Connecticut western news., 1897-09-09
THE NAZIM'S LEM.

Inc that it was 8 severe illness and that the outcome was for many days in doubt Twice, they said, my feet press ed on the verge of the dark valley, and twice was drawn back. I know little of this personally. For two weeks or more I was either delirious or uncon- scious- Then, one bright May morning, I came back from the land of shadows
 It seemed to me, as lay there, that my mind was unnaturally acute. I fan cied that my enfeebled physical condi- tion aocentuated the action ~my brain. It seemed as if the rest had given it. the rest, at least, from lucid action had reinvigorated it. I remember that threw a great deal of thought into the construction of the first connected sen- tenoe addressed to my man. This is what said:
 "Any letters. George?"
 He started up hastily.
 telegram
 "Read the telegram, said, after another spell of thought.
 He tore open the yellow envelope.
 ''Just heard of your illness. Start for home today. Mary"
 Mary is my promised wife. recalled that she was at Colorado Springs with her invalid mother when I fell i'll. l looked at George. He must have read my question. He seemed to make mo- mentary calculation.
 If all goes we'll, sir, she should be here today"
 nlr It. 44N ed on me like tonic. I wanted to throw aside the blankets and leap to the floor. Gods! And I couldn't even False my arm.
 "Get flowers. George" murmured "Let in the sunlight. Hide these bot ties.
 He smiled and smoothed the blankets above me.
 Everything shall be as presentable as possible, sir" he said.
 As presentable as possible? That note of exception must mean me- Never mind, Mary was coming, Mary loved me too we'll to take offense at my changed appearance.
 George" said, 'the world is still outside there, l suppose. Read the news paper"
 He read to me for half an hour or more, read the news just as it came to nd-telegraph, local, political. For a time his voice has simply lulling effect. Then I began to take notice of the substance of what he read. When I had heard all l wanted, I bade him stop and let the substance of his read ing filter through my brain AS strove to recall it all there was an item that seemed to hold my fancy in peculiar way. It was telegram which told that a nizam of far Hindustan had been rob bed of an almost priceless diamond which it was understood he meant to present to Queen Victoria at the time of the coming jubilee. This story. say, seemed to fasoinate me-the diamond of the nizam, filched from its oriental owner, gleaming mayhap from the dusky corner of some squalid hut when it should be eclipsing the jewels of queen. And Mary was coming. What a gift for Mary that diamond would be- Mary, my queen! There was a strange humming in my head, but out of it all came one clear thought would get that diamond and give it to Mary When had determined on this, seem- ed to grow cool and calculating. real ized how helpless I was physically, but my will power, thank God, was still left me. I would concentrate my mind on the thief. I would will him to come | to me.
 had read somewhere that the soul | in body purified by the fire of uiseast | rises above the restrictions of common l clay. Was not my soul so purified? l | fixed my thought upon the nizam' dia- | mond.
 | Red clouds rolling rapidly; out of | them touch of blue sky, whirl of yell | low dust, a sun that beat down fiercely from midheaven; the walls of city, l city with queer minarets and towers, and strange palaces; a city with huge gateway through which passed in and out motley array of strange garbed l people; bullocks and carts, and then a numbering elephant, and red coated sol | diers, and white turbaned men with brown faces. And the air was hot and dry, and strange odor came to my nos- l trils
 Then in corner by the huge portals l noted crouching figure-a turbaned l native with strange rings in his ears and an eye that gleamed with start ling whiteness. And on him my thought centered. Then he arose from his bent position and slunk forth. As he passed amid the snarling dogs that fought and yelped beyond the city walls I noticed that in the folds of his garments he held long, keen knife. Ever and anon he looked over his shoul- der as he slouched along. And the sun l glared, and the desert spread before him, and the dust arose in yellow puffs.
 Then came two native soldiers riding on weary horses, and they cried out at sight of the footman. And when they dismounted to seize him the knife flashed, and one soldier lay silent at his feet, and the other fled across the gleam- ing desert, and the knife was red.
 There were clouds and confused scenes, and out from them all the man with the red knife pressed on, in his eyes a strange light, a gleam, half ter TOT, half desperation, the look of a haunted man, whose fate impels him forward. Then another city, city of whitewashed walls and many huts and few palaces and stretches of the sea and the masts of ships.
 The swish of waves, and the roaring
 of the wind, and the rattle of cordage,
 and in the midst of the ship the brown
 faced man calmly indifferent to the
 tempest.
 More clouds and long blanks of cha
 otto nothingness. My eyes find them- selves gazing at the wall of my room,