe such
thlng' and If you'll try and see it in
my hight, I've been faithful to YOU |
never had thought for another
woman since the night you came into
my ire, until l learned you were
Barclays s daughter. Then I tried to
nate you. and went back to my old
Ille. But when you were brought to
me. dead, as l thought, L knew 1
dlnn hate you. And since that day.
Pansy. there's been no other woman
but you. And you'll satisfy me for
the rest of my life"
Pansy listened to him. trying to see
thlngs as he saw them, knowing she
ought 10 be disguised with him. In
stead, she was intensely sorry because
lhere had never been any one at hand
70 cHeck or train him, except a mother
VINO had died twenty years ago
But his speech brought her fathers
pllsnt before her again. 1t seemed
hardly feasible that the sultan would
nave sent her letter to the man he
desired to punish.
Did you give that note of mine to
my fatherY' she asked
A trif1e askance, he glanced ar her.
No, didn't" he confessed.
Pansy was past being angry with
him; she was just sorely wounded in
soul and mind at his doings.
This must have showed on her face.
Tor he went on quickly:
You can send another and I prom
tse it'll be delivered. Not only that,
but that your father and friends will
be- well treated. Among other things.
PanSy, You've staken the edge off my
vengeance"
He paused; leaning over her he said:
I'm granting you all these favors.
but what are YOU going TO do for
me-"
Pansy wanted nothing now but to
get away from him, right away, be-
yond his reach, but not because she
hated him.
Just for moment, my little Eng
l1sh Hover, will you rest upon nv
heart: he asked in a soft, caressing
voice. There's no savagery left in
me when you're there OF your own
He held out his arms, waiting to
complete the bargain. But she moved
away quickly.
"'oh, no." she said. alarm in her
voice
He laughed.
You've never been afraid Of me
before, why are you now, Pansy? Are
you afraid you might love me?"
How could l love any one so de-
praved?" she asked.
But her voice was quavering, not
scornful as she intended it to be-
"Depraved! So that's what 1 am
now, is it? Well, it's all point of
view, l suppose. And it's one degree
better than saying you hate me-"
He turned towards the desk, and
drew out paper and envelopes
Write your letter, my little girl"
he finished.
PanSy sat down.
AS she wrote to her father, in her
heart was a wish that she had been left
undisturbed in her fools paradise,
that she had married Raoul lie Breton
at the end of month, knowing moth
ing about him except that she loved
him.
Once he was her husband, IL she had
learned the truth, she would not have
had to fight against herself and him.
There would have been only one
course left open to her-to do her utmost
to make n better man of him. And
circumstances had shown her that in
her hands the task would have been
an easy one.