TWILIGHT LAND

Now the judge of that town was known far and near as
the “ Wise Judge;” but never had he had such a knotty
‘question as this brought up before him, for by this time
Abdallah had found his speech, and swore with a great
outcry that the money belonged to him.

But at last a gleam of light came to the Wise Judge in
his perplexity. ‘Can any one tell me,” said he, “ which
of these fellows has had money of late, and which has
had none ?”

His question was one easily enough answered; a score
of people were there to testify that the elder of the two
had been living well and spending money freely for six
months and more, and a score were also there to swear
that Abdallah had lived all the while in penury. ‘Then
that decides the matter,” said the Wise Judge. ‘The
money belongs to the elder fagot-maker.”

“ But listen, oh my lord judge!” cried Abdallah. “All
that this man has spent I have given it to him—I, who
found the money. Yes, my lord, I have given it to him,
and myself have spent not so much as a single mite.”

All who were present shouted with laughter at
Abdallah’s speech, for who would believe that any one
would be so generous as to spend all upon another and
none upon himself ?

So poor Abdallah was beaten with rods until he con-
fessed where he had hidden his money; then the Wise
Judge handed fifty sequins to Ali and kept twenty himself
for his decision, and all went their way praising his justice
and judgment.

That is to say, all but poor Abdallah; he went to his
home weeping and wailing, and with every one pointing
the finger of scorn at him. He was just as poor as ever,

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