Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-29
AN AUATOLIAN SPECTRE-STORY.

NoAAAAAA a-AAAI-
Ii was in the MOhanmedan or lunar
month of Sha'aban, which that year CORE
spOnded pretty nearly with our December,
and which, as preceding the thirty days
yearly fast of Ramadhsn, is in some meas
ure festive time for the followers Of the
Prophet, sort of carnival before their Sc
we're Lent. OSInand Kaleeb-Zadeh, TO give
him his name in full, had sat up one night
till rather late in one Of the co1ee-hOuseS-
here the ordinary social resOrts-Of the
quarter, amusing himself after the fashion
of the country, by playing backgammon
with friend Of bis own age and position
and chatting on the ordinary topics Of the
time. When the cOfiee-hOuse had 20 be
closed, little before midnight. they were
the last 10 leave it; and before parting for
the night, they agreed to meet early by the
first dawn at the public bath close by, and
afterwards to 90 together into town upon
some business which they had arranged in
common. They then separated.
Osman went home and to bed, intending
to be up before daybreak and join his fIiend
at the bath. But in the middle Of mis-
sleep he was suddenly awakened by sharp
knocking at the door. Getting up quickly
and opening it 10 see what was the matter,
he beheld standing outside what he sup
posed to be his companion of the evening
before, with a lantern in his hand. The
night was sill, warm and overcast, with
low, misty clouds, as nights often are here
during the winter solstiee, cold and storm
rarely setting in before mid-January.
"Mhat has brought YOU here SO early?" he
asked, at is not vet near morning" "How
.,lTf saI fl,a 9TH s.fha Iavrn has al
ready broken, only 'tis cloudy and dark.
If we do not make haste we shall find the
bath crowded with people, and have ever
so long to wait for our turn. Besides, the
sooner the better; get your things on and
come" Hearing all this, Osman supposed
that he must have overslept himself, and
was really behind time. So he slipped
quietly back into the house, dressed him
self and came out. His friend was still
waiting for him, lantern in hand, at the
door.
No one else was up and stirring as they
passed along the narrow lanes, now dOubly
dark with OveTshadOwing trees, talking IA
miliarly as they went, till they came out
on the little open space close By the coffee
house where Osman had spent the evening,
where stands noble plane-tree, and Oppo-
site, beyond. is the low, dark entrance OF
the bath they were going to. But on one
side the view opens out across the Aenos
ravIne to the battlemented walls OF the
castle opposite; and beyond these again
rises high in air the tall stone minaret or
mosque, once a Byzantine Church, and
now the principal place Of Mohammedan
worship within the limits of the old forth
fed town.
Here they stopped to breathe the fresh
air a moment after the close, sitting lanes.
1t was a murky night. Osman looked
east, but there was no hint of dawn there:
only the taperipg outline Of the minaret
was traced family white against the black
ness of the sky. "HOw far OFF it looks in
the dusk, and how Hight" he exclaimed.
sNot so very far of, nor so very high
neither" said the other, in a strange, altered
voice, that made his companion start.
Suppose we just light it up-shan II"
And without waiting for an answer, he
stretched cut his arm, which suddenly
heightened right across the valley before
them, the city walls and the houses be-
yond, till it reached the minaret, and hung
the lantern on the pointed summit, where
it remained suspended, glittering like star
in the gloom.
Terrified at the sight, Osman turned to
ask-but his companion had vanished, and
he was all alone under the plane-tree il the
silent night Without waiting for mOrU
he hurried back as best he might to his
own hOuse,i entered and threw himself,
dressed as he was, upon the bed. His
wife woke up, and inquired what had hap
pened to him-where he had been. He
gave some evasive answer, and then lay
quiet, pretending to go to Sleep and wish
ing for the morning.
Only few minutes, however, had thus
passed. when rap it came to the door again.
Osman turned deaf ear at first; but when
it was repeated his wife awOke, and, not
suspecling what had occurred before, begged
her husband to get up and see who was
outside. Ashamed to own either his fears
or their cause, Osman reluctantly rose, left
the room, and opened the house door.
There, sure enough, stood his friend-Or
the semblance of his friend-lantern in
hand, waiting. 'WhO are yOu?" asked Os-
man. The other stared. 'Why, do you
not know ms?" said be. "Were we not
playing backgammon together last evening.
and did we not agree to 90 TO the bath to-
gether this morning. Come along, or We
shall be laie; the day is breaking" Form,
voice, manner-all were those of his friend.
Osman felt again ashamed to hint his sUs-
picibns; SO he determined to put bold face
on it, and accompanied the other into the
street.
Before they had gone far be himself learnt
to despiSe his own fears; so thoroughly did
the easy and straightforward talk Of the
one at his side assure him that this time it
was no tricky phantom but real living