The strangers at the door : a Christmas story . t they, too, slept^—thedeep, peaceful sleep of a well-earned rest. And Zeresh, the gruff, grizzled andgreedy inkeeper, likewise slept. Hidden31 THE STRANGERS in the thick folds of his tunic was a leathernbag containing his treasure. Never in soshort a time had he received so great in his sleep he chuckled over his gain. While he slept, in the darkness of thenight his terrified wife crept silently fromthe inn, taking her sleeping little girl in herarms, and fled to the home of a cousin liv-ing on an adjoining street. There shewould sna
The strangers at the door : a Christmas story . t they, too, slept^—thedeep, peaceful sleep of a well-earned rest. And Zeresh, the gruff, grizzled andgreedy inkeeper, likewise slept. Hidden31 THE STRANGERS in the thick folds of his tunic was a leathernbag containing his treasure. Never in soshort a time had he received so great in his sleep he chuckled over his gain. While he slept, in the darkness of thenight his terrified wife crept silently fromthe inn, taking her sleeping little girl in herarms, and fled to the home of a cousin liv-ing on an adjoining street. There shewould snatch a few hours sleep ere heawoke. As Zeresh slept, a singular dream cameto him. Before him rose a palace of mar-velous beauty. Massive columns of glis-tening porphyry and malachite supportedthe building. Floors of shining black andwhite marble appeared in each spaciousroom, and the side walls and ceiling wereformed from the choicest cedar. Antiquefurniture of strange design and pricelessvalue, such as only a King Solomon could32 AT THE DOOR. as zeresh slept, a singular dream came tohim/ 33 THE STRANGERS possess, stood in profusion in every roomof the royal dwelling. Hangings of goldand rich embroidery and costly needleworkmarked the entrance to the succession ofrooms, while rare plants stood in a hundredembrasures, adding their beauty and fra-grance to the scene. Scattered over thesmooth floor, like sands of the sea, werebeautiful golden coins, so bright and shin-ing it was evident they were fresh from thehands of the goldsmith. Zeresh trembledwith joy. His energy had been rewardedby this beautiful palace, and, in addition,gold without measure. What more couldhe desire? But gradually the scenechanged. Covering the floor of shiningmarble, the massive pillars of malachiteand porphyry, the walls and ceilings of ce-darwood, and overspreading each goldencoin, appeared a green mould. Had hispalace suddenly become a swamp? Thus34 AT THE DOOR it seemed, for springing up from each co
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