, 1886-05-15
A NEW ARABIAN NIGHT.

asc - AAhe ~ AtVAAS ~ 'Vis
pany with my friend Tom Longbow.
$40 you see that melancholy individual
In the opposite box?" asked Tom. pointing
to n solitary man with n settled look OF
sadness on his face and a prodigious dis
play OF jewclry, on his fingers. "Well,"
continued my friend, whose stories nre
famous Mt the Federal club, "he got his
money in the most extraordinary manner
that brain can conceive
Wherewith he began the following tale,
which he related with the r%oundness and
gravity of an eastern romancer:
In the city of New York. almost under
the shadow OF the Tombs prison, lived two
brothers, one named Isidor Marx, the
other Adrian Marx. AS they landed in
America with an equal fortune, being both
psnniless, 1t would seem as though they
shout nave advanced together in pros
perity, but chance directed otherwise.
Adrian Marx married n wife who, soon
after their union, inherited an establish
ment of secondhand clothes, doing a
thriving business in insists and In the
loan of dress suits to i~npecunious gentle
men of fashion. Isidor Marx, on the other
hand, who, being person OF extraordinary
simplicity OF character, married n German
lady as poor as himself. had to he content
with n small tobacco shop in Center street,
where, having no skill in the art Of manu-.
featuring cigars from vegetable refuse and
"all-toL>cco" cigarettes from the stumps
OF the cigars thus compounded, he was
speedily distanced by his more competent
competitors.
Falling into despair Isidor Marx adopted
the pernicious habit OF smoking opium;
and 1t happened, on n certain night, that
he bent his steps to n dingy little house
In Marion street were he was wont
to intoxicate himself with the drug.
Mounting the grass grown steps and
passing into n gloomy corridor. he was
about to knock Mt an inner door, expecting
to hear the familiar voice OF All Wong de
handing the countersign. n confused
noise Of voices arrested him. Pausing to
listen he heard n number of persons appar-
emily %wrangling about banks, safes, COM
binations and other financial concerns. He
peeped through the chinks of the door and
observed that the persons thus disputing
had been engaged in stufiing n mattress
that lay on one of the hunks usually re-
served for the smokers. The straw which
the mattress previously contained now lit
tered the floor.
As the men stood in groups about the
central room Isidor Marx counted forty
OF them, and. in spite of his natural sim
plicity. he judged from the pistols that
they wore at their belts and the unusual
assortment of keys which dangled there.
from, that they were n gang OF burglars.
He was particularly impressed, moreover,
by one who seemed to be their captain,
and whose features, marked by singular
d~elicncy and refinement, were twisted
into nn almost comical expression by q
glass which he wore, after the English
fashion, in his left eye.
While Isidor Marx was observing this
curious scene, the captain blew n whistle
and the men retreated to the hunks,
which were separated from the central
room by iron bars. The space in the mid
die being thus left entirely bare, the cap
tain stepped to n machine fastened
against the hqrs and resembling ths
lock of a safe. He then muttered,
loud enough for Mr.. Marks ears, the
words, "Forty-two, six times to the right;
twenty-one, five times to the left and
turned the handle OF the machine. 4
creaking noise was heard, as OF prlleys
and windlassas. and to Isidor's amazement
the ceiling of the central room, which had
presented the appearance of extreme solid
ity, began to descend to the ground.
When 1t touched the floor the astonished
tobacconist noticed that 1t was covered
with mattresses, and to these the burglars,
passing from behind the bars, added the
mattress In which they had been engaged
In stufing. That done, the captain again
turned the handle OF the machine; the
pulleys and windlasses again began to
work; the flooring with Its mattresses as
cendel till 1t once more became the ceiling
OF the central room. and the company
passed ont into night, lsidor Marx hastily
concealed himself in the shadow.
The tobncconist watched them rs they
sauntered down Marion street, some OF
them engaging In friendly conversation
with a policeman. aud as soon as they
were out of sight he determined
to explore the room and its secrets.
Lighting L piece OF candle which lay
In the passage ne advanced TO the
machine fastened TO the iron bars, and
saying "~Forty-two, SIX times to the right:
twenty-one, five times to the left" he set
the lock in accordance with these instruc-
lions, and soon had the satisfaction of see
ing the ceiling descend. He stepped out
cautiously upon the artificial flooring, and
with his pen-knife ripped up the nearest
mattress.
Imagine his surprise when, In the dim
light OF the candle, he bcheld an array OF
wealth more dazzling than a treasure
house OF Hindostan. Coins OF all nations,
diamonds of all varieties, banknotes from
every quarter OF the globe lay massed
together in careless profusion. Each OF
the mattresses revealed a new store Of gold
and jrwelry. Even in the estimation OF
Mr.. Marx, whose acquaintance with
money was limited, the accumulation
must ave been worth several millions OF
dollar.
Tn ,obacconist's immediate impulse was
TO Ill his pockets. Coins and brilliants,
gold nnd necklaces, Bank OF England notes
and silver rupees were forced indiscrim-
inntely into every portion of his clothing.
Then Selling n pillow on which opium
smokers were wont to reposc, he filled IL
with ~valuables, and considering his booty
sufficient for the night. he set the lock rs
before, saw the false ceiling restored to It's
place, and made of with his pillow, ex-
planning to the intelligent policeman Mt the
cornor that ii contained clothes for the
Laundry.
0verjoycd at mis- good fortune lsidoI
Marx not only related his strange discov.
every to his wife, but in the simplicity OF
isheart carried 1t in the morning 10 his
brother.
Adrian Marx determined to profit Ly his
brothers. want OF prudence. At nightfan
he set out with three express wagons foi
the little house in Marion street. Al
though it was a very secluded spot INT the
oolice preferred TO know nothing about
it, he found 1t by the grass-grown steps
and other signs which his brother had in.
Dictated. Leaving the wagons at the foot
Of the street he boldly entered the central
room and set the lock according to lsidor's
Instructions. lie heard the creaking Of
pulleys and wlndlasses, and. looking up
ward. saw the ceiling descend. But his
thoughts had been 80 full OF the riches
which he was about to obtain, that he
stood in the central room when he set the
lock, instead Of standing In the outer