Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-30
Continued from page 9

Miss Amelia did; but something followed.
Immediately upon the striking clock deliver
ing its final stroke that she found less easy of
comprehension. That something" was
curious and unnatural silence that filled the
house. Not sound of any voice, or of any
movement; although it was long past the
time for little Aylitta to come tapping at
the door to have her hair brushed and the
finishing touches put to her morning toilet
before going down to breakfast. Whatever
could the child have been doing all this timer
Shocked and dismayed, the two ladies
dressed hastily and hurried Immediately to
the child's room.
It was quite empty, the bed carefully re-
made, the window open and every article of
apparel gone!
Startled beyond expression, they fastened
back to the passage and rang the bell for
summoning his Highnesss attendants. No
one responded to it.
More frightened now than ever Miss
Amelia overcame all scruples and ran up
stairs to his Highness's quarters. A mo-
ment later Miss Phoebe, following in her
wake, heard her give little cry, and guessed
what had been discovered even before she
found her leaning against the balusters,
pale with alarm, and shaking like leaf
The door of his Highness's room was
standing wide open. On the floor lay great
pile of faded roses disposed in the form of a
cross; on the nantelpiece stood a curiously
carved box of sandalwood. These things, and
nothing more than these, the room contained.
Even more mySteriouSly than they had
come, his Highness and little Aylitta and
the four Hindu attendants had vanished,
and the place that had known them once
knew them never again in life.
Shaking with nervousness, Miss Amelia
passed by the dead rose cross, and went to
the box on the mantelpiece, divining from
the conspicuousness of its position that it
must have been left purposely, and, lifting
the unlocked cover, glanced in.
1t contained merely a folded paper adj
dressed to herself.
She took it out and unfolded it with
shaking fingers and called Miss Phoebe to
her.
1t was document written in a curious,
cramped hand, and at the top of the page
first there was penned the singular state
ment: "On this day died the Lord of the
Mountain of the Moon," and under it was
written this:
Ginda Hamadi, Servant of the Lord of the
Mountain of the Moon (whence cometh the
sapphires of Ceylon and the riches of the Rosa
rios) to Miss Amelia Lavender: GREETING.
What has been done has been done by order
of my Lord and Master, marriage mate of
Ahlemma, the daughter OF the OraSlan Rosario,
discoverer of the great Hill of Sapphires, and
upon whom peace be. For my Lord would be
gathered not to his Fathers unconfessed, and
with the shadow of evil things yet upon him.
Therefore I am to tell all these things and to
make clear that which is dark unto thee; for
the child Aylitta is no kin of his, of any
of his faithful servitors; he that has been known
here as his Highness being servant like unto
all the rest of US. and doing as we do my Lords
will. The child is child of native tribes
man. lent for the purpose she has filled, and
she went in fear lest she should be beaten for
giving any knowledge that should betray.
By order of the Lord of the Mountain of the
Moon this house purchased, and by his
order also were the roses stripped from the
trees and placed as symbol of the faith in