The Prescott daily news., 1915-02-23

Continued from page three) ures, and suddenly she came upon what looked for all the world like the sleeping beauty of the fairy tale. The sleeping woman was beautiful in the accepted sense of the Caucasian race. Her skin was as light as Zudora s own, which generally wore slight tan, due to her out of door habits Near the young woman lay the figure of a fine looking native. Zltlora sur missed that these sleeping people had been in the midst of some solemn cere- mony, possibly a wedding. when over taken. The ensemble reSembled noth- ing so much as a prearranged tableau such as she had often played at school
 Who is this beautiful woman?" ask cd Hassam Ali, as keenly interested as Zudora
 'She is our ruler, our princess. Ali" he murmured. darting toward Zudora. who was now stopping over the sleep ing beauty "The memsahib must not touch"
 Put began Zudora.
 '"The memsahib's touch would defile her" said the man stoically.
 Meantime an idea had come to Has sam Ali He was beginning to sense q peculiar heaviness about his eyes, and he realized with alarm that this mys- teriOus sleep was overriding him Quietly and unObServed he slipped from the room and managed after some diff culty and some explanations to reach the street. Zudora was there alone. If she was clever enough she might ex- tricate herself; if not-well, that was Hassam Alis idea.
 Zudora went on with her visual in. vestigations, quite oblivious to the fact that her uncle had deserted her. The strange idols fascinated her. especial ly the heroic one before which were grouped the sleepers. It was a mon- ster, a mans body with an elephants head. As she gazed up at its sinister little eyes she began 10 see things as through a film of rain. It seemed as if some invisible hands were forcing her down. down. There was no feeling of alarm. uo sense of danger; just grateful. dreamy sensation, not unlike that of %oii.. to bed after some strenu- ous physical eXertion. The oldest part of it WAS that she was conscious of making no effort to fight off this sleep As she fell she clutched in her hand little ivory figure a small elephant which had evidently escaped the fin gers of the princess when she sue cumbed.
 Now there had grown in John Storms heart an orientalism, doubtless engendered by his frequency at the house of Hassam Ali. It consisted of poignant sense of danger to Zudora at those moments when she really was in danger. He could not have analysed this sensation, but he immediately sur rendered to it. He was this night in the act of retiring when this sense came to him. He at once went to his desk and wrote a note. which he at tached to the carrier pigeon. In less than a quarter of an hour the bird returned. The message had not been received. storm got into his topcoat and hat and hurried over to the Keene place. Amed answered his ring, but hesitated to admit the man his master had forbidden the house.
 "Where is your mstress?" demanded storm.
 She is out. sahib."
 'Where?"
 ''I cannot tell you" said the servant, gradually closing the door.
 But Storm was in no mood for par Ieying. He resolutely pushed his way i'll. In his hand there was an automa- tic.
 You will tell me where she has gone or I'll kill you!" he said. making no ef- fort to lower his voice.
 "Sahib. Hassam Ali will kill me if I tell you" walled Amed.
 T don't care what he'll do, but l know what I'll do if you don't answer me. Where has she gone"
 The curtains stirred a little, but nei- ther Storm nor the servant noticed this. Hassam Ali peered forth eau tiously.
 The servant saw in Storms eyes a species of madness, and he was quite certain that Sahib Storm would shoot him. as he said Rapidly he recounted what had taken place.
 You can take me there just as soon as you can"
 'Very well, sahib But it will be the death of us both in the end"
 Tho pl,r,toiDc faII haC, Uoutlv Hoe