The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-08

| you by my orders. II it is possible
for me to recompense you by any
means within my power command and
you shall find a slave"
! He was poisonously s1ave. Beneath
the placid exterior, beneath the sugar.
! Tipped utterances, in the deep of the
| eazelle- like eyes, was hid a cold and
remorseless spirit for which the mans
silken demeanor was but a cloak.
| hated him more and more. But my
trade-for I do not blush to own my
| self tradesman--has taught me eau-
| ton. Ny ankles were free, it is true,
but my hands were still tied behind me
and over me lowered the hideous bulk
! of the negro. l was at physical dis
advantage. In the second place had
reasons for not desiring unduly to m
trude my affairs upon official notice,
and in the third place some hazy idea
of what might be behind all this bust
ness had begun to creep into my mind.
Have I the pleasure" 1 said, "of
addressing the Imam Abu Tabah?"
Il am called Abu Tabah." he said;
and II I assure you that my dis
courteous treatment was dictated by
mistaken idea of duty, and if I offer
| you this explanation as the only
apology possible, will you permit me to
unite your hands and call an arabiyeh
| 10 OE1VS yOOcIO your nOIeI.
ANY one of my servants" he said
urbanely. who wait in the adjoining
room, will order you an arabiyeh."
When the card of Ali Mohammed
was brought to me that evening. my
thoughts instantly flew to the wall
eyed mendicant of the Suk en-Nah-
hasin, and to Abu Tabah. the sugar
Tipped. 1 left the pleasant company of
the two charming American ladies with
whom had been chatting on the ter
race and Joined Ali Mohammed in the
lounge.
without undue preamble he poured
his tale of woe into my sympathetic
ears. He had been lured away from
his shop late that afternoon, and. in
his absence. someone had ramsacked
the place from floor to roof. That
night on his way to his abode, some
where out Shubra direction 1 under
stood. he had been attacked and search
ed, finally to reach his house and to
find there a home in wild disorder.
Il fear for my life." he whispered
and glanced about the lounge in black
est apprehension; yet where in all
Cairo may I find an intermediary
whom I can trust? Suppose" he pur-
sued, and dropped his voice yet lower,
that a commission of ten per cent
say, one hundred pounds. English
were to be earned. should you care,
Kernaby Pasha to earn it 90
1T would be necessary" he continu-
ed for you to disguise yourself as an
aged woman and to visit the harem of
certain wealthy boy. 1 have ring
which must be shown to the bowwab
at the gate of the harem gardens upon
which you would knock three times
slowly and then twice rapidly. You
would collect the thousand gineh agrsed
upon and would deliver to a certain
lady a sandalwood box. the possession
OF which endangers my life and has
brought about me the hosts of Abu
Tabah, the magician"
So the head of the cat was out of
the bag at last. But there was more
to come and it was not a proposition
to plunge at. as I Immediately per-
ceived; and 1 parted from Ali Mo-
hamned upon the prudent understand
ing that I should acquaint him with
my decision on the morrow.
The terrace of Shepherds was de-
serted, when, after had escorted my
visitor to the door, he made his way
down into the Sharia Kamel Pasha.
Two white-robed figures who looked
like hotel servants, and little nonde-
script group of natives, stood at the
foot of the steps. AT the instant that
doubt entered my mind and too late to
warn the worthy Ali Mohammed the
group parted to give him passage; then
terrific scuffle was in progress and
one of the wealthiest merchants of
the Musk was being badly hustled.
AS 1 reached the street, out from
the feet of the wrestling throng. like
football from serum, rolled a neat
tarbush.
Automatically I stopped and picked
It up. Its weight surprised me. Then.
glancing inside the tarbush, 1 perceived
that little oblong box, together with
a quaint signet ring, was ingeniously
attached to the crown by means of silk
threads tied around the knot of the
tassel. I glanced rapidly about me.
], alone. had seen the cap roll out upon
the pavement.
A hard jerk, and had the box and
the ring free in my hand. "A native
policeman who freely employed his
cane upon the thinly -clad persons of
the group had terminated the scufie.
A very dusty Ali Mohammed. his
shaveA skull robbing him of much of
the dignity which belonged to his tar
bush, confronted me, ruefully dusting
his garments.
Your tarbush. my friend" I said.
restoring his property to him with a
bow.
One piercing glance he cast into the
interior. then:
"Oh AllahI'' he walled. 20 AllahI L
am robbed! Yet"
A sort of martyred resignation,
beatific peace, crept over his features.
ITO war against Abu Tabah is the
act of fool" he declared. ITO have
obtained the Beys money would have
been good. but to have obtained peace
is betteri"
awoke that night from g troubled
sleep and from dream wherein mag
netic fingers caressed my forehead
hypnotically. For a moment I could
not believe that I was truly awake:
the long ivory hand of my dreams was