Pictures and the Picturegoer (Jan-Dec 1924)

DECEMBER 1924 Pictures and P/chjreWer 35 The Thief T"rie Thief laughed at opportunity, for to him even the Princess was net so much a Princess as a victim. He dropped to the ground and spread his arms, asking charity of the carriers of the litter, but well knowing that being beneath contempt he would be literally passed over. The imperious servants passed on, heeding him not; the litter was above him, sweeping him to the ground. Smiling, he put up his hands and feet and clung to the floor of the thing, was carried along with it, none suspecting. The hand of the veiled Princess hung over the litter's edge, for the afternoon was hot and the Princess slumbered. The Thief saw it and the three wonderful rings upon the fingers. Smiling with even greater glee now, he slipped the rings from their resting place, tucked them into his doublet, dropped from the litter and hurried home to tell the great news to the evil old comrade in the well. " This will mean much drink and fine food for us," said that old unworthy. " Thou hast done well, Young One. The Princess, you say?" And at this he fell Douglas Fairbanks as " The Thief: BY JOHN FLEMING In Bagdad of old was one who was known by no name, but the title of The Thief. Whence he came no man knew, nor did anyone greatly care, for a rascal of the gutters was this Thief, beneath contempt, beneath the notice of better men. When he sat in the roads and begged alms the good citizen might cast him a coin; but certain it is that the coin once cast the good citizen promptly forgot about him. He lived in an unknown chamber in the depths of the city well. A strange place in which to live; but then, he was a strange fellow. With him lived his evil genius, a jolly old rogue who had never worked for a single coin of all the many coins he had possessed. Together they strolled the streets of old Bagdad and made a good living without labour, laughing their way through life, the jolliest pair of rascals the city had ever seen, for all that they were outcast. Once, alone, the Thief was wending his way towards his home in the depths of the well when he saw coming towards him the litter of the Princess, whom common eyes had never seen ; the Princess of whom many wonderful tales were told but whose face was screened against the vulgar gaze by a wrondrous veil of silk. amusing. "Ah, the wealth .that is hidden away in the palace of her father, the Caliph. If we could but penetrate behind those walls . . .?" " But we cannot," said the Thief. " No man can. The walls are so high, and the gates so well guarded. No, there is no way." He reached up on his little toes and brought his little hand down on his big CHARACTERS. The Thief -Douglas Fairbanks His Evil Genius Snitz Edwards The Holy Man Charles Belcher The Princess Julanne Johnston The Slave Anna May Wong The Caliph Brandon Hurst The Mongol Prince So-Jin The Indian Prince Noble Johnson The Persian Prince C Comont young comrade's shoulder. " But if we cannot get in the Palace," he said, "at least we can look at it, and what better occasion than this? Come." " Is it a special occasion ?" asked the Thief. "Assuredly. Hast thou not heard? Well, it is this way. The Princess has become of marriageable age and has three suitors. There is the Prince of Mongolia and the Prince of Hindustani and the Prince of Persia, and of these she must, according to the custom of the land, make her choice. ere sunset tomorrow. The Princes are in the city and will present themselves in the morning. Flares are to be lighted on the Palace walls to-night and there will be music. Let us go and join in the festivities. In the bazaar is a man of magic and they say that he is to do the great Rope Trick from the Indies." A rrn in arm they sauntered forth and ^^ joined in the celebrations. And sure enough there in the corner of the square where the bazaar vvas held the> came upon the magician from the east, who, seated in eomfort on his little carpet, was holding his simple audience spellbound. But his art had no charm for the high-spirited Thief. " These are but tricks and lacking in danger and courage. I like them not,*' said he. " See ! upon yonder balcony a wife has placed a bowl of broth. That is more to my liking — to steal it. I will climb up there and get it." And this he did, with the aid of a great vine which grew up the wall. The old man did not approve of this public