The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-27

or could make no reply. He threw himself face down before the Prince. and tears began to flow from his eyes.
 Can you forgive me. Princer asked he.
 Faith toward friends. mercy toward enemies, Is the pride of the Abas' sides" answered the Prince. raising him. Depart fin peace"
 "Oh, thou true son!" exclaimed the Sultan, taking Omar to his breast Hal to the true Prince?' cried all the Bassas and Emirs; and amidst the en- thusiasm and excitement Labakan. his casket under his arm. crept unnoticed from the hall.
 He passed through the courtyard and into the stables. where he found his horse Murva- Without delay hs bridled hls sorry beast and rode to- ward Alexandria. His whole life du- ring the past few days as prince seemed like a wild dream 10 nim aa- ready as he rode sadly away. and only the beautiful casket, rich with pearls and diamonds, reminded him that he had not dreamed but that the past was real.
 When he reached Alexandria again he rode straight to the house of his old master, dismounted. tied his horse to the door and entered the workshop The master. who did not recognize him at once, advanced toward him with immense respect and bowed so deeply that he did not look into the arriyafs face. while he asked humbly what he might have the honor of doing for hts distinguished and illustrious customer.
 Then, however, he perceived who 1t was. Loudly he shouted to all the other workmen and apprentices. They came like hornets. ruriously they fell upon poor Labakan. who had not ex- pected such fiery welcome. They beat him with irons. thrashed him with their yard sticks, stuck needles into him and shipped at him with their shears. un- til he sank only haff conscious on pile of old garments that lay on the floor.
 Standing over him. his master preached him a long and bitter ser- mon about the stolen garment. In vain did Labakan assure him that he had returned to recompens- him for if. vainly did he offer to pay thrice what it was worth. Master and workmen fell on him again beat him once more. till they were exhausted, and then threw him out of the door.
 Bruised, bleeding, ragged, stin, ne climbed painfully on Murva's patient ansery. There he reposed his weary, battered head and reflected on the sor- rows of man, on the blindness of fate and the emptiness and mockery of all human things. Before sleep came to his eyes the resolve had ripened In him. as the result of his thoughts, that ha would renounce all his dreams of greatness and rank. stifie his vanity and become an honorable, simple ctfi- gen.
 Ills resolution did not change with the coming of daylight. It seemed tru- ly as If the heavy hands of his mas ter and his fellow apprentices had 6aaf fan al aFrnRanNa and fnnIfMh urfGa Aout of him.
 He sold his casket for a great sum of money, bought himself a house and had 1t arranged for a workshop. When 1t was all finished. he hung out the sign: "Labakan,s Tailor" Then he sat down and began as his first job to mend the coat which his master and his colleagues had mutilated so sadly
 He used the needle and thread which he had found In the caslxet. Soon after he had begun he was called away. He thrust the needle Into the garment and left it. When he returD- ed he saw a wondrous sight. The nee- de was sewing away without aid frons any hand, and it was making such Ing. perfect stitches as Labakan himSAf had not been able to make in hts 1ost successful moments.
 Then he observed another great power that lay in the gift Of the beau-
  not grow less, however busily the nee de might work.
 Labakan obtained many customers and soon was the most famous tailor of the whole city. He cut theA gar ments and made the first stitch with the needle and then 1t did the rest working without pause till the gar ment was finished. Everybody pas-s ronised him. for his work was not only beautiful. but his charges wers low. only one thing puzzled people; that he never would have an appren- tics and always worked with closed doors
 Thus the inscription on the casixet. "Fortune and Wealth" was made true in a modest degree for the honest tailor; and whenever he heard of the fame of the young Sultan Omar. how his bravery was the pride of his people and the awe of his foes. then the ex- Prince thought: 'Tt is really very lucky that remained a tailor after all for evidently this Honor and Fame are dangerous things to have to live