THE SHEIK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16377, 27 June 1927, Page 7

THE SHEIK

AND “ENGLISH LILIES” GIRL’S ROMANTIC STORY LONDON, .Tune 14. The Evening Standard publishes a thrilling story of two pretty 18-year-old London variety artists, Irene Speller and Winnie Comber, who have returned from Syria. The girls declare that when they were .appearing in Damascus they were told that an Arab prince was occupying a box. They looked up and saw a gorgeously-dressed Arab, robed in a cloth of gold, lined with rosecolored silk. Ilis adornments included a silver-eased revolver and a jewelled dagger, thrust in a jewelled girdle. The prince visited the theatre every night, sometimes arriving on horseback, and on other occasions fyy motor ear.

-Finally he sent repeated messages to Miss Speller and Miss Comber by the theatre attendants, by his chauffeur, and by his own soldiers. The messages called the girls “Roses of Damascus,” “Flowers of the Desert,” “English Lilies.” Later they were introduced, but the conversations were limited, owing to the Prince’s ignorance of English. Finally, when they were appearing at Zahleh, with the manager’s consent, they agreed to dine with the Prince in the desert. First they motored out, and met a cavalcade, at the head of which was the Prince. lIIS HAREM “On arrival at the oasis,” said the girls, “we dined in a tent furnished in . the most luxurious Oriental style. After dinner the Prince said he wanted us to join him in the desert. He offered to load us with jewellery, give us motor cars—anything we wanted. When we refused he swore on the hilt of his dagger that he would follow us over the world, and that eventually the English lilies would reign in his harem.

“At this we were frightened, and asked the manager to take us to the British Consul at Damascus.

“The manager did not comply, and the prince, swearing on his eyes not to harm us, offered to motor us to Damascus. Wo accepted, and the prince handed us over there, saying he had kept his vow, and w r as now free to capture us if lie could. “The Consul assisted us home, and it was then our most adventurous time began. While we were motoring to Beirut, guarded by French troops, the prince’s soldiers endeavored to stop our car. Shots were exchanged, but the motor put on speed, and clashed by. We took the steamer from Beirut to Port Said, but the prince resumed the' chase-in his own aeroplane, arriving at Port Said a few minutes after We had left for England.