New-York tribune., 1922-11-06

Some of them are billions of miles
away.
Some of them are much nearer.
A mutfled figure strides along the
edge of an oasis, looking upward at
| the stars.
The stars look down at him.
1t is Sheik Al-Ullah- Bul-bul.
"Have I done right?" he is ask
ing the stars.
| The stars do not answer.
They only gaze.
| They do not say Yes.
They do not say No.
But there is something in their
steady stare that seems to work
upon his conscience.
| VI.
Suddenly the Sheik's attention is
drawn from the stars by faint
noise that approaches across the
desert.
1t grows louder and louder.
Peering across the desert, he
makes out in the starlight that
mass meeting is converging upon
him.
He will be the center of it.
A long, wailing cry breaks from
the thousands of dusky figures that
encircle him.
1t is cry of reproach.
He realizes that these are some OF
the women in the case.
1t is mass meeting of his
harems.
Ten thousand bright eyes are
flashing at him through the dusk.
Stars above and stars below!
1t strikes him as a pretty conceit.
The Sheik draws his scimitar and
begins writing with the point of it
in the sand a poem beginning: Stars
atove and stars beloaU
A nightingale begins to sing
somewhere somewhere
The nightingale sings what the
Sheik is writing. 1t is, in part, as
follows:
Stars above and stars beloaU,
froac', Mpon me 1eeUeri
HdTems come and huren1s 40,
But | go on foreUer!
Girls, Pll alWays be your beau
To the best of my endeavor!
The nightingale pauses, and the
Sheik himself sings the song.
There is a pause. And then
sibilant murmur rises from the
desert.
"Allah!" cries the Sheik. "They
are Kissing mel"
Let us leave the Sheik to make
what explanations he can to his
wives, and return to America.
VII
In duplex apartment in Gram
ercy Park, New York City, sits an
elderly gentleman gazing at the fire.
Tall, strong, athletic, with piercing
gray eyes and jaunty manner, one
would scarcely suspect that he is
more than ninety years old.
He is musing over past adven-
lures by food and field.
He smiles.
The smile is suddenly interrupted
by the wireless instrument in his
library.
"Arabian Desert, November 1st,
1922" reads the first message,
"come at once stop in trouble with
my wives again stop haste stop
"(Signed) Sheik Al-Ullah-B -Bul-bul."
A second message comes before he
can finish copying the first in the in
visible ink which he uses:
Lucknow, India, November 1st,
1922, sacred cobra has been stolen
stop is in America stop snake con-
tains secret correspondence tattooed
on its stomach which if made public
would lead to misunderstanding
stop might smash British Empire
lead to world war stop we depend
on you recover snake stop
"(Signed) Indian Secret Service"
A third message follows, as
follows:
Washington, D. c., November 1st,
1922, bootlegger killed millionaire
Fairweather's apartment was gov
ernment agent stop valuable papers
in possession stop you must get
them stop
"(signed) U. S. Government"
A fourth message followed, as
below:
Received wire from fance's Sec
retary marriage broken off stop no
fault of mine stop l put case your
hands stop
"(Signed) Maybelle Bellmaye,
Film Empress"
The fifth message read:
"Gland gone stop international
gang of gland thieves suspected stop
We put case your hands stop
"(Signed) Felix Winterwithe,
Secretary"
The sixth message was brief:
Want your help gland case stop
Chief Detective stop"
The seventh message contained a j
threat:
EDO not concern yourself with
other peoples affairs stop you are
watched keep off gland case or you
arc dead man stop
"(Signed) The Woman in Purple"
Captain Fitzurse laughed, picked
UP his sword cane, buckled on the
pistol with which he shot Major
Choimondeley Butt Chumley, gave
twist to his mustachios and left the
apartment.
He climbed into the taxicab, which
was always waiting, day or night, at
the curb.
Where to, sir?' said the driver,
respectfully.