The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-07
EGYPTIAN NIGHT
 ENTERTAINMENT
BY HORACE SEYMOUR KELLER.


 BY HORACE SEYMOUR KELLER.
 Copyright, 1904. by Daily Story Pub fishing Col
 The old book seller glanced at me from the corners of his eyes when I asked to see the small red morocco,
 bound volume in the case. He paid DC further attention to my request, But continued to show me other fine sBeci-
 mems in the line of 2 rare and yostly books. The particular book waS with held until again drew his Attention to 1t and said:
 The small red book is/the one I wish to look at"
 The old mans hand yFembled as he reached into the cas& took the book out ana laid 1t befYre me. It was a aain.y tning' pretZiy bound and em- tooling. On the 6ack read the title Egyptian Nights Entertainment traced as witH pen and in vivid scar ie.. The t2in volume was sealed and ciasped With a tiny bronze lock.
 'hINl of delight passed through every hber of my being as I carefully IIaesed the book with soft touches.
 eTe, evidently. Is a prize. and I sighed
 laid 1t down. The book is, no goubt, beyond my curtailed means. I cannot possess 1t no matter how strong my desire to do so. Again and again turned to the dainty thing. for there was a charm about it I could not re- sist. I made a couple of trivial pur- chases and started to leave the shop
 when curiosity prompted me to ask the value of the little book. Tt Is worth nothing" uttered the old man as he took the book up and patted 1t lovingly. An! how thrilled with delight-that | delight and fervor ever present In the heart and pulse-beat of the lover of rich and rare books. Perhaps my
 means may be sufficient after all-who | knows!
 Tt seems to be a rare book. The | contents evidently must be precious"
 laid the tip of my finger upon the tiny | bronze lock.
 Rare? My dear sir, 1t is the rarest | book in the world. As for the con | tents. that is for the man to judge who | can read what lies under lock and key" But you just said It was worth noth- ing" I remarked. And that Is true. It Is worth noth- | ing to the man who cannot read it." Written in some dead language?" I 1 inquired.
 | Both dead and alive language But | that does not signify. The man who
 cannot understand the spell and charm | of this rear volume is utterly at sea
 as to its contents. And the man who
 does know--he never tells the secret
 of the book. He cannot The spell of
 the book is like the poison of the asp. | It kills!"
 smiled as with doubt. The old man continued:
 You are a doubter the same as the others who have possessed 1t. I have disposed of the book twenty times since 1t came into my possession first. It always comes back to me. Out of the twenty who have owned it five have | been able to read 1t. The five are dead"
 Again I smiled, and again the old man said:
 you the truth. The book Is not for sale. I sell the key. however" Another trick of the trade. thought. But as the subject was interesting I asked:
 And the key is worth how much?" Fifty dollars. But I do not advise you nor any man to purchase the book. The spell. the basilisk charm of the siren of the Nile is woven into the contents of this book. Few are sub ject to the malign power of Cleopat- ra's hypnotic infiuence-a power which has been breathed into the pages of this rear book. A power which never dies. It Is everlasting" And if man is subject to nothing | of the sort?"
 He who cannot read it is a being of