The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-06-03
,er7 You're not nearly 10 hot as you

teri You're not nearly 10 hot as you
WERE"
"A weight grows on my lids"
"Then 1 will put out the lights" said
the page determinedly. "You can't
sleep while they are burning"
He was SO quick in his movement
that only a frantic lunge on the sui
tan's part enabled the latter to catch
him while he was silll in reach. Drawn
roughly back, the page faced around
and saw that beads of cold sweat
stood out on the sultan's forehead; that
he was CHASTITY white with terror
MAY the powers Of evil consume
thee" he cried sharply to the boy.
LET the lamps alone! Don't you know,
you Christian fool, that as soon as the
dark flows round me 1t lays In wait for
me and comes creeping nearer and
nearer? Its face Is broken and bloody,
and its eyes are tilmy. But the arms
the arms are SO strong! They want to
close round my throat closer and clos
er. They want to strangle me. All, l
see Its shadow nowW
The sultan's breath came in hoarse
gasps. His eyes were big with horror.
The page stood by him manfully,
though he was woefuliy scared him
self.
How c-c-could anything pass the
guards?" he suffered. unable to keep
all anxiety out of his voice.
"Guardsr' hissed the sultan. "Who
| trusts the guards? Look at the Chris
tan rulers, whose followers profess
such milky doctrines of gentleness
How do they rest2 But IL Allah sent
me power to know my true servants
to read their souls like mirror, that
| would not save me from 1t. Through
them 1t comes, and they cannot see 1t
My father died of 1t, died with nc
mark on him, and his father before
him. Nothing but light keeps 1t away
] have not been in the accursed darI
for twenty years."
i "OhP' said the page. with consider
able relief In his voice. II know what
you mean now. Mother told me al
about it." He quietly pushed his mas
ter back on the pillows. and while the
sultan stared at him In open mouthet
amazement he went on with absolute
confidence:
"You see. it's fear you are afraid of
Fear stays in all kinds of places. an(
sometimes it looks like one thing ant
sometimes like another, according Il
the person. And 1t can come anywher,
it likes"
Thou hast it." muttered the sultan
listening gravely to the clear, childisl
voice.
"And it's mistake to think light cal
always keep Il away"
$50 1t is. How knewest thou that
By the beard Of the prophet, even II
the daylight have seem
The page interrupted him with
calm unconsciousness which woul,
have paralyzed the vizier.
There's only one thing can keep
away. and that is
what? May Allah speak through
theev
"And that's just to believe 1t ISM
there. You mustn't shake your head
I've tried 1t, and | know AS soon a
you believe there's nothing to troubl
you the thing just shrivels up an,
goes away. 1t can never come bacl
until you choose to believe in it again.
The sultan's hand. red with the bloc,
of his fellow beings. lay lightly on tn
pages arm. The sultan's tiger eyes
which had seen unmoved deeds whic
could blacken the internal regions
looked as gently at the page as his owl
mother could have done.
You may lower the lamps" said tn
ruler softly.
And he did not vince as the frs
darkness he had known for twent
years cast its healing shadows aroun
his couch. The page crept up besid
him and shared his pillow. They tall
ed no longer. Outside in the passag
the vizier rubbed his heavy lashes. al
founded. and whispered eloquent
with the guards. But the page hear
only the peaceful breathing of his bee
fellow.
The sultan slept