Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-07-07
A LOVERS
TEST
BY MARGARET KELLY
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

dying. had left her a snug fortune.
Moreover, her parents being dead. she
was at liberty to choose husband
for herself.
Now, Fatima-that was the girls
name-was very particular about one
thing In the man who should be her
husband. She wished him TO be a
brave man. Superstition at that time
hung like a pail upon the Turks as
well as the Christians. But Fatima
was more enlightened than others and
had a contempt for any young man
who would be terror stricken at sup
posed apparition.
Three lovers sought her hand. To
the first she said: MY father last
night appeared to me In dream and
told me that II would send one
whom / thought Of marrying to the
sepulcher IN the cemetery where his
body and those of others OF our fami-
iy lie he would appear to the suitor
and give me to him. Go there and re-
ceive me from my father. and In the
morning return to me. Then Will
marry you"
The young man, whose name was
Abdallah, reluctantly accepted the Sit
uation and said that he would go to
the sepulcher as soon as 1t was dark
and wait for the ghosts appearance.
Then Fatima told the second lover.
Hamid. what she had done. adding
that II he would go to the sepulcher
and appear TO Abdallah as ghost
and scare him away she would accept
Hamid for her husband. Hamid was
quite pleased at what he considered
an easy way to get rich wife ana
agreed to abide by the result OF his
effort
The third sutton. Bismillah- was an
independent fellow. and Fatima prefer
red him TO either Of the others. She
told him of the arrangement she had
made with them and said that she
would also give him chance for her
hand. Whoever Of the three was found
in the sepulcher in the morning she
would marry.
"Nonsensew replied Bismillah. I'm
not going to make a guy OF myself by
sleeping In a tomb"
"Oh. thought you loved me-" re
piled Fatima.
80 do. but not well enough to risk
my life by remaining all night in
cold sepulcber What good would 1t do
,.. o., u,;,, a 20 nd diar
sit is very plain" suid Fatima. that
you do not love me-"
IL don't call love giving way to
within"
cit is not u within: 1t is test
Every well. test these other men. l
have no mind TO enter such an absurd
competition"
He turned on his heel and left her.
She was very much disappointed. She
had given her word TO the other two
to marry the one who should fulfill the
conditions, relying on Bismillah. whom
she knew to be brave and free from
superstiuons. to occupy the sepulcher
and thus win her His refusal upset
all her plans and would give her a
husband she did not wish to marry.
She lay awake all night bemoaning
the miscarriage Of her plan and think
ing how foolish she had been to I'M
dertake 1t. She knew Bismillah would
not fear to remain all night in any
uncanny place. and she respected him
for not being willing to win her in
such fashion. Besides. his Indifference
only made her more anxious to have
him for her husband
She fretted over the matter till just
before dawn. when she determined to
90 herself and try to brighten away
the suitors she did not wish to marry.
Dressing herself. she wound a sheet
about her and hurried to the GENE
terry. Approaching the sepulcher OF
her ancestors, she heard a sound and
stopped to listen. Could 1t be snore
Surely 1t was snore. One Of the
men she had sent there had got rid
OF the other, gone into the sepulcher
and fallen asleep.
All now depended on Fatima's fright
ening away the man In the sepulcher
The moon had risen, and there was
light enough from this and the coming
Of dawn for her to be distinctly seen
though 1t was too dark for her to see
the man in the sepulcher. Standing
before the door, which was open, she
gave a shrek. There was q sound as
of some one turning. the creaking OF
some sort of a bed, and a voice came
go away from here and cease to
disturb my slumber."
Leave this abode Of the dead" said
Fatima in sepulchral voice. ''or
will drag you with me to Tartarus."
THAT would please me greatly" re-
piled the voice inside. by coming
here have put myself In an unpleas
ant position. A girl told me that IL
would occupy this place till morning
she would marry me. l refused: then
lest she should think me cowardly.
came. brought my bed with me and
drove away two fools l found here
Now I suppose shall have to marry
this girl. l would prefer going with
you to Tartarus."
There was silence for few mo-
ments. then Fatima gave sob. then
laugh, and Bismillah. who knew
from the first 1t was she. sprang from
the cot he occupied, took her In his
arms and checked her sobs and her
laughter with kisses.
Then. taking up his bed, he carried
1t. walking home beside her.
There wasn't any trouble about hel
choosing a lover after that The two
other suitors took a back seat. ant
Bismillah occupied the only front one.
VartAua 4hlna