Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-05-03

bands. It which they lahored lofig he. fore they could break them. At l"nEth it Wa~ done and there within wis an- othrr box beautifully made If polished ebony and sealed at thc front and ends with strange device This box had A lock of silver, to which was tied silver key.
 "At least it has not been tampered with" said Wulf. examining the un- broken seals, but Sir Andrew only re peatrd:
 "Ortn, and be swift Here Goodwin, take the key, for my hand shakes with cold
 The lo K turned easily, and the seals being broken the lid rose upon its hinges while .,s it did so, q scent of precious odors filled the place. Re heath. covering the contents of the chest. was all ehlong piece of worked silk Hnd lying oH it q parchment.
 Sir Andrew broke the thread and sea! and unrolled the parchment Within it was written over in strange characters. Also, there WAS a second unsealea roll written in clerkly hand i'll Norman French and headed Translation of this letter ill case the knight Sir An drew DArcy. has forgotten the Arabic tongue or that his daughter, the Lady Kosamund has not yet learned the same
 Sir Andrew glanced at both headings. then said:
 Nay. l have not forgotten Arabic who, while my lady lived spoke little else with her, and who taught it to our daughter But the light is bad. and Goodwin, you are scholarly; read me the French. We can compare them after ward
 At this moment Rosamund entered the solar from her chamber and seeing the three of them so strangely em ployeu. said:
 "Is it your will that go fatller:,'
 "No, daughter. Since you are here, stay here. think that this matter concerns you as well as me Read on. Goodwin
 So Goodwin read:
 In the name of God, the merciful and Compassionate. I, S.lah-ed-din Yusuf ihn Ayoub, commander of the faithful. cause these words to be written and seal them with my own hand, to the Frankish lord Sir Andrew Darcy, husband of my sister by another mother, Sitt Zobeide, the beau tlful and faithiess, whom Allah has taken vengeance for her sin. Or, If he be dead also, then to his daughter and hers, my niece, and by blood d princess of Syria and Egypt, who among the Eng fish is named the Lady Rose of the World. You, Sir Andrew, will remember how, many years ago, while were friends. you by an evil chance became acquainted with my sister Zobeide while you Were a l prisoner and sick in my fathers house 1 how. too, satan put it into her heart to listen to your words of love, so tat she 1 became q cross Worshiper and WAS mar ! ried to you after the Frankish custom and fled with you to England Within six years of that time sure news reached me l that Allah had taken her, therefore ] nourned for my sister and her fate aWhil" and forgot her and you.
 Know that q certain knight named Lo- zeile, who dwelt in the part of England where you have your castle, has told me that Zobeieg left j daughter, who is very beautilUl. NOW my heart, which loved 1 her mother, goes out toward this niece whom l have never seen, for although she is your child and a cross worshiper at least-save in the matter of her moth l CTS thcit-Nou were a brave and noble ! knight, of good blood. as, indeed, l re- member your brother was also, he who fell in the fight at H;trcnc.
 Learn now that, having by the will of Allah come to great estate here at Da- mascus and throughout the east, l desire to lift your daughter up to be q princess of my house. Therefore I invite her to journey to Damascus, and you with her, if Moreover les some trap, on behalf of myself, my suc- ceSsors and councillors, promise in the name of God and by the word of Salah- eddin, which never yet was broken, that. although l trust the merciful God may change her heart so that she enters it of her own will. l will not force her to ac- 1 cept the faith or to bind herself in any | marriage which she does not desire. Nor l will l take vengeance upon you, Sir An ! drew, for what you have done in the past. l or suffer others to do so, bat Will rather raise yoa to great honor and live witt! you in f"ioi.dship as of wore But if my messenger returns and tells 1 me that my niece refuses this. my loving offer, then N....e! her i.,a. my arm Is long, and M :. rte 1. 7 as can | Therefore N. '.: .. ne day th;, 1 receivs. tl:o zsi.s;, :: tro laly, ny niece. who iS F l..?" !'H~' = the Worll my cmissar.ess VI! ff., .=.' vaerever sh, may D." l..;,r,s,s! 5r '3 lead her Go me, With ho;sor i. s!,e. | ,,...aa, bat st! to lead her to .ao f ,.." @.e unwilling Mcan". ...lo, i,1 to tn cf '" tove, senD certain gifts of '5ss .a''' $ and vt! them of my naia,-. C. !!' ? as princess and Lady of t:.e ,,.ty vt -.,lbec. Whic 1 title. With it's r"verH" irerogativc. Is registered in the >rC.. of my eAl- l pire in favor of her a..I | f lawful heirs ard declared t9 l,a =l.a.!.t-5 ,3n me and my successors fcret,r.
 The bearer of :s3is rttrr a'-. of my gifts is a certain cross wuYs:l!ot" ' s.leG Nich- olas. to whom let your aas~ be handed 1 for delivery to me This Ge"oir he is Hn- der oath to perform and vii perform it. i for he knows that if he fal!s therein then that he must die.
 Signed by Salah-e1-din, commander of the faithful at Damascus, and sealed with his seal, in the spring season Of the year l of the Hegira 5A.
 i Take note also that this writing having been read to me by my secretary before 1 l set my name and seal thereunto. 1 per ceive that you, Sir Andrew. or you. Lady