The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-04-28

gems. n by touching this button, as
you have seen, 1 can light my treasure
and see that it is safe.
Magnificent" was all that 1 could
say.
You nay think perhaps that they
are not safe. You wonder that they
are not stolen"
L confess I had the thought, your
Majesty"
You have only to wait a few min
utes nOw to see how safe they are"
And as he spoke he turned out the
light, and the great heap Of jewels sank
into darkness, just as a fire dies out,
only infinitely more swiftly.
AS We stood there in the darkness my
mind reverted to what the shah had
said about an execution. I did not see
what connection could exist between
the jewels of the Persian crown M
an execution. 1 vas presently TO be
enlightened.
The Shah's hand found my arm and
he red me back to our cushions.
You may like to heal something Of
what all this means? 1t is better that
you should have the prologue before
you see the play"
Force of habit made me bow. for
got that We were in the dark and that
he could not see me.
Their is a door to that corridor. 1t
is only three feet from our window. A
keeper stands there, one by day and one
by night. armed with a naked sword.
The night keeper came TO me yesterday
with q story that he had been approach
ed a few days ago by ore of the women
of the ha ra u-hn rria1 RI hrihn him
with much money to allow her to enter
the corridor for a quarter of an hour.
He refused her admittance. asked
him if he could recognise the woman
He could not. Then l said, If she
comes again and asks, max an agree
ment with her for the following night.
and in the meantime tell me- This
morning he came and told me that last
night the woman again returned. He
refused to let her pass then, n ap-
pointed ten o'clock tonight as the hour
for allowing her to enter"
The clock in our apartment began to
sound the hour of ten. I did not know
what ] was going to see, but the feel
ing began to grow on me, and make me
cold at the heart, that 1 was about to
witness the taking of life, and that a
Woman's. The Shah had said 1 would
See an execution: I surmised that it
would be brought about in some horri-
ole and gruesome way.
Ten sounded. The last vibration was
lingering on the almost deathly still
air. when the door at which that grim
keeper stood, opened wide and there ap-
peared in the corridor the figure of a
woman. shrOuded from head to foot in
a long veil. Then we saw the keeper
pull the door back. and the woman
Was alone in the dark passage, unsee-
ing and unseen by US.
was SO impressed with a PRESENT.
!nent of horror that 1 cIutched the
Shah's arm and whispered some words
or appeal for mercy, l know not what
they We're. But he only chuckled sar-
don1cally.
Y am master here, master of my own
Slaves. Do not speak, he whispered.
SO we waited there in the dark.
Il judge now" said the Shah. chat
she has reached the Jewels. Watch and
see"
So saying he touched the button that
turned on the light behind the heap of
Jewels. There was that great outburst
OF light | had seen before. and dark
against it stood the figure of the wom-
an. her right arm Outstretched as
though to pluck the great Black Pearl
from its surrounding gems. We heard
the muff1ed sound of IL shrek as she
turned swiftly round with the fear of
being e~ntrapped.
Then holding something close TO her
breast. she strove to run. But instead of
lending her wings Fear seemed to par
alyze her limbs. and she moved but
slowly.
Now see how Justice is done" laugh
ed h Shah. with an eldritch note III
his voice. He pressed another button.
and there came to US the sound OF a
clang as though huge iron doors had
been flung back, striking heavily on
walls of iron.
WHATS that?" 1 gasped.
THAT is my brave tiger being let
Ioosai"
1 shrank away from lin. That any
man could he SO cruel as to condemn a
woman. even though she were a thief,
to a death SO horrible. so savage, pass
I'd my comprehension. 1 loathed him
At that instant: I would have slain him
could his death ave saved the woman.
All this passed with diabolical swift
ness.
The woman also lac heard-she could
not but hear-the clang of the iron
doors which had kept in confinement
the hungry Bengal tiger that now
sprans into the corridor. Pressure of
the Shah's finger now set all the lights
of the passage afame.
Mortified and ~sDeIlbound by the sud-
inr E~hr h- 49, 49, -
doors. and by he apparition of that
mOnstrOus beast. the Door victim stav-
ed her steps and sank paralyzed
against one of the walls as if to press
her way through the solid stone.
And then to see that great 1.-the eat
siding towards her, with long. stealthy
steps. flashing his sides with that pow
erfuI tail-oh, it made my heart turn
cold within me-