Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-21

sworn, rushed upon him and sliced off his |
ear. But for prompt interference on the |
part of the servants Adder Rahman would |
have been assassinated and again applica- |
ton to those in authority resulted in new
troubles for the story teller, who was rep |
rimanded and fined for having insulted a |
family of high position by dragging its |
skeletons to the light of day, and the youth |
who had assumed cap never intended for |
him was esteemed hero.
However, domestic felicity was now his |
Fatlma sided with her husband, believed
his tale, sorrowed for his injuries and |
prayed him to read to her every day. There |
fore, during his convalescence, Adder |
Rahman prepared the most important of
has works, setting forth the whole duty of
wife to her husband in the form of what
he believed to be light and amusing mar
ratlve, with an occasional oasis where the
laughter necessary to the weak feminine
mind might come in appropriately.
Fatima sat down to listen to this story,
on cushion at her husbands feet. Be
tween them was chatting dish full of hot
Goals, for the day was chilly. After having
glanced occasionally at Fatima to see that
her great black eyes were wide open, Add
er-Rahman became lost in his reading
Suddenly a smell of smoke and undue
warmth about the lower limbs aroused him
to the fact that his Fatima had fallen asleep
and that her vail had dropped among 1.-THE
Goals of the chatting dish.
While eXtinguishing the clothing of his
bride, Abd-erRahman did not observe that
the chatting dish was oyerset. He saved
Fatima's life, but his dwelling and all that
1t contained were destroyed. However,
Fatima was very cunning. She declared
to her husband that the interest she felt in
The prrIno wife w fha haroipa e = a
tale, was so excessive that she had actually
swooned away. Sleep! Not she, while he
honored her by private reading This
delicate flattery touched Abd-er-Rahman's
heart He vowed she should be his sole
| and only wife, which in a land where a
gentleman may legally have as many as he
can afford was an unusual compliment;
and when a new home had been prepared
he set himself to the completion of a tale
| that should excel anything ever before
| written.
When it came to the reading, Fatima ex-
| pressed delight, but prudently requested
| to be permitted to stand before him while
| he read. This she did, hoping to remain
| awake; but, alas! the soporific influence of
! the new narrative was so great that the
| poor wife, unable to resist it, went to sleep
! standing fell and broke several of her
| bones However, her desire to please her
| husband was intense and while lying upon
! her couch awaiting the healing of her in
| juries she requested him to write and read
| to her sonnet hing suitable to her condition
| To this he assented; and having concocted
| an essay on the good effect of suffering
| upon women, and the evil that too much
| happiness was sure to occasion, he pro-
ceeded to read it to Fatima, who had suf-
fered TOO much pain of late to sleep sound
L. I've II taI
! tale was divided into three events, or chap
| tiers.
| At the end of the first Fatima was
wrapped in slumber As she had hidden a
| faithful slave to declare her wide awake
but SPECIFICS with interest, her spouse
read on until the conclusion, when the at
tendant physician arrived. Alas! he found
Fatima in so deep sleep that nothing
could rouse her. And, she slept steadily
| for three days and three nights, the worthy
doctor felt it due to himself to accuse ADD
er-Rahman of having bewitched his wife.
The penalty was very severe, and the only
way in which his wife could free him from
the false accusation was to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth
about his readings.
Abd-erR ahman only saved his head by
the sacrifice of all his pride and vanity.
But Fatima was very acute and very anXi-
Gus to make her husband happy. Once
alone with him, she declared that the mat
ter of the tale was wildly interesting, but
that his voice, so soft and dulcet and re
fined, and his manner so calm and sooth-
ing, induced repose, and she advised him
to have his admirable narratives read aloud
by some harsh voiced slave in his presence.
Add Rahman took his wife's advice
which she contrived to twist into a compli-
ii 1. l., II e1,o, a.
with guests, placed an educated slave in
their midst, reclined upon his cushions and
babe him proceed.
The first sentences were certainly fine
He congratulated himself on being theil
author. He placed his head in a more
comfortable position, and in moment
more was sound asleep. When he awoke
the kiosk was empty of all but himself anC
the slave, who, with the last lines of hi:
masters narrative rolled across his finger
was sleeping peacefully.
Terror, modification, rage and sorrow
now possessed the unhappy author. AnC
having beaten the poor slave awake h
rushed into his house to find his guest
dispersed about it, evidently quite at home
eating what they chose. drinking what the.
liked and generally laughing at him. Fin
ally discovering certain man actually Civ
ing an imitation of his readings, he rushed
upon him, and in his rage wounded him 81
severely that he died. For this he was ar
rested The fact that the man had intrud
ed into his harem being brought FORWARD
by the wise Fatima, who claimed that sh
had called upon her husband to drive hin
; forth. saved Abd-er-Rahman's life. Blu
! as the guest was man of high position
vengeance was necessary. All that tn
poor fellow possessed was contiscated, an'
he found himself destitute and forlorn
wandering il the streets of Cairo, his onl.
) companion his faithful Fatima.
1t was at this period that great man O
!. the town, afflicted with insomnia, offere'
= u large reward to any physician who coul'
! !, restore to him the blessing of slumber
l Fatima, hearing of this, sought the grea
!, mans residence and implored him to pei
l NIT her husband to read one of his nara
tives to him.
The fame of these soporific entertain