Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-11-23
MAGIC In THE EAST.

have intended to tell the story of lit
tie Akli before. I don't know why
haven't done 30, unless it has been be-
cause But will tell the story this
time.
had been journeying through Egypt
in company with my friend, Harry Kel-
Lar, the magician. We were stopping at
the quaint old town of Boolak, which is
situated on the right bank of the Nile, at
the divergence of its Pelusiac branch,
one mile northwest of the historic city
of Cairo, Of which it forms a suburb.
Our host was an Egyptian grandee,
whose fine country place overlooked the
shipping from just outside the more
densely populated part of the town.
One day we were strolling down near
the landings when an old Egyptian
market woman besought us to purchase
some of her tamarinds, naming an ex-
orbitant price.
"Why, my good mother, do you sell
these tamarinds at that low figurep' ex-
claimed Kellar in mild surprise, ad
dressing her in her own tongue. "They
are worth much more than that, I am
sure"
She looked surprised; so did our host.
eyes, was sure Of it," Kellar con-
tinued, and he broke one Of those that
he had taken up and drew a small cop
per coin Of the country from its center.
For a moment the woman was too
startled to do more than regard the coin
with wonder. Then, however, her nat
ural avarice asserted itself, and she
snatched the bit away from Kellar's un-
resisting hand.
''Ahl I see you are fakir," our host
said smilingly as we moved on. sit was
well done. Now know that you and
my other esteemed friend here will more
than ordinarily enjoy the slight diver
sion I have to offer for your entertain
ment fter coffee today. Perhaps, too,
you may have the keenness-though it
is not in me to explain the performance
to divine how little Ak1i can survive
the marvellous act Abalani forces him
to do, and to discover how Abalani can
perform his part Of the strange enter
tainment.
But about the old market woman: A
servant told our host later that she had
hurried directly to her rude cot on our
departure, where she had carefully
opened every tamarind in her basket to
find the copper bit in its center. The
disappointment she suffered on not find
ing single bit of money and the loss Of
the spoiled fruit served her right for at
tempting to impose upon the supposed
ignorance Of strangers But Kellar was
too large hearted to allow the lesson tc
be one that should make her the poorer,
and the servant was dispatched directly
to the old peddler's home with more
than twice the worth of the fruit in cop
pers.
That evening Abalani, the fakir, ar
rived at our hosts house.
He was small, wiry little man, whose
age was about 45, if you were to judge
it from the dark. clear eyes with which
he quickly summed you up. They seemed
to pierce me through and through as b,
made o deprecatory bow before me, hi
thin arms and palms extended towar(
me in the attitude Of benediction.
Els only garments were light breech
oloth of a dark red shade and flowing
silk mantle, dark yellow in color. Th,
only ornament he wore was dark cop
per ring hanging from his neck by
greasy looking piece Of leather or cord.
I looked for Akli. tha ittla boy witl