The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-08-01

UlN ChDtuln unu nt iOphtu
saw n soldier beside him.
Captain" this man said, saluting
him, "a boy, who appearsto be aging,
asked to be brought to you. Will you
see him?' - -. ,...-..s"-
Ibin sprang to his feet end followed
the man into the open air. There,
supported by two other men, stood
beautiful, beardiess boy, who lifted
his eyes and looked into Ibin's face
implorinsly.
"Captain," he said, az have some
thing to tell you-something which
no one must hear. Take me to you-
tent take me quickly"
Without n word, the captain opened
his arms to receive the fainting form,
and, lifting it, bore IL into his tent.
The soldiers did not dare TO follow,
and, seeing they we're not waited, re-
tired.
Softly as a mother bears her child,
Ibin laid his burden down upon the
rugs spread in its shadow and knelt
down beside it.
His heart was beating wildly. He
the eyes of lover, against which
no woman ever yet disguised herself
had recognized his cousin Fat Meh
on the instant. Why she thus masque.
raded he did not know but she had
asked for him, and wild fancies filed
his mind Now, as he knelt there, he
whispered:
81 know you'll I knew you, Fat
Meh Tell me quickly what il is that
ails you !"
ooh, Cousin Ibin, il is wound"
the girl gasped there In my arini /
came with the new soldiers who came
to-day. Two OF them quarreled. One
struck at the other. lie sprang be-
hind me, and the blade entered my
arm. am dying And, oh, it was
SO horrible to think of dying amongst
strange men, aud that they should
know And | knew that you would
keep my secret. Hide mel Let no
one know even after am dead"
"Have no fear. | will shield You
with my life il necessary" said Ibin.
'Here on your sleeve | see blood. Is
it here?"
"Yes!" whispered the girl
On the instant Ibin ripped up the
aleeve, and to his Joy found little
wound, which had bled badly but not
yet dangerously. When he had bound
II up and reassured her, he covered
her face and left her TO rest, and went
out to tell his tale. The little soldier,
he said, was not much hurt. He was
mere boy, and fancied himself dy-
ing, and had asked for him that he
might send message to his parents.
For the present he would care for
him. Then he returned to his tent.
Fat-Meh was awake. Her great
eyes Turned upon him.
"Ibin," she said, "Io I seem bold
to you? l suppose 50. But listen.
have been learning lessons. In Egypt
women nre slaves. They sell us as il
we were birds. /, for instance, have
II heart. 1 wish to marry one 1 love.
And there came to our house an old
woman. who told my parents that
rich man wished to marry me; and
they said l must marry him. 1 prayed
them not to give me to him. They
laughed. The preparations were com.
plete. The time had come. Do you
blame me for running away? A few
jewels bought the help of an old wo-
man. While they were looking for n
lost girl, boy marched away with
the soldiers.
ooh, would have done anything
to escape that frightful man! See, I
have even cut my long hair Does it
make me ugly? Do you think me
bold and bad-very, very bad? 1 saw
that you loved me when you looked
up at me from the garden. But, if I
have made you despise me, at least let
me stay and be little soldier, and see
you now and then, and perhaps, wait
on you sometimes And when there
is a battle, fight beside you. Only do
not send me bac to marry somebody
1 hate. Pity me, even il you scorn
me-"
On this, Captain Ibin El.Warrakah
quite forgot Egyptian good manners,
and took Fst-Meh's hand in his and
held it against his heart, and told her
that she was rose, nightingale and
a dove, and he recitsd this verse to
her:
''Ya milah knlfoo min Allah
| Wa shamat asnik li-ah
Hobuxkum mex tooh min Allah,
kaddarn mowla aleirjia."
Which might be very freely trans
lated thus
ooh, beloved one! Since Allah has
given US to each other, the love we
feel is ordained by him. Therefore,
let no one blame us for what was de.
creed in paradise.
But in spite oil this bold speech and
their brave hearts, matters might have
ended badly for both had it not hap
pened that the khedive elected to visit
his soldiers that morning.
Mounted on prancing horse, fol.
, lowed by other high.mightinesses
I mounted on other prsncing horses
with music and clash and jingle an,
I floating banners and great pomp ant
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