THE TREASURE OF THE MOSQUE
SOME day when the citizens of New York realize the possibilities of their roofs the news columns will be more fertile in that respect than at present. But in the meanwhile, as Lambert will tell you, if you wish to get mixed up in really surprising complications by way of a roof, you must go to the Orient. It is there Kismet understands how to deal out the hand of a roof situation with a bewitching unveiled face for the queen, and a gray whiskered thieving old monkey for the joker. But this is anticipating matters.
Needless to say Lambert did not travel all the way from Detroit to Aurungnugur to entangle himself in a roof situation. His object in Aurungnugur was to secure the order for an automobile from the ruling Raja—an order worth some trouble when all the decorative metal work was to be of solid silver, and the leather furnishing of elaborately ornamented red morocco. In fact it was intended to be a state automobile in which his Highness purposed to ride when he wore all his jewels, a machine which would long be remembered as the pride of the House of Aurungnugur. In these circumstances it was also a matter of business pride to Lambert that he had fully grasped the significance of the order at a distance, and designed a car, which for prodigality of gilding and all manner of fancy trimmings, would cause any self-respecting 'American millionaire to perspire with confusion if seen in, on Fifth
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