The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-06-03
AT THE
SULTAN'S
! COUCH
By Clinton Danserfield
Copyright, 1909,
BIZ the s. S. Mcclure Company

. o3o9oaosUSOe0o 0os0ao9o.O9Ua0
The sultan rolled over on his couch
Of silk. As he faced his anxious at
tendants the glare In his eyes made
them fall back as though he had struck
them with the scimiter which always
lay within his reach.
"Allah sent you all as plague" he
said fercely. Here have l lain three
mortal hours. and sleep comes not near
mine eyes. Higher with the lights,
foolsI Can q man rest with shadows
hanging over himT
The lights shone more brilliantly,
while the rulers eyes searched jealous
ly in every corner. Suddenly he sat up.
Fetch me that Christian page who
was brought to the palace yesterday!
I weary Of the eternal sameness of your
facesp'
The grand vizier. whose life was i'm
bittered beyond words by his masters
to seek the boy. wondering as he went
how much longer he could attend to
affairs of state IL he was expected to
keep awake all night as well.
A velvet footed eunuch brought him
quickly to the pages side. The boy
slept peacefully, although the tears he
shed In praying over the little cottage
he called home were scarcely dry on
his cheeks.
The vizier woke him. not urgently
Sooth to say, he felt some pity for this
blue eyed lad. and, moved by a kindly
impulse. he halped the page to dress
and took bis hand as they hurried
through the long. dimly lighted corri
dors.
The sultan still sat up. clutching his
covering around him and reminding
the yizier most unpleasantly Of suller
wild boar In his lair. solitary. misera
BILE. but Infinitely dangerous. The vi
zier shivered inwardly as he presented
the page.
Leave the boy alone with mel
growled his master. Are you para
lyzed. you sons Of idiocy, that you d.
not move when I speakr
This last sentence cleared the room
Instantly. although the sultan had new
er been so nearly alone before.
His two gigantic guards, who slept
at the foot Of his bed, went last, theil
naked scimiters cleaning In theil
hands. The door closed noiselessly.
The page knelt quietly near the cen
ter Of the room, the light from thu
swinging lamps full upon him. Hi,
eyes were resting undisturbedly on thu
| sultan.
Rise and come herew growled th'
ruler hoarsely. The page rose. and. t.
the sultan's astonishment, he walked
| confidently to the couch and, seating
| himself on 1t, passed his slim, cool I'm
| gers over the rulers brow.
''How very hot and uncomfortabl,
you arew he said th0ughtfully. "You'v'
almost got fever, but your face Il
| worst of all"
whats the matter with my face?'
| demanded the sultan, considerably tax
en- aback.
Its quite wrinkled with trouble
just like fathers Is before mothe
smooths 1t away for him. This is tn,
way she does IT,"
He was so small and the might.
ruler so large that he had to kneel OIL
the coverings to reach his master
forehead. but his touch produced re
markable effect. The sultan sank bacl
on his pillows and lay quite still 70
nearly fifteen minutes. while the strok
ing went on.
Outside the door knelt the gran'
vizier. looking carefully through tn
keyhole. too amazed to report the re
suit of his observations to the officer
behind him.
What makes you think trouble pu
those lines In my facef" asked the sui
tan.
~ don't know how know it." sal,
the page perplpxedly. "but do. YO1
see, when they took me away frou
mother and brought me to the palac
thought you would be just perfectl
happy. But you look like the old rug
maker near us did when the soldier
broke his loom to pieces"
The sultan grinned. bis lip curlin
upward, after the fashion Of q woli
"Would that my vizier could hear the
pay compliments! But my loom Is nc
broken. and woe unto those who al
tempt 1t! Thou seest the splendor O
my palaceT
"You have more things than any on
could count" said the page reflective
ly. What a good time your boys mus
havep'
The sultan scowled. His heir al
parent was In the depths of a toad II
tested dungeon. while his other son
trembled daily for their heads.
don't talk Of them." he muttered. "UI
grateful hounds they arep Then b
added hastily. by way Of changing tf
subject: "Your infdel sect clings
its holes. which 1t calls homes. Their
fore, I suppose. your mother shrieke
and screamed when they brought yo
away."
Two round. hot tears splashed dow
from the pages eyes upon his master
beard. The vIzier distinctly saw the
CLEAN In the light though he cou
catch no word OF the conversation. r
. looked to see the audacious boys hea
neatly swept of with the curved sciI
4 tier. but the sultan merely lay still.
"She never screams" said the pai
, quietly. ''She told me II was God
. will should come here. else you cou
not have taken me. She said ] wou
q find people here more unhappy thu
q she CT could ever be. and | mu
I t-t-try f-f-fOr her sake to be good
A them. think I would better not ia
Of her. though. Are you feeling be