The herald., 1911-11-23
A LOVERS
TEST
BY MARGARET KELLY
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1871.

In Constantinople there once lived q
young girl whose father and mother
dying, had left her a snug fortune.
Moreover, her parents being dead, she
was at liberty to choose q 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 q
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 q sup
posed apparition.
Three lovers sought her hand. To
the first she said: MY father last
night appeared to me in a dream and
told me that II l would send one
whom l thought Of marrying to the
sepulcher in the cemetery where his
body and those Of others of our fami-
ly lie he would appear to the sutton
and give me to him. Go there and re-
ceive me from my father. and In the
morning return to me. Then i 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 it was dark
nd 70 he <vh
Then Fatima told the second lover.
Hamid, what she had done. adding
that If he would go to the sepulcher
and appear to Abdallah as a 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 a rich wife and
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 a chance for her
hand. Whoever Of the three was found
in the sepulcher In the morning she
would marry.
"Nonsense~ replied Bismillah>> 'Tm
not going to make guy OF myself by
sleeping in tomb"
"Oh. 1 thought you loved me-" re-
piled Fatima.
so do. but not well enough to risk
my life by remaining all night In q
cold sepulcher. What good would it do
me to win a wife and dieT"
ut Is very plain" said Fatima, "that
you do not love me-"
Il don't call love giving way to a
within"
1T Is not within; 1t is a test"
VERY well, test these other men. I
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
p marry the one who should fulfill the
conditions. relying on Bismillah. whom
she knew to be brave and free from
supersttons. 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 It She knew Bismillah would
not fear to remain all night in any
uncanny place. and she respected him
Tor 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 lust
before dawn. when she determined to
go herself and try to brighten away
the suitors she did not wish to marry. |
Dressing herself, she wound q sheet
about her and hurried to the GENE
terry. Approaching the sepulcher Of
her ancestors, she heard sound and
stopped to listen. Could it be a snore?
Surely 1t was q snore. One Of the
men she had sent there had got rid
'f the other. gone into the sepulcher
md fallen asleep.
All now depended on Fatima's fright
ming away the man In the sepulcher.
The moon had risen. and there was
light enough from this and the coming
4 dawn for her to be distinctly seen,
hough It was too dark for her to see +
he man in the sepulcher. Standing a
efore the door. which was open. she 2
ave shrek. There was a sound as a
some one turning. the creaking of Q
ome sort Of bed. and a voice came: 5,
go away from here and cease to ie
lsturb my siumDer" = 5,
q