Tombstone epitaph. (Tombstone, Ariz.) 1887-current, 1915-12-12

CCopyrlgh,. 1915 by W. c. Chapmanl

AlItauN distributed presents with the
| purpose Of ingratiatiuE himself
lie clowcrcj AT mo and greeted me
surlily with the Arabic salutation.
Extracting my documents from my
pocket. l prcscatcd them 10 him.
| together with my card. which read:
Herr Arthur yaa Elsmcr. foreign of.
| fee. Berlin
He glanced at Il and invited me
| inside lie waved me TO a chair and
| stood before me. reading the papers.
The cottage contained four rooms.
Ore Of them. facing the living room
across the hall seemed TO be labora-
tory. The two others. I presumed,
were bedrooms. II was comfortable
| little place. and the Europeanized
sheik who had owned it had a line.
though somewhat rococo. taste in fur
| nishinE. took all in during those
I moments Of suspense Everything de.
| pended on whether my surmise was
true, and Fehmet was in the German
governments employment. If he were
not. stood selfcOayicted as a spy
and a forger.
To my immense relief Fehmet Ef-
fendi handed ma back my papers with
a low bow
Il am delighted to meet you. Herr
Won E!smer." he said. So Herr Won
Martin has placed yoI in charge Of
my work. I understand
There was a note Of resentment in
the words, and fastened to explain.
Hardly that, Hakim. am. in fact,
I nOminally your coGdjutor in this work
OF course We place implicit confidence
in you. but you will readily realize
that, if anything happened 10 you. the
benefits to humanity which are to re
suit from your Investigations may be
come lost or-public.'
AS spoke could see the suspicion
and 5istrust die out Of his face.
Where are you staying. Herr Won
Elsmere" he asked.
At the hotel"
But you must take up your quar-
tiers with me" he cried A man
gets lonely here-a white man among
these niccers" In color ne was a
pale lemon. You must move this az.
ternoon. Stay with Ia. and | will
send q man to the hotel for your bag
gage. Ayesha,"
He clapped his hands. and 4 good
looking Arab Eirl entered the room.
She was perhaps seventeen years OF
age; she was clothed in a flowing robe
OF white, overlaid with bright vel
low silk shawl. Upon her wrist were
bracelets Of hammered copper.
Bring raki," he ordered, and added
in Arabic instructions for a certain
man to get my baggage from the
wharf.
NO, from the hotel, Jlurted out
Then, as he corrected himself.
cursed my impudent tongue. Our con
yersation had been carried on in Ger
man, and ! saw at CuCe that Fehmet
had been trying 10 discover whether
understood Arabic. However. it was
too late 10 Cfer any explanations, and
after all it was not OF the highest
/ significance.
The baggage arrived, and by that
time Fchmet had drunk himself into
a condition q aniability upon raki
He showed ne my room, he insisted
that / should remain his guest unit
the work was completed, and hi:
tongue, unlUosed, betrayed the mar
to be what his aspect proclaimed him
| cannot set down the things hC
; told me. or his manner of life in So
cotra. l gathered that he had liveC
in many tropical parts Of the world
and that it was his hobby TO visit suct
; places where he could give free ven
to his uncivilized instincts. He tolC
me that Mohammedanism was shan
and Christianity a delusion. that there
was no life beyond the body. and tina
; the "master-man," as he phrased it
: lived solely for pleasure. He pointed
: a thumb at Ayesha as she entered
: with the dinner.
: NO matter where a man goes, h
J is not too old or ugly TO find a sweet
heart" he said with a leer. "Tha
! man Nohammed, who brought up you
baggage, had agreed to buy her from
: her father. He was saving up for I
flock OF goats when / persuaded he
| father to let her work fer me. ! be
) lieye Mohammed hates ne on tha
j account. 1t is a great happiness, Her
Won Elsmer. TO have for servant I
/ man who hates you and is afraid c
, you. Mohammed would kill me lik
a dog if hs dared, but before ! go j
is I who am going to kill Mohamme'
! like dog. That is what call the fas
T cinatioa of life-to feel yourself fire.
, from all restraint, TO impose your vii
? upon the slavish lesser minds, sucl
; as Mohanmeds.
2 / saw the Arab man, who came u
t to clear away the dishes, cast glanc
of malignant hate upon Fehnet, AZ
] it occurred to ne that, il anythin
! went wrong with my plans, ! nigh
d find an unexpected ally there.
r He drank raki all that evening unit
S bedtime. took the precaution
+ place a chair against the door Of m
+ room, and slept with my revolver ur
d der my pillow. But the house was pei
+ fectly silent, except for the snorin
n of the Egyptian, and in the mornin
O he was the same sullen animal tha
l. had encountered on the previou
!. day.