Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-01-08
THE CALIPHs DAUGHTER,
Why Her Father Allowed Her to
Wed an Englishman.


form. a tall hool1ah stood on the floor
near his feet, and in his hand he held
its heavily jeweled mouthpiece, which
he raised now and then to his lips,
and sent curling wreath of smoke cell
ingward.
He was an interesting man to look at,
was the Caliph of Allamagdalla- His
face was wrinl1led and of ashy pale
ness, his brow narrow and drawn to-
gether over his eyes into heavy frown,
whose severity was heightened by long,
dropping white mustache, which fell
rigidly over his robe. a pair of dark eyes,
deep set under his heavy eyebrows, gilt
tered unpleasantly as he sat there, I'M
moved and unmoving, save as he carried
the stem of his pipe to his mouth and
back again.
Despite, however, his seeming calm,
the Caliph was in trouble. Something
had occurred when he was eating his
morning meal which had aroused his
fears and set him thinking in a chan
mel so unpleasant that, if possible, his
face was shade paler than usual and
the little eyes moved restlessly to and
fro.
He had noticed, or thought he noticed,
a peculiar taste in one of the dishes
which his servants had set before him,
and, with the instinct of one who is in
perpetual dread of assassination, he
called the head servant to him.
Here, thou dog and son of dog" he
said, pushing the dish toward the slave,
''eat that"
Now in a land where the people feel
for their heads the first thing on waking
in the morning, thus assuring them
selves that that uncertain member has
not been Topped off during the night;
where murder is of such common occur
renee and so much of a pastime for
those in high authority, an order that is
in any way unusual is likely to be con-
sidered as a death warrant. The I'M
fortunate slave knew that to disobey
meant certain death, but he also knew
that it was very probable that the food
was poisoned, as the Caliph suspected.
At any rate, he preferred not to risk
the poison. He threw himself down be-
fore the Caliph and ground his forehead
in the dust
Thou art the most mighty ruler,
with dominion like unto the dominion
of the sun" he said. THY majesty is
most exalted of all under Allah. Allah
is great. can not eat"
The last words were spoken almost in
gasp, for the Caliph's brow was grow
ing darker with the awful rage of one
who is unaccustomed to aught but alb
solute obedience. lie pushed the dish
fairly under the slaves nose.
Eat, dog" he cried.
The slave rose, trembling in every
limb, and his face growing ghastly I'M
der his swarthy skin. He stepped back
a pace or two and hung his head on his
breast.
IL can not" he said, simply and sui
lenly.
OF course there was but one thing
that could happen now. They carried
the poor slave away to meet his doom,
but for once this did not soothe the
Caliph's troubled mind, and, as he sat
there on his cushions, thinking, think
ing. thinking. he realized almost for
the first time that it was in every way
likely that his people all hated him and
would he rcjoiced at his downfall. He
could think of not one reason why they
ought to love him and his long, bony
fingers frightened rigidly about the jew
elled mouthpiece of his hOokah, as he
thought of the danger in which he hour
ly lived.
Two things appeared to him certain.
He must increase his body guard and he
must have faster for his food. The
former was easy to accomplish, but he
knew that it would take large reward
and unusual persuasion to obtain the
latter.
TO obtain this end, however, he was
determined, and, having once deter
mined it, he sent for the head of his
household.
The latter came, salaaming pro-
foundly.
The CaHph told the man what he
wanted, gently limiting, at the same
time, at the penalty which was involved
in failure, viz, that his body should be
torn by vultures or given to the jackals
and Wild pigs of the forest, and that
after death his spirit should enter into
the dog, who was indeed his father, etc.
The man bowed himself low.
Thou art the Light of the Earth, o,
Caliph! It is DONE" he said, and went
out salaaming.
Tom Walters, young English chem
ist with n taste for out-of-the-way
i i A.