Evening journal., 1905-04-28
TME AllCnEAECT
Iorlelnnll Il


kingdom for designs, offering prize so
desirable that II could not fall 10 slim
ulate some mighty effort of genius The
king had but one child. a daughter. He
gave out that the successful competitor
should have his daughter to wife and
reign with her after his own death.
Now. there was a young architect at 4
the capitol. Abdul Kerim. He had been
employed to rebuild a wing Of the pal
ace containing the princess apart
ments and the two had met and loved.
Abdul Kerm, on hearing Of the prize |
offered, was overjoyed and set to work |
with high hope to make a design that |
would give him the girl he loved. Three |
years We're given In which 10 hand In !
drawings, and during these three years |
Abdul worked night and day designing, |
throwing away his work, starting in
again. still at the expiration Of half the
allotted time he had produced a plan |
that satisfied him. Then he occupied
the remaining half in perfecting it
Stimulated by love. he evolved a struc-
ture which when built would far ex-
ceed anything Of its kind In Eadia
When the king saw the design he
was delighted. But he had never in
tended TO keep his word by giving his
daughter to the successful competitor
and now trumped up a charge as an
excuse for not doing so. He accused
Abdul Kerim Of being in league with
conspiracy against the government
discovered at the time and threw him
into prison.
When the princess heard OF this she
was inconsolable She sent one of the
women to the prison pshefe her lover
was confined who. by briblng the
guard, was permitted to enter and con
sole him by assuring him Of her mis-
tress' unalterable love. Kerim told
the woman to tell the princess to be Of
good cheer; that the king would be
forced to keep to his agreement be-
cause an architect is the best person TO
superintend his own plans. and he
believed he would sooner or later be
called upon to build the palace.
There was in the kingdom a quarry
Of stone. tinted like the opal, which
when polished had a beautiful. rides
cent effect 1t had long been reserved
by the king for the new palace. Great
care was 10 be taken in getting out the
/ stone and shaping It into the individ-
/ ual parts which were TO make up the
palace, for there was but enough of 1t
to make one such building. and II any
serious blunder were made by which 1t
should became necessary 10 use other
stone the kings hopes would be blast
ed. Among Kerim's plans were a de-
scription and diagram Of every stone TO
be used In the construction. and the
king decided that 1t would be safer to
get out the material and shape each
stone in accordance with this descrip-
ton. After all had been hewn It would
be a simple matter TO set them up In
place. But the king was desirous OF
having the work superlntended by the
designer Of the building, and indeed
this was the only safe plan. He sent
a messenger to Abdul Kerim in prison
to say that If he would accept the posi-
: ton and see that the building was
erected in accordance with his plans
he would pardon him for his alleged
part In the conspiracy and give him a
handsome sum besides.
Kerim could do nothing but consent
to the agreement He was placed In
charge Of the work. and as everys stone
came from the quarry and was shaped
it was marked in accordance with q
system devised by Kerim himself. Dur
ing this time he was at liberty and was
not even watched, for no one knew OF
any reason why he should wish to es
cape or fail to do his work to the best
of his ability. At last the stones which
were to compose the building were fin
/, ished, the quarry meanwhile having
l been exhausted. Then Kerim astonish
ed the king by refusing TO superintenC
/ the erection Of the palace His majes
: " was about 10 order the architect
head stricken off when it occurred t
him that he must first get the marking
of the stones. So he sent TO Kerim FOL
1t. Kerim replied that he did not have
it. Then the king ordered him to pro
duce 1t on pain OF instant death. KERN
refused. The king was in quandary
[ Unless he could get the marking from
the architect the palace could not b'
built. He directed Kerlm to be brough
2 TO him and accused him Of bad faitl
I In breaking his agreement. whereupoI
5 Kerim reminded the king that his maj
. esty had first broken his agreemen
} and stoutly refused to go any furthe
, with the work except on the origina
terms. Then the king ordered him pu
to the torture 10 extort what was nee
essary, but directed that his life should
!, not be risked. Kerlm was tortured I'll
It was plain he would die II the tortur
! were continued.
Q 1t was now plain that the king mus
e ] either give up his palace or fulfil hi
I condition. He sent for his daughte
!. and told her Of the situation. She con
/ fessed that she and Kerlm had secretl.
j. loved each other and said that 1t wa
e this love which had produced the won
!. derful design.
I Then the king saw that to obtain tn
q palace he coveted, built Of the beau
5 tiful. irldescent opal stone, he mus
4 keep to his agreement. He satisfied tn
architect that he would do so by a pull
tic declaration, and the palace wa
built. But the wicked king was pur
s ished for his duplicity, for he died jus
q as the work was finished, and it wa
n the architect who as king took posses
:. sion.