The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-09-05
Chapter Nine
Harenl Life

Harem Lille
EHALIMA brought up her trav,
N cling case. Servants carried il
large brass bread basin ano
filed it with warm, rose scented
water. Anne soaped and secured
and cold creamed and finally
brushed her teeth with salt ane
charcoal. before giggiing and de.
lighted audience.
More rugs were placed on the
tiled floor StreWn with little
tables for dishes and with boil.
sters on which to recline. Girl:
brought in the evening meal--saf-
from soup in which pieces oil
chicken fioated, rice and mutton
thin sheets of bread and rose-leai
jam. sweet cakes and Jumps ol
colored sugar, cheese, pale pink
tea, and jugs of sour milk.
Anne lay back on her bolster
and discovered the thing seemed
stuffed with turnips instead oil
feathers. But she was so tired that
after the meal she took a nar
while the other women smoked
their water pipe.
When she woke'up at shutdown
the small opium pipes with porce-
lain bowls and wooden stems
were brought in. Girls rolled the
sticky pellets above fragments
of glowing charcoal and passed
them around. Anne shook her
head: the nauseating smell was
enough for her.
Il have peace and JOY without
it, she told the Princess. 'sWill
YOU send me across the border in
the morning?"
The Princess nodded.
One languid girl was playing a
tambourine accompaniment to a
strange, high pitched song. An
other looked at the pictures in q
fashion magazine Anne had found
in her suitcase. Two others were
pickering. The whole outfit re-
minded her of children, laughing
easily, quarreling easily and cuff
ing the serving women who dared
not strike back.
So this dreary round of know
nothing, do nothing, go nowhere
is harein life" thought Anne. She
wondered if Sherwood and
Mackey were in prison. She told
the Princess about them.
Are you in love with the treas
ure hunter?n the lady asked.
Certainly not, said Anne
flushing. Il hardly know the
man.
"Good. For he will die. NV
husband wants that treasure. He
kills white men who hunt for it. "
sHe wouldn't dare kill Mr..
Sherwood" Anne cried. THE
powerful Prince Of Sham Lun is
his friend. =
1The Einir rules. When foreign
governments enquire he says /
know nothing of such man" She
rose. "But come with me. One
thing may happen"
The Shot
THEY assembled stairway lined
4 with mirrors and crossed a
large room strewn and hung with
carpets, to a latticed balcony
overlooking the Emir's hall Of
audience.
A crow. of men were as
sembled. Anne saw the. influence
OF India and Persia and China in
the gorgeously colored garments
they wore. some dressed in Jack
cts and voluminous trousers.
Others in embroidered gowns and
a few wore jewelled turbans.
A dinner jacket and an aViator's
uniform came into her line Of
vision. Sherwood and Mackey did
not look like prisoners to Anne.
She recognized the host, a small
emaciated man. by the thronelike
platform on which he sat. He
called Sherwood to him and they
seemed to talk politely.
In the meantime the other men
were eating or smoking and
watching the dancing boys CARRIED
in lacy head dresses and full silk
trousers, and red Turkish slip.
perS.
Suddenly a revolver shot rang
out. 1t looked for moment as if
Sherwood had attacked the Emir
and knocked him down. In an
other part of the room men were
struggling and striking at a hid
den figure. Then body dripping
from stab wounds was carried out.
This man had fred the shot and
Sherwood, in pushing the Emir
oyer, had saved his life.
The Sherwood luck still holds, :"
thought Anne.
The Princess turned away and
put a hand to her face. overcome
by emotion. M
Presently she looked up. I'VE
have failed again. " she said. Now
there will be more sorrow and
suffering in the land Anne
stared at her with widening
eyes. So the Princess had known
the shot would be firedl Perhaps
harem life isn't such a do-nothing
life after all, she thought. s.
When they returned to the wo-
mans apartment they found Kha-
lima there. waiting to bid Anne
goodby. She was returning home
with a night-traveling caravan
that had already passed through
the city gates Anne was tempted
to return with her. half sick at
the thought Of being left in this
palace where intrigue and sudden
death were mated with a life so
dull and pointless that the opium