The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1902-05-01
AT THE
SULTAN'S
COUCH
BY Clinton Dangerfield
Copyright, 1909,
By the S. s. Mcclure Company


9oSH0:01@1S.89 o@<:93@.G3G.@
OF silk. As he faced his anxious at
PENDANTS the glare in his eyes made
them fall back as though he had struck
them with the seimiter which always
Law within his reach.
"Alah sent you all as a plague" he
said tiercely. Here have l lain three
mortal hours. and sleep comes not near
mine eyes. Higher with the lights.
foolsl Can man rest with shadows
hanging over him?'
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!
| weary of the eternal sameness of your
facesr
The grand vizier, whose life was i'm
FILTERED beyond words by his masters
liking for his presence, went himself
to seek the boy, wondering as he went
how much longer he could attend to
affairs of state if he was expected to
keep awake all night as we'll
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 kindly
impulse, he helped the page to dress
and took his hand as they hurried
through the long, dimly lighted CORR
doris
The sultan still sat up. clutching his
covering around him and reminding
the vizier most unpleasantly of sullen
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 mew
growled his master. Are you para
lyzed, you sons of idiocy, that you do
not move when speakY
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, their
naked scimiters cleaning in their
hands. The door closed noiselessly.
The page knelt quietly near the cen
ter of the room, the light from the
swinging lamps full upon him. His
eyes were resting undisturbedly on the
sultan.
Rise and come here" growled the
ruler hoarsely. The page rose, and, to
the sultan's astonishment, he walked
confidently to the couch and. seating
himself on it, passed his slim. cool fin
gers over the rulers brow.
How very hot and uncomfortable
you are" he said thoughtfully. you've
almost got fever, but your face is
worst of all"
whats the matter with my face?"
demanded the sultan, considerably tax
en- aback.
IFS quite wrinkled with trouble,
just like fathers is before mother
S1lOOtlS II away tOl ullIs L Dlo lAlt
way she does it," .,4.e
He was so small and the mighty
ruler so large that he had to kneel on
the coverings to reach his masters
forehead, but his touch produced a re-
markable effect The sultan sank back
on his pillows and lay quite still for
nearly fifteen minutes, while the strok
ing went on.
Outside the door knelt the grand
vizier, looking carefully through the
keyhole, too amazed to report the re-
suit of his observations to the officers
behind him.
"What makes you think trouble put
those lines in my face?" asked the sui
tan.
81 don't know how l know it." said
the page perplexedly, "but / do. You
see, when they took me away from
mother and brought me to the palace
/ thought you would be just perfectly
happy. But you look like the old rug
maker near us did when the soldiers
broke his loom to pieces"
The sultan grnned, his lip curling
upward, after the fashion of n wolf.
"Would that my viZier could hear thee
pay compliments! But my loom is not
broken, and woe unto those who at
tempt it! Thou seest the splendor of
my palaceF'
you have more things than any one
could count" said the page reflective
ly. What a good time your boys must
have"
The sultan scowled, His heir ap-
parent was in the depths of n toad in
tested dungeon. while his other sons
trembed daily for their heads 81
don't talk of them" he muttered I'm
grateful hounds they are. Then he
added hastily. by way Of changing the
subject: Your infidel sect clings TO
its holes. which 1t calls homes. There
fore suppose. your mother shrieked
and screamed when they brought you
away"
Two round, hot tears spIashed down
from the pages eyes upon his masters
beard. The vizier distinctly saw them
CLEAN in the light, though he could
catch no word of the conversation He
looked to see the audacous boys head
neatly swept off with the curved scim-
tier, but the sultan merely lay still.
"Sbe never screams" said the page
quietly. she told me 1t was Gods
4 oh hn- oil, ,,yll