Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1925-05-29

employed every argument to bring
these wives of Mecca to contentment,
yet they had defeated him, and de-
manded from him special revelation.
II will ask Allah to reveal his will"
he sighed. "Next Friday will Inn
part 1t to you"
Still grooming in spirit. he arose
from the floor, feebly moved across
the straw mating to the door, poked
his fat, bare feet into his sandals, and
went home.
Abdullah's past history had been an
interesting one. He was q small, bare
footed boy when the prophet Moham-
med returned to Mecca, and now of all
the people left in the Holy City, he
alone had seen him. Inspired by that
rare privilege, he marked out for him
self the career Of a holy man. When
his chin was first fuzzy with the down
which evolved into the largest of
patriarchal boards, he wandered as a
dervish, but to suffer from hunger and
thirst, and to lacerate his own body.
soon ceased to be pleasures, and final
ly he settled down as an immam in
the Holy City to gain an easier livel-
hood by fleeing the visiting pilgrims.
In his profession he prospered. He
alone was intrusted with the keys of
the Kaaba, and SO great was his re-
puted piety that he was consulted In
every religious controversy.
During his long life Abdullah had
seen but one sorrow-his wives had
died one after another, yet that was
not the cause Of his grief, for never
for long did he lack his full quota OF
wives which, both living and dead, he
could count to score. The one thorn
in his flesh was that this score or more
Of wives had presented him with but
single offspring, daughter, whom
he had named Hanifa. This solitary
plant Of the harem grew and BIOS
somed into dark, slender, large-eyed
Arab maid, sending out her tendrils Of
love until they entwined about the old
mans heart, as II to compensate him
for his lack Of sons. She was the only
child Of twenty passing wives.
"Baba," tenderly said Hanifa, as her
father, leaving the crowd of angry
women in the mosque. had returned
home and squatted before the dish of
pilaf, which he left untasted, "Are you
ill7"
mo, child" replied Abdullah. with
an audible sigh, yet without paying
his customary visit to the harem he
retired
The next morning when Abdhllah
appeared, his eyes were sunken, for
he had passed sleepless night. Dur
ing the dark hours his audience of
clamoring women was ever before him.,
and although he had thousand times
successfully interpreted the laws of
the Koran, now he had failed; his wits
had deserted him, and no revelation
came; his reputation as an immam
would be ruined, and all the wisdom
displayed in the past would be in vain
Thus tortured, he slept none and
ate little. Half a dozen times. daily
Hanifa urged him to impart to her
the cause of his sorrows, and as often
did he deny that he was afflicted, vet
before the week was half ended, Alb
dullah had become so feeble that he
even neglected the book which was to
perpetuate his name; he remained in
the corner, silent and thoughtful
'Baba," said Hanifa, again stroking
his old bald head, "Tell me your
troubles-perhaps / can help you"
II have none, child" was the holy
mans prevaricating reply. A deep
groan followed. -.
Hanifa was too so1icftous Of the old
mans health to be silent. Long she
stood over him, stroking his head, vet
finally when the abundance of sighS
and groans seemed to be well nigh
exhausted, he explained in a feeble
voice how the women Of Mecca had
demanded a special, impossible revela-
ton. Concluding hts explanations in