Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 4, 1926 — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

"4 J G ' od "4 1 i dy st: ra Nb wo 4 if yer V3 "td i in 4 f ‘ 4 ut we” rt AR OMT , : A, - » wert - ,Y P " j ‘ . at 4 ¢ . 410 _ The servant was too respectful to inquire as to the meaning of this strange spectacle, but recovered the gold. Presently they journeyed on. : Swiftly now came a change in the for- tunes of the great merchant. The sheep he bought in Persia were swallowed in a simoon. The slave girls of his harem es- caped one night and left him without a concubine. The caliph took his palace for unpaid taxes. Shortly, from being the richest, he became one of the poorest of men. | The servant early saw the trend of events and begged to be allowed to leave his master. Permission was granted. For many years he had been saving and he invested his little fortune in a tavern in one of the suburbs to which he retired. One night, after many years, the tavern keeper, hearing a commotion in the road, rushed out. In the shadows he saw a lone traveler fighting with assailants who pres- ently leaped over a near-by hedge and es- caped, leaving the unknown prostrate in the dusty road. Even as he advanced the tavern keeper was halted by a curious sight. The out- raged stranger leaped exultantly to his feet, and then it could be seen that those who had assailed him had denuded him of his clothes. He stood—naked—and cried aloud ecstatically, for a moment; then swiftly knelt and bowed in prayer to Allah! The prayer finished, he subsided. The tavern keeper came forward, lifted up the unfortunate victim, and helped him inside to a couch by the fire. He covered him with a shawl and gave him a drink. The eyes of the unfortunate slowly opened. The old servant recognized his erstwhile master. 2 In former years the respect due the status of the great merchant had not per- mitted the servant to ask questions, but now their positions seemed almost reversed. Accordingly, after the former master had been plied with food and drink, and was clothed again, the one time servant was emboldened to inquire: ‘‘ Do you remember that night by the Euphrates when we traveled back to find your gold?” “Indeed, I do,” replied the merchant. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ‘Then and ever since and now,” con- tinued the respectful servant, “‘ I have won- dered why you abased yourself by drop- ping into the mud on your face, and im- ploring Allah? Would you enlighten one who is always honored in serving you?” ‘Yes, my friend,” replied the merchant, “my gold, you will remember, was where I had dropped it accidentally, in the open road, spurned by the hoofs of countless caravans. Scores must have seen and passed it by. As by a flash of lightning I saw there the end to my good fortune. If my gold, the basis of all I had, was to be spurned like that, then surely Allah in- tended to frown upon me. “In that instant I saw, before any one else, the destiny Allah was preparing for me. I was the richest man in the land. I was at the peak of worldly fortune and could go no farther up. Hence I could go only down. Though I lamented, though I protested, it was of no avail, as you know.” The old servant bowed his head before the subtle wisdom of his revered master. “By a similar token just now,” contin- ued the composed traveler, “here in the road before your hospitable tavern, whence you have rescued me from the cudgels of thieves, | again saw the hand of Allah!” ‘But how?” gasped the servant. Their old positions seemed regained. The master was suave, poised, alert as with a subtle control of all the forces of life; the former servant blinked in stupid, but duti- ful submission. ‘“ Reflect!’’? went on the master, at ease in his borrowed garments. “ As I came a moment since alemg your road, ignorant that you were here, my sole worldly pos- sessions were the rags on my back; I lacked even sandals. Then robbers beset me, stripped me of my rags, and left me, naked and dying, unidentified, in the public road. “In that instant Allah appeared to me. Again he had altered the direction of my path; a second time he had interfered in my destiny. I saw it clearly and returned the just thanks due. I had gone to the bottom et the road; there was nothing more for me to suffer. Henceforth my path could be only up!” (E@) mMmicbooks ead (Co)