Evening star., 1919-11-09

effect a. the mere name Of the Sheikh
Ismaii. My respect for that really
remarkable old ruffian rose by leaps
and bounds.
Get up" said hershly. "and IL
you can, write"
He obeyed me; the man was almost
hysterical. And. very shakily. this
is what he wrote:
Il. Joseph Malagiou. also known
as Ohmed Ben Tawwab. confess that
am dealer in hashish and spuri.
Gus antiques, which have been in
the habit of storing in my warehouse
in Cairo. and also in my private resi-
dence in the Darb el-Ahmar. Find
ing 1t desirable to enlarge the facili-
ties OF the latter, I induced the Hon.
Neville Kernaby, who is ignorant Of
my real business, to lease for me q
house which adjoins my own. AZ did
not desire it to be known that I was
the lessee. subsequently,. learning
that the suspicious Of the authori.
ties had been aroused, anonymous.
ly denounced Kernaby. thus hoping
to avert suspicion from myself and
cause his arrest as the consignee Of
the cases which had been delivered
at the new premises"
VERY good" said. when this pre-.
cious document had been completed.
"You understand that you will now
accompany me to the central police
station in the Place Bah el-Khalk and
sign this confession in the presence
OF suitable witnesses? You will
dOllhtlaSa no Hoto
the interests of your safety. we must
arrange that Mizmuna be hidden Sc
curely until the case is settled. Oh!
set your evil mind at rest! I shall
not betray you to the sheikh: un-
less" I looked him squarely in
the eyes-"and whisper of my name
appears in this matter!'
But where is she?" he said hoarse.
ly.
"she is hiding in the adjoining
house."
II have small place at shubra
where I can conceal her."
VERY we'll I will bring her hera
and permit you to make suitable ar
rangements, but let them be COM
plete: for II Ismail should nnd the
girl and thus discover your identity.
nothing could save you-and you will
be unable to leave Cairo Il shall see
to thaD until the case is settled"
1t was on the following evening, az
I sat smoking upon the terrace Of
the hotel and rejecting upon the ex-
IoI
that I observed Abu Tabah mounting
the carpeted steps with slow and
stately carriage. He saluted me
graxely and accepted the seat which
l offered him.
My plan had run smoothly; Mala-
glou had given himself up to the au-
thorities. but had been at once re-
leased upon payment Of a substan-
tial bail. Mizmuna was concealed at
Shubra, and 1 was fogging my brain
in vain endeavor to conjure up q
plan whereby. without betraying the
villainous Greek and thus causing
him to betray me, 1 might secure the
Sheikh's reward-or, at least, the
lapis armlet
Alas" said Abu Tabah, that the
wicked should prosper"
ITO whose prosperity" inquired,
tdo you more especially referT
He regarded me with his Ane melan-
choly eyes.
You have an English adage." he
continued. which says. set . thief
to catch a thief"
quite SO. But might 1 inquire
what bearing this crystallized wis.
dom has upon our present converse.
tion?"
Tho man. Joseph Malaglou." he re-
piled. s1earning Of the hue-and-cry
after a certain missing damsel-"
l remember I was about to light q
cigar as he uttered those words, but
a dawning perception Of the iniqut.
tous truth crept poisonously into my
mind. and I threw both cigar and
matches over the rail into the Shara
kamel and clutched fiercely at the
little table between US.
And Of the reward offered for her
recovery" pursued the imam. "de-
nounced to US one Yussuf Of Rosetta,
a man owning a small house at Shu.
bra. Yussuf had fed. and the only
occupant of the place was the MISS
ing damsel Mixmuna. Alas that for.
tune should so favor the sinful. The
abductor. the despoiler. escapes retri-
button; and the traitor, the inf6rmer,