The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-07-31
teri You're not nearly % hot 40 YOu


teri You're not nearly 90 hot as you
were"
"A weight grows on my lids"
'srhen I win put out the lights" said
the page determlnedly. "You can't
sleep while they are burning"
He was 20 quick m his movement
that only a frantic lunge on the sui
nn's part enabled the latter TO catch
him while be was still 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 ghastly white with terror
May the powers OF evil consume
theer' he cried sharply to the boy.
"Iet the lamps alonel Don't yon know,
you Christian fool, that az soon az the
dark lows round me II lays IN wait for
me and comes creeping nearer and
nearerf Its face is broken and bloody,
and It's eyes are Almy. But the arms
the arms are 80 strongl They want 20
close round my throat closer and clos
er. They want to strnngle me All, ]
see It's shadow nOwr'
The sultan's breath came IN hoarse
gasps. His eyes were big with horror,
The page stood by him manfully,
though he was woetully scared him
self.
How e-c-could anything pass the
guardsr he suffered, unable to keep
all anxiety out OF bis voice.
"Guardsr' Missed the sultan. who
trusts the guardsi Look at the Chris
tan rulers whose followers profess
such milky doctrines OF gentleness.
EFow do they restl But n Allah sent
me power 70 know my true servants,
to read their souls IKE a mirror, that
would not save me from It Through
them II comes, and they cannot see IT.
Ny fnther died Of It. died with no
mark on him, and his father before
him. Nothing but hight keeps II away.
I have not been In the accursed dark
for twenty years"
"Ohg' said the page. with consider
able relief in his voice. Il know what
YOU mean now. Mother told me all
about IT, lie quietly pushed his mas
ter back on the pillows and while the
sultan stared at him In open mouthed
amazement he went on with absolute
confidence:
lyon see. it's fear you are afraid Of.
Fear stays In all kinds OF places, aud
sometimes II looks like one thing and
sometimes Ike another, according TO
the person. And It can come anywhere
Il Lies"
Thou hast IL" muttcred the sultan.
listening gravely to the clear, childish
voice
And it's a mistake 20 think light cnu
always keep Il away"
80 Il Is. How knewest thou thati
By the beard OF the prophet, even in
the daylight have seem
The page interrupted him with a
calm Inconsistencies which would
have paralyzed the yizier
There's only one thing can keep 1t
away. and that is
What? May Allah speak through
theer
-And that's just to believe Il isn't
there. You mustn't shake your head
i've tried Il. and know. As goou as
you believe there's nothing 10 trouble
you the thing just shrlvels UP and
goes away. II can never come back
until you choose to believe In It aguir."
The sultan's hand, rcd with the blood
OF his fellow beings, lay lightly on the
pages arm. The sultan's tiger eyes
which had seen unnoyed deeds which
could blacken the internal regions
looked as gently at the page as his own
mother could have done.
you may lower the lamps" said the
ruler softly.
And he did not vince as the FIRST
darkness be had known for twenty
years cast tia healing shadows around
his couch The page crept up beside
him and shared his pillow They talk
Cd no longer. Outside In the passage
the Vizier rubbed his heavy lashes, as
founded, and whispered eloquently
WITH the guards. But the page heard
only the peaceful breathing Of his bed
fellow.
The sultan slept
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