Evening star., 1922-07-02
THE SORCERER.
.By Nine. Lucie Delarue.

May God preserve YOU said the
Good" said the sorcerer.
He approached the dirty couch. made
mysterious signs about II, and ut
tered incantations. Then he turned
brusquely to the man and the woman
and fixed them alternately with q de-
vouring look.
Now" he ordered the husband,
| pull the bed out and come close to
me. both Of you
| The bed pulled out. double cry
of amazement filled the humble room.
For a fiagstone. never before seen.
was found in the corner. A heavy
iron ring was attached to it.
Lift the ring"
The man bent down and lifted il.
A stairway. leading underground, ap-
peared.
Let us go down.
Pale and trembling, the two NAL
tese followed the Moroccan. At the
foot of the stairway a sudden illumi-
nation came to them from something
which shone in the recesses OF the
cellar which they entered. 1t was a
heap of gold pieces. nine feet high
and at least fifteen feet wide, guard
ed by two naked negroes. motionless
and threatening. each with bare
sword in his hand. When the hus-
band and wife, dumb with surprise.
time. voice cried:
Now, we must go upstairs again"
After the fagstone was put in
place and the bed pushed back the
Maugrabin explained:
II must prepare an enchantment to
get rid of the negroes who guard
the treasure. The pile of gold 10
yours four days from now at this
hour, if you give me what 1 need
to work with for the four nights"
The wife. her teeth chatterins,
ask ed:
What do you need?
II need incenses, balms and many
other things which / can't tell you
about. Lot us say sixty douros. Give
me them at once and In four days
the negroes will have disappeared.
But don't speak to any one of this
affair, not even to your children. In
that case all would be lost. Don't
touch the bed before l come back,
and don't look under it."
THE husband stared at his wife.
L Three hundred francs.-it was
almost their entire capital. They had
in all $50 francs, the savings Of hf-
teen years.
"Give him the sixty douros," she
said, still in a dream.
The Moroccan took the money with
out q look, apparently absorbed in
his magic calculations. He didn't
even count it, and murmured:
Il will give you list OF the pur-
chases. There is no time to lose
now
ceremonious salutations. While the
other two kissed his hands, which he
modestly drew back.
DO not thank me, o my son ana
my daughter! I do 1t in the sight OF
Allah! If l give you happiness 1
shall be rewarded beyond my deserts.
When he was gone the poor couple
fell into each others arms and wept.
They didn't sleep for four nights.
Their magnificent, hopes wouldn't let
them. Moreover, they were dread
fully afraid Of lying in the bed under
which lived the two negroes they
had seen.
The morning of the fourth day they
| sent the children away. Fervently,
| with eyes dilated and twitching
hands, they waited.
Alas. They are still waiting. Vic-
| inns of the hypnotic power OF the
impostor they searched Tor Two
months under the bed for the nag
stone and the ring. But they FOUND
only dusty and broken flooring. JUST
as it had always been. And the worst
Of the affair Ia that they are noY
alone in this predicament, ana thatl
more than one case in the courts Oh
Tunis deals and will deal with eouAls.
" incredible phAutAsmaGoriA :