The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-06-21
THE D
[sE9OR STORY
The Flute Of Abb Yussufa
sy KATE EpMoNps.

|SlEtfdIsNt A44S $500
she not only one girl, Mr..
Mylle Marion Is a dozen girls"
sone gill With the essence Of a
dozen, eh9" wett on Marion's ador.
ipg uncle. But | surely thought
she liked you little bit. my boy"
Hc put his hand on Dorry's big
Ahotlder.
The young fellow turned a dark,
tensestA6e, and humorous gray eyes
toward the older man, but there
was i tinge Of bitterness in his
Voice Sim afraid It's little Bit
arety little bit, sir"
sPshsw, Dorry, when / was
Young chap like you, we knew how
% make the girls like us. whether
they would or no." blurted MIR,
Nyylie impatiently.
pofry smiled. you, you never
married one, sir!"
True, my boy-but, she didn't
Ike ME even little bit. You
Marion" he paused and rum.
bled his thick gray hai-. Come
Into the study, ! want to show you
Something" and Derry followed
Mafion'S uncle into small book.
lined room with the walls above
The bookcases hung closely with
fare engrayings and hunting tro.
phies from all over the globe, for
MI. Oliver had been a great tthv.
elef, and, even now threatened an.
other expedition into southern Asia.
He crossed to the fireplace and
took a long narrow box OF ham.
inered brass from the mantelpiece.
I'M going to give you a love
philtre,n he annoupced.
Derry Lander stared and then his
deep hearty laugh echoed through
the house, Overhead, III her own
rdom, Marion Wylie heard It ana
SMILED while a faint color stained
her soft cheeks. She blew a kiss
down through the floor TO Uncle
Divers study. Dear old Dorry,"
she thought. How patient he is
Uncle divers so fond Of him, and
so are mother and dad and ;m +
only-oh, dear-well, must go
down"
She could not guess the strange
thingb her uncle was saying to
potty Lander.
You can laugh, young man, but
this love philter is not exactly that
1T has a wooing charm that wins
the hardest heart" He opened the
box and pulled out an ebony flute
sfilaid with mother Of pearl and fila.
gree silver. ut is a love charm.
charm2" repeated Derry po'
lltely.
.tYes. II is the flute Of old
Ab.Yussufa, row II venerable sheik,
and patriarch OF his tribe In the
arabian desert. He told nc won
Aer stories OF its power 10 win the
lnveGot q maiden-iust play It be.
tore sher-that's what he said--snd
believe, Derry. he. must have been
ahRndsoiIfc rascal in his youth. r
took the flute-I thought might
use IT some day-but deuce take
Il all, tho. only girl had fancled
married while | was on that trip
and so the flute has never been
used. i have kept 1t as curios.
ity.se
Dorry took the case and thanked
the donor II feel like fool, Mr.,
wylie. I1never played a flute"
$50 much the better" just blow
Il gently In her ear. or under her
window, or - somewhere = away
from the house by all means" he
added semphatically.
solfie Ill try the rose garden by
moonlight tonight" muttered Dor.
~. looking very red. He hid the
fsute In his. coat pocket for he heard
MArion's light step on the stairs,
't'rell her 1 will come over tonight
but don't tell her about the flute"
he whispered, and slipping over the
wtndowsill he disappeared among.
theitrees that led to the side street.
II was not until after 10 o'clock
that he re.entered the Wylie
grounds and made his way TO the
lovely rose garden which was over.
looked by the south side of the old
house, Marion's window was on
that side and a faint light shone
there behind rosy curtains. ~ won.
der II she looked for me tonight"
he thought as he took out the flute
and replaced the box in his pocket.
Never In his life had he played any
musical instrument. and Il was
with some trepidition that he put
tha flute to his lips, and following
Nj. wylie's directions he blew soft.
lyStpon II.
Theresult was so wonderful that
he charmed his own senses and sat
down on a marble seat among the
roses. The most enhancing music
came wandering from the flute OF
theeold Arab sheik. II was like all
the love songs OF the wOrld-lt
played itself as Derry blew gently
into the mouthpiece. The wooIng
strains seemed to kiss the bending
roses, seemed to meet the falling
dew, seemed to lift up to MarIon's
windows. He forgot her for the
nioment-he was entranced with
love itself! All at once he saw
misty white form coming across
the lawn, It drew nearer, nearer,
and the moonlight shlmmered on
her golden hair-it was the girl he
loved Now she hurried little as
II drawn by the melody, until she
ran breathlessly into the rose gar.
den. and poised before him, smile
on her lovely face. As he dropped
the flute and jumped up she turned
and buried her face In a glorious
dump OF roses, pressing the cool
fraktant petals to her hot cheeks.
'Dearest," whispered Derry be.
side her.
snorry," she answered In a NUT.
ffed tone. "Wefe you PLAYING that