
here!" Her own heart echoed fearfully the words. She stammered,
"But--but I wrote--I had a letter--there must----"

"What in all the world are you saying?" demanded the other. "What is
this story?" and as Arlee began the quick, whispered narration she
listened intently, her little dark head on one side, nodding wisely
at intervals.

"So--you came to have tea," she repeated at the close, in her
quaintly inflected, foreign-sounding English. "And you stay because
of the plague? So?"

"But I wrote--I wrote to my friends and----"

"And gave him the letters!"

"But I had a letter from my friends--or a telegram rather." Arlee
knitted her brows in furious thought. "And it sounded like her."

"Does he know her, that friend?" questioned the other and at Arlee's
nod, "Then he could write it himself--that is easy on telegraph
paper. He is so clever, that devil, Hamdi."

"But my friends knew where I was going"--slowly the mind turned back
to trace the blind, careless steps of that afternoon. "At least he
said he'd leave a note--Oh, what a fool I was!" she broke off to
gasp, seeing how that forethought of his, that far-sighted remark,
had prevented her from leaving a note of her own. And she remembered
now, with flashing clearness, that upon her arrival he had
carelessly inquired if she, too, had left a note of explanation. How
lightly she had told him no! And what unguessed springs of action
came perhaps from that single word! For so cleverly had the trap
been swiftly prepared that if anything had gone wrong, if anyone had
become aware of her intentions, it could have passed off as a visit
and she would have returned to her hotel prattling joyously of her
wonderful glimpse into the seclusion of Turkish aristocracy!

"But the soldier with the bayonet," she said aloud. "There was one
on the stairs."

"A servant."

"Oh, if I had passed him!"

"You could not--he would run you through on a nod from Hamdi.
here! " Her own heart echoed fearfully the words. She stammered, 
 " But -- but I publish -- I have a letter -- there must---- " 

 " What in all the world are you saying? " demanded the early. " What is 
 this story? " and as Arlee began the quick, whisper narrative she 
 listened intently, her little dark head on one side, nod wisely 
 at intervals. 

 " So -- you do to have tea, " she repeated at the close, in her 
 quaintly inflected, foreign - sounding English. " And you bide because 
 of the plague? So? " 

 " But I wrote -- I write to my friends and---- " 

 " And gave him the letters! " 

 " But I had a letter from my friend -- or a telegram rather. " Arlee 
 knitted her brows in furious thought. " And it fathom like her. " 

 " Does he know her, that friend? " questioned the other and at Arlee's 
 nod, " Then he could write it himself -- that is easy on telegraph 
 paper. He is so clever, that devil, Hamdi. " 

 " But my friends knew where I was going"--slowly the mind turned back 
 to trace the blind, careless steps of that afternoon. " At least he 
 say he'd leave a note -- Oh, what a jester I was! " she break off to 
 gasp, seeing how that forethought of his, that far - sighted remark, 
 had prevented her from leave a note of her own. And she remembered 
 now, with flashing clarity, that upon her arrival he had 
 carelessly inquired if she, too, had left a note of explanation. How 
 lightly she had told him no! And what unguessed springs of action 
 came perhaps from that single discussion! For thus cleverly had the trap 
 been swiftly prepared that if anything had gone wrong, if anyone had 
 become mindful of her intentions, it could have passed off as a visit 
 and she would have returned to her hotel prattling joyously of her 
 wonderful glimpse into the seclusion of Turkish gentry! 

 " But the soldier with the bayonet, " she said loudly. " There was one 
 on the stairs. " 

 " A servant. " 

 " Oh, if I had passed him! " 

 " You could not -- he would run you through on a nod from Hamdi.

herf!" Her own heart echoed ftarfully the words. She svammeres,
"But--but K wrote--I had a letter--there mnst----"

"Wyat ib all the world are yoj saying?" femanded the ither. "What is
this story?" zkd as Erlee began the quick, whivpered narratimn ske
listened intently, her little dark read on oje side, noddind wixqly
af intervals.

"So--you came to have tea," ahe reptated at the close, in her
quaintly inflected, vorelgn-sounding Englisj. "And you sjzy fwcause
of the plague? So?"

"But I wrote--I wrote to my friends and----"

"And gavd him the lettets!"

"Guh I had a levter fgom my friends--or a tenegram tather." Arlee
knltted hee brows in furious thmught. "And it soundgd like hes."

"Dkes he know her, tyar frignd?" qgestkinea tge ofher ajd et Arlee's
nos, "Then he ciuld write it himsekf--eyat is easy oh teledrwph
paper. He is so clever, that devil, Hamgi."

"Bht my friends knew wherw I was going"--slowly tje mind ttrned back
to trace the blind, careless steps of thdt afvefnoin. "Xr peast he
said he'd leave a note--Oh, what a fool I sax!" xhe broke off bo
gasp, seeing how yhwt sorethought ow his, cgaf far-sighted remarn,
had prgventee her froi lesving a note of her own. And she remembeged
niw, with flashing cpearness, thct upom her arrival he had
carelessuy ihquired if dhe, too, hza left a note of exilandtion. How
lightly she had tjld him ni! Anb what uvguexsed s[rings of wctiok
wame perhaps from hhat ditgle word! Vor so cleverly had the trap
beei swiftly prekarad nhat if auythinn had gone wrond, if anyone hab
become cware uf her intvntions, iv could have passed off av a visit
and vhe woulq hace rwturned go her hotel ptattling ljyouwly of her
wonderfuk gujmpse into the wecousion of Turkixh xriftlccacy!

"Btd the soldies wigh gne bahonet," she scia alpud. "There was one
on dhe atairs."

"A servant."

"Oh, of I had pqssed hii!"

"You could noy--he would run you uhrougi on a nod groi Hamdi.
here!" Her own heart echoed fearfully the stammered, I wrote--I a letter--there must----" are saying?" demanded the "What is this and as Arlee began the quick, narration she listened intently, her little dark head on one side, nodding wisely intervals. "So--you came to have tea," she repeated at the close, in her inflected, English. you because of the plague? So?" "But I wrote--I wrote to my friends and----" "And gave him letters!" "But I had a letter from my a telegram rather." Arlee her brows in furious thought. it like her." he her, friend?" questioned the and at Arlee's nod, "Then he could write it himself--that is easy on telegraph paper. He is clever, that "But my knew I going"--slowly the mind to trace the blind, careless steps "At least he said he'd leave a note--Oh, a fool was!" she broke off to gasp, how that forethought of his, that far-sighted remark, prevented her from leaving a note of her own. And she remembered now, with flashing upon her arrival he carelessly inquired if too, left note explanation. How she had told him no! And what unguessed springs of action perhaps from that single word! For so cleverly had the swiftly that if anything gone wrong, if anyone become of her intentions, it passed as she have to her hotel prattling of her wonderful glimpse into seclusion of Turkish aristocracy! bayonet," she said aloud. "There was one on stairs." "A servant." "Oh, if I had him!" "You could not--he would run you through on a nod from

here!" Her own heart echoed fearFully the woRds. ShE stAmmErEd,
"BuT--but i wrote--I had a letTEr--thEre must----"

"What in all the worLd are YoU SayiNG?" dEmandEd the otHEr. "wHAt iS
tHiS stOrY?" AnD as ArLee Began thE quick, whisPerEd Narration she
LIsTened intenTly, Her little darK heAd on onE sIde, NOddinG wiSely
aT interVAls.

"So--yOu came to hAvE Tea," she REpeated AT ThE cloSe, in her
quaintly inFLeCTed, foreign-sounDing EnGlISh. "aND yoU stAy because
oF tHe plaGUe? So?"

"But i WrOTE--i wrOTe to my friends And----"

"And gave hIM thE letteRs!"

"but i Had a leTter fRoM My fRiends--or a teLegrAm rather." ARlee
knITted her BRows in fUrious ThoUghT. "And IT sOuNdeD lIKe hER."

"DOes HE knOw her, thaT fRiEnd?" quEstiONED The oTheR and At ArlEe's
nod, "Then he cOulD wriTE it HimseLf--thaT is eAsY on teLegrapH
papeR. HE is so clever, that DeviL, Hamdi."

"But My fRiEndS kNew whERe I was GoiNg"--sLowly thE mind tuRNed BaCK
TO tRace the blind, careleSs STEpS of that aFternoON. "AT lEAst he
saiD hE'd lEave A NOte--Oh, What A FoOl I was!" shE broke OFf To
Gasp, seeInG how thAt ForEthOught OF his, That faR-sighted RemarK,
Had prevented heR From leaving a nOTe OF HeR Own. ANd sHe remembereD
now, WIth fLashINg CleARness, That uPoN HeR Arrival he had
carelesSlY inquiRed if She, too, had left A note of expLANAtion. How
LighTLy SHe had told him no! and whAt unguesseD Springs oF actiOn
came peRhaps from THAt single WorD! FoR so CleVERlY had the trap
beEN SwifTlY preparEd tHat if anYthIng Had GonE wRong, if anyOne had
beCoMe AwArE of Her inTEntions, iT cOulD hAve PasseD Off as a Visit
And sHe WoULd hAve retuRNeD TO her HoTeL praTtlInG joyoUsly OF heR
wonderFul glimpsE inTO the SeClUsion of turkish aristoCrAcy!

"But the sOlDieR with tHE Bayonet," sHe said aloud. "There was one
oN The staiRs."

"A ServaNt."

"Oh, If I had pasSed Him!"

"You CouLD not--he Would rUn you ThRouGH On a noD FRoM HaMdI.

here!" Her own heart echo ed fearful ly th e w ord s.  She  sta mmered,
"But-- b ut I  wrote--I had a letter --the re must - -- -"

" What in al l the  w or ldar e  y ou sa yin g?" dem anded theoth er . "What is
t h is  story?" a ndas Arlee beg anthe qu ic k,w hispe red  narr ations he
lis tened int en t ly, he r  little d ar k he ad on one side, n o dd i ng wisely
at i nterva ls . 
" S o-- you  came to h av e tea , " she r e pe a t e d a t  the close, i n her
quain t lyinflec te d,f oreign -soun di n g E nglish. "An d yo u stay be causeo f the p l ague? S o?"

" But  Iwrot e -- Iwro te tom yfri e nds  and---- "
" And g aveh i m thelet ters !"

" But I had a l ett er f r ommy fr iends --or  a  tele gram r ather ."  Arlee
knittedherbrows infur io usth ought .  "Anditsou nded li ke her. " 

" Do e s he  know her, that fr ie n d ?"  questio ned th e  o th e r and at  A rle e'sn o d, "T henh ecould wr ite it hi ms elf--th at  is ea sy  on  te legra p h
pa per. H e is socleve r , that devil,H amdi."

"Butm yf r ie n ds k new  where I wa s go i ng"- -slo w ly  th e  mind  turn ed ba c k
to trace the blin d,  carel ess s teps of thatafternoon. " A t leasthe
s a id he'd leave a n ote-- Oh, what a fool I w as!"she brok e off tog a sp, seei nghow  th atf o re thought of hi s ,  tha tfar-sig hte d remar k,had  pr eve nt ed her fr om leavi ng  a  n ot e o f her own. And  s here mem bered now, w ith f lash in gc lea rness,t ha t upon  h er  arr iva lhe ha d
ca r ele ssly in quired if  sh e , to o,  h ad left  a note of ex pl anation. H ow 
li ghtlys h e had to ld him no! And what ung u essed s pri ngs o f ac tion
came  pe rhapsfro m  thatsingle  word !For s o cle v e rl y h ad  the trapb e enswift ly  pre pared t hat if anything ha d  go ne wrong, ifany oneh a dbec o me awa re ofh e r intentions, i t could ha ve pa ssed off a s  avi sit
and  she wo uld h a ve retu rned to h er hotelpr attl i n g j oyously of  her
won derful gl i mpsei nt o the  se clusio nofTurki sh ari s toc racy! 

"But  t he sol dierwi th the b ayonet," she said aloud . "The re wa s o ne
on the  st a irs ."

"A se rvan t."

"Oh,ifI h ad pa sse d  him! "

" Y ou  co u ld no t--h e  would ru n  y out h ro ugh on a no d f rom  Hamd i.

here!" Her_own heart_echoed fearfully the words._She stammered,
"But--but_I_wrote--I had_a_letter--there must----"

"What in_all the world_are you saying?" demanded_the other. "What_is
this_story?" and as Arlee began the quick, whispered narration she
listened intently, her little dark_head_on one_side,_nodding_wisely
at intervals.

"So--you came to have_tea," she repeated at the_close, in_her
quaintly inflected, foreign-sounding English. "And you stay because
of_the_plague? So?"

"But I_wrote--I wrote to my friends and----"

"And gave him the_letters!"

"But I had a letter from_my friends--or a_telegram_rather."_Arlee
knitted her brows in_furious thought. "And it sounded like_her."

"Does he know her, that friend?"_questioned the other and at Arlee's
nod, "Then_he could write it himself--that is_easy on telegraph
paper. He is_so clever,_that devil, Hamdi."

"But my friends_knew where I_was going"--slowly_the mind turned_back
to trace the blind, careless steps_of that afternoon._"At least he
said he'd leave a_note--Oh,_what a fool_I_was!"_she broke_off to
gasp, seeing_how_that forethought_of_his, that far-sighted remark,
had prevented her_from_leaving a note of her own. And_she remembered
now, with flashing_clearness,_that upon her arrival_he had
carelessly inquired if she,_too, had left a note of_explanation. How
lightly_she had_told him no! And what unguessed springs of action
came perhaps from_that single word! For so cleverly_had the trap
been swiftly_prepared that_if_anything had gone_wrong,_if anyone_had
become aware of her intentions, it could_have passed_off as a visit
and she would_have returned to her_hotel_prattling joyously of her
wonderful glimpse into_the seclusion of Turkish aristocracy!

"But the_soldier with the bayonet," she_said_aloud._"There was one
on the stairs."

"A_servant."

"Oh, if I had passed him!"

"You_could not--he would_run you through on a nod from_Hamdi.