Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-23

|
scription In Tho Three .Muskcteers" OF
that terrible hermit who performed tho
8hastly ceremony on tho banks Of tho
Lys. Kidding d'Artagan Of dangerous
enemy, and Richeiieu OF dangerous
! friend
Tho Sultan dangled tho priceless
pearls and with u yawn returned them
10 q capacious pocket He then rose
and beckoned his executioner to follow.
Every one knows that In Turkey a
farem is the equivalent Of forbidden
! forbidden to all but the Lord OF
Islam and those who basked in his
favor. Swift and noiseless feet sour
ried ahead OF the lesuroly ruler to
warn the women Of his approach.
The big black eunuchs Strengthened
to attention. the favorites ceased their
chatter. bon bons were thrust aside,
novels were dropped: macaws and pets
were neglected. for the King of Kings
approached He entered to room
ful OF salaaming figures. with a ges-
ture born Of long authority he raised
his hand a signal for all to rise, and,
seating himself. looked around the
apartment with eyes that sought but
| found not.
Rose of the Morning. where 4,
she?"
eunuch Frustrated himself.
"Ehe shall be brought oh, Light of
| tho World"
The Sultan nodded; the sinister man
at his side remained motionless. A
girl brought up a basket of fruit.
Stay" said the Sultan.
And taking from the basket an an
| pie he held II between his forefnCcr
and thumb and addressed the execu-
| TONER
let her hold this aloft-thus-and
with scimitar you shall cleave It in
twain"
ord :
tho scimitar from its sheath. and with
the air Of professional ran his thumb
nall along It's razor edge.
IL am ready. King of Kings" he said
bowling low.
The girl shrank away. "He will kill
me-: she cried. torn between terror
and disobedience to tho all-powerful
one and horror OF death. The small
gray eyes Of tho ruler contracted
eunuchs seized the girl and pushed her
forward, the apple was thrust into her
| hand.
III you tremble you die" said tho
man with scimitar. anxious to make a
clean cut of tho fruit of Eden. He
swung his sword. tho women held their
frozen statute. knowing that he life
would be forfeited II she moved
Tho sword swished through the air
the apple lay In two even halves at the
feet OF the Lord OF Islam; the girl
dropped in a faint The e1ecutioner,
unmoved. saturnine. wiped the terrible
blade and again stood at attention.
Truly an admirable servant!
The Sultan again glanced about, and
then. removing tho seven pearls. held
them aloft S though to say, Great is
my bounty; look and wonder" AL
though there were already circling
around him dark-haired besuties dane
tnO els
Orient. though others had taken UP
songs such as nightingalcs sing In the
English woodlands. there fell hush.
Eyes shone with the desire for posses
sion: but still Rose OF the Morning
came not.
Once more the pearls were hidden in
tho rulers pocket. The dance was re-
sumcd: the songs went on. and coinci-
dent with their resumption there en-
,ered tall. soldierly man whose in
sigma procla lined him the Grand Vizier.
Again the salaam of salute from all
save the Lord and Master. Following
the Grand Vizicr walked an eunuch with
a bulky bundle.
The officer knelt.
20 Commander OF the Faithful, there
is An appointment; the hour draws
near"
The Sultan's face betrayed unusual
interest He arose and with a sardonic
smile spoke 10 the room at large
when Rose OF the Morning comes
you may say l have tired of waiting
and he took from his pocket the neck
lace. held II aloft and let the beauties
surm!se what the favorite OF favorites
had lost
The eunuch unfastened the bundle
and took therefrom three black cloaks.
One of these the Grand ViZier threw
over the shoulders of the Sultan, an
other he donned himself and the third
was fastened on the executioner.
Like three black fatcs the three en-
veloped figures passed forth on their
mysterious adventures, emulating the
famous Haroun, whose delight II was
TO play the common mortals among his
subjects.
Never in his reign had the Sultan
heard of John Grady. soldier Of fortune.
and never until this very evening had
Grady set eyes on the Sultan. a chance
remark revealed the great presence.
AS the three cloaked figures passed
crowd of squabbling women and
children one of them pulled another by
the >ear and suffered in scared voice
See! Allah preserve us, 1t is the Sui
tan. his Grand Vizier and the execu
tioner!' The others laughed. The
three figures vanished. but the keen
ears of Grady heard the cry. He fol-
lowed on TIE mere hope Of the correct
ness Of the surmise.
And his intuition proved true. The
Sultan, feeling for his handkerchief.
pulled forth the priceless pearls and
the Grand Vizier had a thought.
Command of the Faithful q word.
Would 1t not be wise to leave these
priceless gems in safety before we go
farther"
The Sultan reflected. Perhaps. but
where?"
ain the keeping OF honest Mustapha
Bey. to whom corruption is as far as
the farthest star. His house is close
by"
The ruler nodded, and the three
cloaked figures approached the door Of
Mustapha Boy. Close behind follow ed
Grady. Having seen the pearls and
overheard the words. he sensed the
mighty haul. yet he dared not come too
near. In trepidation he watched the
Vizier tap on the doo:; in trepidation