The times., 1897-03-13
mp was broken up and we moved to

lt was the day before this happened that
the boy and l were padding through the
sand, which everywhere borders the green
belt, when we came upon tall, black -robed
ngure in waiting for u.s.
Arthur" said / this is Ali, son os
Hasan, good and true man. Ali Hasan,
this is The young master OF whom | have
spoken To thee"
The East and the West greeted each
other, the former with profound salaaIn
and that touching of the forehead which
l shall never cease to think the most
beautiful of salutes, the latter with an
air of complete bewilderment.
Come" said I 'Iet the ponies rest
while Ali liasan tells us that hich is
to be told.'
Together we sat down with our backs
to rounded hiIlock of sand and Ali
began his tale.
The Effendi knows ALL, be said, ''but
it is well for this young master 10 learn
That the stone of which Ali robbed him
in his sleep was the black heart of the
and wrought such woe on earth that
witch Ameniritis. Ages ago she lived
my people have never ceased to tell, from
father to son, the tale OF it. Whether
1t was her beauty or her black art |
know not, but never did eyes of young
man fall upon her but he became as
one mad, forgetting her he loved, for.
saking wife or children for her sake
And the reason Of such magic was this,
that III her youth she died one day, aad
the priests prepared her body for en-
tombmenJ with the other princes ami
princeSses of the blood. But when uer
heart OF flesh had been removed and the
heart-stone had been put in place, she
straightway rose and was whole again.
so that naught was said of her having
died And she knew all things that the
dead know, and because her heart was
OF stone she had no mercy, but was the
better pleased the more suffering she
caused. And all the people were glad
when She died, ex cept, indeed, those
whom she had bewitched, and these not
often recovered.
do you believe all that, ALP" de-.
manded.
The Effendi knows that it is easy
for men to make lying records upon stone
or papyrus, or for other men, long after,
TO mistake the reading of true words
Rut what an honest son tells from the
lips of his fatheT-that is the truth
'Ameniritis, the Life-Dispensing Favorite
of Set, " said Arthur. 1t was really
most extraordinary. 1t seemed bewitched
i could not bear to let it go out of nv
hand, and at night there came TO me the
vision of slender, proud and beautiful
young woman, again and again. She had
bare feet ana wore massive anklets of
many coils, and q long, white, cIinging
robe. She was dark even for an Egyp-
tiau."
Because she was no Egyptian said
ali uasan. ''She was of the dark peo-
pie from the South who overran the
land before the PerSians, She was the
wife of Ra Menkheper and the mother
of Queen Shep-en-apet, wife of p sam
metichos. 1t was she whom the young
master has described, even her statue
as it stands today in the great museum
of GhiZeh, chiZeled by the hand of one
she had bewitched But the young mas
ter-being a Frank and easily ashamed
has not told all; how the black witchs
heart drove from his mind all thought
of the fair girl in Ingilch who loves him;
and Of the father whom be came TO help;
how the heart of the queen witch retained
the magic power it has always held, buried
by priests or women and sought for by
those it held enslaved. 1t was because
wished to get it away speedily, before it
did its mischief, that l struck the Effeudi.
l could have overcome him with the drug,
as later l did the young master and all
who lay in the tents. hut firstit was ueces-
sary to travel many days and nights 70
procure il from the holy hermit OF the
ancient Memphite faith, and 1 was 10th
to wait 50 long
But why. instead of clubbing me on
the head and nearly killing me. didn't
You tell me about the stone?'' l asked.
rather angTily.
Would the Effendi have believed?
lie knows that he would not he but
half believes, even now. If l had told
my tale to him at first, he would have
hardened his heart and clung TO the
wicked stone out of winfulness For such
is ever the way Of the Frank. The Effendi
himself might have escaped its magic, for
he is no longer young But l would not
that il should work such misery among tls
people as it has among mine. Now, no
man knoweth It's hiding place save my
self"
And look out that you don't 90 digging
IL up yourself All IdSdii, Sdiu iLIy SOIL
shaking warning finger at the desert
dweller.
Another thing, Oh, son of Hasan."
l added, lit Will be impossible for me to
tell this story to the authorities, or, in
deed, any other which will cause them 10
cease regarding you as criminal You
are likely TO be arrested if YOU ever
show your face in lower Egypt, Permit
me to make provision for your old age.
so that you may live without anxiety"
The Effendi Knows. replied Ali Hasan.
calmly and proudly, that what has been
done has been done for love, and what must
be suffered shall be suffered forIove- There
shall be no talk Of payment between him
and the son OF HaSan."
And so we left him. I never looked upon
his face again.
Mrs. Arthur Beswick is q fine young
woman, of the sort that was hest bred in
Britain, always think, in the days when
1 was young man-tall and straight AMI
proud, and kind with Kindness that does
not make one like ME feel either SO old or