Evening star., 1918-05-19
viewed the approaching wedding. with

viewed tne approaching WeuulHS. Will
extreme disfavor"
And yet you say that nobody had
an interest in doing Carboys some sort
of mischief in order to prevent that
wedding from being consummated.
Mr.. Narcom." said Cleek, with a shrug
would have been glad to see a spoke
put in that particular wheel; though
l freely confess / do not see what
good could come of preventing it by
doing away with Carboys as he
would then be in as bad position as
proceed as planned. Either way he
loses Carboys' companionship and as
sistance: and his one wish would be
to preserve both. Well, go on. What
next? I'm anxious to hear about the
belt. Where and how does that come
in?"
well. 1t appears that Miss Morri:
son got hold of a humorous book
called The Brass Bottle a fantastic.
farcical thing. about a geniei who had
been sealed up in bottle for thou
sand years getting out and causing
the poor devil q a hero no end of
worry by heaping riches and honors
upon him in the most embarrassing
manner. 1t happened that on the
night Miss Morrison got this book
Of her father and lover Carboys had
persuaded Van Nant to spend the
evening with them.
Apparently he enjoyed himself. too.
for he laughed as boisterously as any
of them over the farcical tale. and
the end of 1t. When 1t was finished.
Miss Morrison tells me. Carboys, after
laughing fit to split his sides over the
predicament of the hero of the book,
cried out: BY George! l wish some
old geniei would take 1t into his head
In hun nd tryy hn ovv,a unrt
Of dodge with me. He wouldn't
find this chicken shying his gold and
his gems back at his head. can tell
you. I'd accept all the Arab slaves
and all the palaces he wanted to
thrust on me: and then I'd make
you'd never have to do another days
worrying or pinching In all your
life. But never you nor anybody else
depend on an Arabs gratitude or an
Arabs generosity. He'll promise you
the moon, and then wiggle out of
giving you SO much as a star-just as
Abdul ben Meerza did with me- And
upon Miss Morrison asking what he
meant by that he replied. laughingly:
Ask Van: he knew the old codger
better than I-khew his whole bless
ed family. blow him!-and was able
own outlandish tongue
Upon Miss Morrison's acting on this
suggestion Van Nant told Of an ad-
venture Carboys had in Persia some
years previously. 1t appears that he
saved the life of a miserly old Arab
called Abdul ben Meerza at the risk
of his own: that the old man was
profuse In his expressions of graft
tude. and. on their parting. had said:
'Ey the Prophet. thou shalt yet find
rich fruit for thee and thy feet walk
upon golden stones But. in spite of
this promise, he had walked away,
and Carboys had never heard another
word from nor Of him from that hour
until three nights ago"
"Oho! said Cleek, with strong
rising infection. And he did hear Of
him. then?"
YES" replied Narkom. Quite un-
expectedly. and while he was prepar-
ing to spend a dull evening at home
with Van Nant-for the night was, as
horribly wet and stormy one-a mes
sage came to him from Miss Morrison.
asking him to come over to Wands-
worth without delay, as most amaZ-
ing thing had happened: A box
marked From Abdul ben Meerza' had
been delivered there. of all astonish-
Ing places. The message concluded
by saying that as 1t was such a hor-
rible night the captain, her father,
would not hear Of his returning. SO
USkSCu MN " HIS cueCGS ana
come prepared to remain until morn
ing.
He went. Of course. carrying with
him a small bag containing his pa
jamas. his shaving tackle and such
few accessories as would be necessary,
since II he stopped he must start
from there to business In the morn
ing; and on his arrival was handed
q small leather case addressed as he
had been told. Imagining all sorts
of wonders. from jewels Of fabulous
value to documents emitting him to
endless wealth, he unfastened the
case and found within 1t a broad belt
of blue enameled leather secured with
a circular brass clasp. on which were
rudely scratched in English the words,
The wizards of the East grew rich
by being unseen. Whose clasps this
belt about his waist may become In
visible for the wishing. So does Ben
Meerza remember
''Of course. Carboys treated 1t as the
veriest rubbish-who wouldn't? In
deed. he suspected Van Nant of hav-
ing played a joke upon him and laugh
ingly threw It aside. Then. finding
that he had taken an uncomfortable