The San Francisco call., 1906-09-23

ing the ring Mohommed stole the tick
ct, and. as you know, he obtained the
ring. ] have no doubt that by this time
he has shown it to the servant of my
friend and is possessed of the jewels
Mohommed, the accursed, is rich. and |
remain poor. Now, lady, you know why
darkness came over my spirit and
why | felt as one bereft of life. Surely.
] am the sport of Fortune and the most
unlucky of men, I am he Of whom the
poet spoke when he said
Strive not. contend not; thy future
is woe.
Accept of thy sorrows, for Fortune s
thy foe.
The poor man recited this couplet in
faitering tones and burst into tears.
rocking himself to and fro in an agony
Of grief. Hagar was sorry for this un-
fortunate person, who had been so un-
lucky as to lose wife and wealth and
country. She gave him the only COM
fort that was in. her power.
Here are 20 shiliings." said she.
placing some silver in his hand. Per
haps Mohommed has not vet gone to
southampton; or 1t may be that the
arrived. Go down to Hampshire and
see IL you can recover your ring
Alec thanked her with great emotion
and shortly afterward left the shop
promising to tell her of the issue of
this adventure. Hagar saw him go
away with the fullest belief In his
honesty, of purpose and perfect trust
in the truth of his story, but later on.
when alone, she began to wonder il
she had not been gulled by two sharp
ers. The whole story told by Alec was
SO like an adventure of the ARABIAN
Nights" that Hagar became more than
trifie doubtful of It's truth. AS the
days went by and Alec did not return
as he had promised she fancied that
her belief was true one.
Those two Persians have played a
comedy of which Ishave been the dupe,v
she said to herself. 1T has all been
done to get money. And yet 1 am not
sure. The pair would not take all that
trouble for a miserable 20 shillings,
After all, Alee's story may be true,
and he may be at Southampton trying
to recover his ring and Jewels
In this conjecture she was perfectly
right, for all the days of his absence
Alec had been at Southampton vainly
looking for MohomEed, the thief. His
20 shillings had soon been expended,
but luckily he had met with an Eng
lishman whom he had-~known in Per-
sia. This gentleman. an Oriental
scholar and q liberal ai-nfinded man, had
recognized Alec, dirty and miserable.
as he haunted the Southampton quays
for the servant of his friend and the
recreant Mohommed. Carthew--for
that was the EnElishmans name-was
profoundly shocked to find one whom
he had known wealthy in such misery.
He took Alec to his hotel. supplied
him with food and clothes, and re-
qucsted to know how the Persian had
fallen so low. Alec told this Samaritan
the same story as he had told Hagar
but, versed in the craft and topsy-
turvydom of the East, Carthew was not
so surprised or skeptfeal as the gypsy
girl had been. He was sorry for poor
Alec, who had been for so long the
butt of Fortune, and determined to be-
friend him.
Il suppose there is no chance of your
regainins the Shah's favorY' he asked
the unfortunate man in his own
tongue.
Alas no. What is, is. conspired
against the King Of Kings; / was be-
trayed by Achmet; so there is no way
in which can approach again the asy-
ium OF the universe"
"Humph! looks like it,. growled Car
thew, stroking his white beard. And