Argosy, Vol. 119, No. 2 — page 45: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ALI’S i And many a man,” said Ali Fiasaan, “hath died for being as quick with his tongue as thou art. Hark ye! Ali Hassan ruleth in the fair oasis of Nejed, and thou hadst best keep a cool tongue between thy teeth. A poet could not have spoken more eloquence of love than thou, and there was something in thy talk of Medina, the Holy. Therefore shalt thou see at thy price. But not now, for here cometh the old man with his rugs.” CHAPTER It. HIS HEART’S DESIRE, NAJoB AZOURA limped across the dusty ' “ square, bearing on his own shoulders his bale of rugs. He came to the door of the coffee-house, peered in, then salaamed al- most to the ground. The viceroy of the Sultan shook with silent laughter. ‘Old man,” he. said, “as I see thee standing there, I can think of nothing but an old jerboa rat—the kind that lurk in the holes at the desert edge. Come in, and my Mustufa will give thee coffee and a pipe.’ “IT have no heart for a pipe,” the merchant, “ but coffee might lift these drooping spirits of mine. I will thank thee for that.” He shuffled in, threw cea his rugs, and sat upon them. _ “ Coffee of the best,” cried Ali Hassan, , ‘with a touch of cinnamon in it.” The old man drank silently while Ali looked at him with delight. Najob Azoura set down his cup, spread out his hands, and said: ‘Even the strongest must bow to Fate, and I am but a poor man.” “ Thou wilt know better next time,” said his tormentor. ‘“ No merchant doth busi- ness here without the protection of Ali Hassan.”’ “Thou wilt pay me,” said the old man, “the five pounds in gold?” ‘‘ Aye,” said Ali. ‘Thou shalt have it, old miser.” He opened his pouch and counted out five gold pieces. Najob Azoura watched them fall upon the table one by one, weighed each one upon his finger tips, and put them in his own greasy pouch. He arose and salaamed deeply to the great man. REVENGE—AND ALLAH'S. groaned 195 “ And now,” he said, “I have thy lear to depart?” . ‘ Aye,” said Ali, ‘ with a bit of sine from me. Take thy mind from thy money bags, Najob Azoura, and the next time thou art here, remember the Sultan’s viceroy.” The merchant wagged his head sorrow- fully, without a word, took his rugs upon — his back, and shuffled out and across the square. - “Now then,.my Kahleel,”’ he eoneabed: “it is thy turn. But payeme first half the _ Money, and if thou seest thy wish, pay me the other half.” Kahleel counted out five gold pieces into the palm of Ali. The latter clapped his hands and a slave glided in. “Watch at the door,” said the wketoy: ‘and send some of thy. fellows to watch at the back.” When the slave had gone, he opened his pouch and took out a small leather case. “There was never the woman,” he said, ‘“ who could match this pearl in beauty.” He opened the case and showed a large, somewhat irregular pearl lying in a bed of black velvet. It was pear-shaped, slightly flattened, and Kahleel caught his breath at the rush of color that played over its mir- rorlike surface at the slightest movement of Ali Hassan’s hand. Most pearls are a bit dull, as though a gem, originally violet in color, were overlaid with a powdering of some fine white substance, but Ali’s pearl ” ead ‘all the smoothness, polish, and fiery play of color that goes with the opal. “It is a marvel,” said Kahleel, after he had looked at the pearl for a moment, “ and a holy thing, since it hath been washed by the tears of Ayesha. Vet I know a —— treasure.” “ Take it, thou poet,” said Ali, “in the palm of thy hand, and hold it to the morn- ing light. Think of thy treasure, and — shalt see where it lieth.” Kahleel took the pearl in his hand and held it so that a beam of light struck full upon it. He saw a tiny, but faithful, pic- ture of the square—the mosque across the way, the open front of the caravansary, @ towered house upon a small hill. Wave after wave of color rolled across the mirror- _ like surface of the gem, and so faithful was () ©) micbooks (E(0) . ae ee + \wehGrrPae. 2