The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-20

- OR close upon a week I had been
haunting the purlieus of the
- Muski, attired as respectable
dragoman. my face and hands reduced
to a deeper shade of brown by means
OF a water-color paint q had to use
something that could be washed off and
grease paint is useless for purposes of
actual disguise) and a neat black mus
tache fixed to my lip with spirit-gum.
Let me explain at once that my un-
dignified masquerade was not prompted
by mere curiosity or the quest of the
pomegranate, it was undertaken as the
natural sequel to a letter received from
Messrs. Moses, Murphy & Co, the firm
which I represented in Egypt, Contain
ing curious matters affording much food
for reflection. I'VE would ask you"
ran the communication. "to renew your
inquiries into the particular compost
tion Of the perfume Breath of Allah,
of which you obtained US a sample at
8. cost which we regarded as excessive.
1t appears to consist in the blending of
certain obscure essential oils and gum
resins: and the nature of some Of these
has defied analysis to date. Over a
hundred experiments have been made
to discover substitutes for the missing
essences but without success; and as
We are now III d DOSlIlOil 10
for the manufacture of Oriental per-
fume on an extensive scale we should
be prepared to make it 1ceU 1oortb your
tUhue (the last four words character
istically underlined in red ink) if you
could obtain for US a correct copy of
the original prescription"
The tiny vial which 1 haG despatched
to Birmingham nearly twelve months
before had cost me close upon f100 to
procure, for the reason that Breath OF
Allah" was the secret property of an
old and aristocratic Egyptian family
whose great wealth and exclusiveness
rendered them unapproacllable.
Messrs. Moses, Murphy & Co. had
made all the necessary arrangements
for placing it upon the market, only to
learn as this eventfu1 letter advised me,
that the most skilled chemists whose
services were obtainable had failed to
analyze it.
One morning, then, in my assumed
character, I was proceeding along the
Sharia el-Hamzawi seeking for some
scheme whereby 1 might win the con-
fdence of Mohammed err -Rahmann, the
altar, or perfumer. I had quilted the
house in the Darb el-Ahmar which Vas
my base of operations but few min
utes earlier and as 1 approached the
corner of the street a voice called from
a window directly above my head:
"Said, Said!"
Without suprosing that the call re-
ferred to myself, I glanced up, and met
the gaze of an old Egyptian of respect
able appearance who was regarding me
from above. Shading his eyes with a
gnarled hand:
Surely" he cried, "it is none other
that Said, the nephew Of Yussuf Khalif! !
s-Seldn1 'dleykun1, Said"
"AIeyItunt, cs-seIonJ,' I replied, and
stood there looking up at him
would you perform a little service
for me, Said?" he continued. TT will
occupy you but an hour and you may
earn five piastres.'
I entered the door and mounted the
stairs to the room in which he was. to
find that he lay upon a scantily COW
cred di4cdn by the open window.
Praise be to Allah (whose name be
exalted)!" he exclaimed, that I am
thus fortunately enabled to fulfil my
obligations. sometimes suffer from an
old serpent bite, my son, and this morn
ing it has obliged me to abstain from
all movement. 1 am called Abdul the
Porter, OF whom you will have heard
your uncle speak.
Il have a contract with the mer-
chant, Mohammed er-Rahman of the
Suk el-Attarin." he continued. which
1t has always been my custom person
ally to carry out"
The words almose caused me to catch
my breath; and my opinion Ct Abdul
the Porter changed extraordinary.
DO not misunderstood me-" he added
at refer not to the transport of his
to Aleppo, to Bashdad, Damascus, Kan
dahar, and Pel1in; although the whole
of these vast enterprises is entrusted
to none other than the only son of my
father. speak, now, of the barring oi
a small though heavy box from the
great magazine and manufactory oi
Mohammed er-Rahman at Shubra. tc
his shop ir the Suk el-Attarin."
"Why, o Father Abdul, do you at
tach so much importance to this seem
ingly trivial natter:"
THE question is well conceived" ht
said, raising long forehngeF and wag
ging it. Whisper. my soR''-he ben
toward me confidentially-"once a yeal
the merchant Mohammed er-Rahma1
prepares for the Lady Zuleyka a guam
tity of the perfume which ilnpious ira.
dition has called Breath Of Allah Tht
father of Mohammed er-Rahman pre-
pared it Cor the mother Of the Lady
Zuleyka and his father before him foi
the lady OF that day vino held the secre
the secret which has belonged to th'
women of this family since the reigl
of the Khalif el-Hakim from who's
favorite wife they are descended. T,
her, the wife Of the Kl-alif, tho frs
drahm ever distilled OF the perfume wa
-, -.-ftl
the manner of its preparation, by tn
great wizard and physician Ibn Sina o
Bokhaya" (Avicenna)-
You are well called Abdul the Know
ALL" cried in admiration. "Ehen tn
secret is held by Mohammed erRah
r1an?"
MOT so, my son." replied Abdu
"Certain of the essences employed ar
brought. in sealed vessels. from tn