at drum for my tabouret?"

"Orient!" observed Tish, coughing. "I'm going out and take the
switch-key out of that car. And I wish I'd brought Charlie Sands!"

It was in vain we reminded her that the Syrians are a pastoral people
and that they come from the land of the Bible. She looked round her
grimly.

"They look like a lot of bandits to me," she sniffed. "And there's
always a murder at a wedding of this sort. There isn't a woman here but
ourselves!"

She was exceedingly disagreeable and Aggie and I began to get
uncomfortable. But when Tufik brought us little thimble-sized glasses
filled with a milky stuff and assured us that the women had only gone to
prepare the bride, we felt reassured. He said that etiquette demanded
that we drink the milky white stuff.

Tish was inclined to demur. "Has it any alcohol in it?" she demanded.
Tufik did not understand, but he said it was harmless and given to all
the Syrian babies; and while we were still undecided Aggie sniffed it.

"It smells like paregoric, Tish," she said. "I'm sure it's harmless."

We took it then. It tasted sweet and rather spicy, and Aggie said it
stopped her sneezing at once. It was very mild and pleasant, and rather
medicinal in its flavor. We each had two little glasses--and Tish said
she would not bother about the switch-key. The car was insured against
theft.

A little later Aggie said she used to do a little jig step when she was
a girl, and if they would play slower she would like to see if she had
forgotten it. Tish did not hear this--she was talking to Tufik, and a
moment later she got up and went out.

Aggie had decided to ask the musicians to play a little slower and I had
my hands full with her; so it was with horror that, shortly after, I
heard the whirring of the engine and through the cellar window caught a
glimpse of Tish's machine starting off up the hill. I rose excitedly,
but Tufik was before me, smiling and bowing.

"Miss Tish has gone for the bride," he said softly. "The taxicab hav'
not come. Soon the priest arrive, and so great shame--the bride is not
here! Miss Tish is my mother, my heart's delight!"

When Aggie realized that Tish had gone, she was rather upset--she
depends a great deal on Tish--and she took another of the little glasses
of milky stuff to revive her.

I was a little bit nervous with Tish gone and the sun setting and
another tub of beer bottles brought in--though the people were orderly
enough and Tufik stoo