St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-02-13
At parting she put into his hands !,
Yo11on 90 ckot op1 a bow

| ROluCH CctShcG duu u Key.
"Take this she said, ''as the gift Of
the fair Danea, but never open it, I beg
you, for your life, till the very worst
happens. The consequences will be
graver than you think if you disobey
me. Mahmoud, son of Ali, you are on
the waters before Bassorah again.
He looked around him, and saw that
he was in boat not far from the shore
The lights of Bassorah twinkled among
the palm and citron groves. Silently
he rowed ashore and sought to find his
humble stall, which he had left three
days before. To his surprise he found
the site occupied by magnificent palace.
Determined to learn who had thus tres
passed upon his property, he knocked
loudly at the gate Before any of the
servants appeared in response to the
summons, a night watchsnan came
along, and demanded to know why he
made so great a disturbance.
Il would like to know why this pal
ace has been built on my landn'
"Who are you?' asked the aston ished
guard.
''Mahmoud Ben Ali. Three days ago
I left my shop standing on this very
ground. Now this palace stands here,
and my shop has been demolished.
''Verily, you are mad,' exclaimed the
officer. This palace has stood here
more than fifty years. You must go
before the cadi, if you persist in telling
a story like this
In the presence of that officer he
told the same story, but, of course,
no one believed him
Il will have my rightsr' cried Nah
moud, Il will appeal to Suliman, the
Caliph.
"Why, man, you are stark crazy.
Almanin, son of the great Haroun, is
the Caliph now. Suliman has been
dead three hundred years, and there is
new dynasty
''And know you not Ali, the son
of Hassan, the son of Abbas, the fisher
man, who dwells near by the house of
Merwan the scribc?'' asked Mahmoud
The cadi looked curiously at the as
sembled spectators, but said nothing.
II am the son of A1i,' continued
Mahmoud; ''send for the old man, and
see if his story will not corroborate
mine.'
mo such person as you name lives at
present in the city," answered the cadi.
''You are evidently an honest fellow
but little out See to it that you make
no further disturbance, or worse will
come upon you. Your case is dis
missed.'
Mahmoud wandered now disconsolate-
ly about the city, vainly endeavoring to
find some familiar face or scene. But
everything appeared strange to him, and
there was not one who recognized him.
At last, he met an old man, whose bent
form aud snow white hair testified that
he must be very near the age of a GEN.
tury. Of him, Mahmoud asked: 'Dost
thou remember Ali, the son of Has
san?"
The old man shook his head at first.
Il am his son Mahmoud,' continued
the young man, Il am. Mahmoud Ben
Ali"
At that the old man pricked up his
ears. II remember when was a boy,
of hearing my father tell about a young
fisherman named Mahmoud who disap-
peared one day very suddenly, and left
his aged parents to die Of want. That
was many years before thou vast born.
Their graves can show you, if you de-
sire to see them
LEAD me to them,'' groaned Nah
moud, feeling very sad and thoughtful.
He was conducted by his aged guide to
an ancient cemetery outside the city
walls. Age and decay seemed to have
chosen the place for their habitation.
Everything was in ruinous state, and
there were his parents graves with the |
crumbling stone, which told that they
had been there already hundred years.
The young man fell down and wept |
immoderately upon the soil that covered
the remains of those he had so loved and
revered. When he arose the old man
was gone.
1T is the of that spiteful fairy"
he cried, wringing his hands. I'LL was
the day I yielded to her Establishments.
She has used enchantment. Perhaps
this viii revoke the spell"
He still held possession of the golden
casket, and he now took it and examined
it curiously. At last he inserted the
key.
II will do it, he muttered. "She
told me never to open it, but things can
not be worse than they now are. What
can happen more lamentable than my
parents death, or to be hundred years
behind my time? Allah guard me from
a worse" 4
So he turned the key, and opened the
casket>, From it issued white vapor,
which enveloped him, and under it's in
fiuence the young man fell to the
ground. But he was young nolonger.
He lost his elasticity of limb, his hair
turned gray, and his form was bent as
with the weight of years. In a few mo-
ments he died, clasping fast the golden