, 1903-02-20

" make Il remark 10 another general,
and writing it on a piece of thin yellow
paper, gave it to him to deliver. He
rode off to the tune of axes-for a
Maine regiment was putting in an hour
in undoing the stately work of a hun
dred years-trotted fifteen miles peace
fully enough. delivered his generals
remark, and started back. Then came
night and a sticky mist. Then the i'm
possibility of finding the way. Aladdin
rode on and on, courageously if not
wisely, and came in time to the dimly
discernible outbuildings Of a Virginia
mansion. They stood huddled dark
and wet in the mist, which was turning
to rain. and there was no sign of life
in or about them. Aladdin passed them
and turned into IN alley of great trees.
By looking skyward he could keep to
the road they bounded. AS he drew
near the mansion itself a great smell
of box and roses filled his n~ostrils with
fragrance. But to him. standing under
the pillared portico and knocking upon
the door, came no word of welcome
and no stir OF lights. He gave it up
in disgust, mounted. and rode pack
through the rich mud to the stables.
Had he looked over his shoulder he
might have seen a face at once of the
windows of the house.
He found a dOor of one of the stables
unlocked, and went in. leading his
horse. Within there was a smell of
hay. He closed the door behind him,
unsaddled and fell to cropping about in
the dark. He wanted several armfuls
of that hay. and he couldn't find them.
The hay kept calling to his nose. Here
| am, here l am" but when he got
there it was hiding somewhere else.
1t was like a game of blind-ma2's-buff.
Then he heard the munchfng of his
horse and knew that the sought was
found. He moved toward the horse,
stepped on a rotten pIanking N fell
Through the floor. Something caught
his chin violently as he went through,
and in a pool of filthy water. one leg
doubled and broken under him. he
passed the night as TRANQUILITY as if he
had been dosed with laudanum.
Aladdin came to consciousness in the
early morning. He was about as sick
as a man a be this side of actual dis
u,os a.. .h,.. ~ 10
groanine and doub,ed in tho a1tbv half.
inch of water into which no bod fo,,on
About him was darkness. but overhead
Ia glimmer of light showed a Jagged and
cruel hole in the planking of the stable
floor Very SLOWLY FIR h,s ooorv mos
unspeakable, he came to a realization
LOT what had happened, He called for
help, and his voice was thick and I'M
resonant, like the voice of a drunken
imam. His horse heard him and neiehed
Now and again he lapsed into semi-un-
consciousness, and time passed with
lout track. Hours passed. when sud-
denly the glimmer above him bright
ened, and he heard light footsteps and
the cackling of hens. He called for
help. Instantly there was silence, It
continued a long time. Then he heard
a voice like soft music, and the voice
said, who's there?"
badov cor,o ho+uoo, h,n ,,a ~,
|ucbt .pd q foir f.o. +hat d,.,,
|ened looked down uror him
,
s"Ae '"n 'a'e' ne SAUL
muse 'o"'uS are fo''en'
l., re iankee' aren't your SAID
'ooe' s"eet's.
|, les saio A'aooin' ana I'm oadly
hul.
me VOICE 'aushed
'ui. are YOU: IL salo.
.niiA I've proheh my leg SAID
A'auaih' Gan % get someone to
neip nle o'' VI thls!
l., Ne.Non youre all right down
~"eie' sa'u 'ne VOICE.
|, Aiauoin re'oi'eo the brutality OF 1t
Ill nis "'hu.
" say 'na' you're no'
so.ns ~ ne'p me: ne SAD.
ne.p sou' why SHOULD l!
e.oaneu'. anu could nave
killed himself Tor grooming.
l., IL o aont help me" he said and
MS voice broke. Tor ne was suffering
'or'ures, IN ole oetore long.
DGTIeC1IV COOL ann TT11al "ANnIvvV