The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-07-10
SELECTED STORY.
The Story OF Irene.

ed by him few years after his visit us a
young man of four and twenty to Greece
and founded ON his experiences during the
two years he resided there:
During the last months of my stay in
Athens in 1885 | lodged i'm the house of
Spires Bamburis in the quarter stretching
eastward form the Temple of Thescus to-
ward Mount Iycabcttus and called by the
modern Athcnians the psiri [ chose this
house because it was fresh and clean
and because there was an extensive view
from the balcony over the newly born
metropolis and greater part of the envi-
rons-thc valley of the Cephissus, with
the mountain chain beyond, Mount
Lycabettus and Hymcttus and the Acrop-
oils being all within its sweep Behind
the house there was a courtyard which
was always sedulously swept, and in the
yard stood the humble dwelling of my
well to do landlord-a low cottage, possess
ing door, a window and sitting room,
but the door without lock, the window
without panes and the floor unboarded-a
curious contrast with the handsome house
erected in its proximity and suggesting
pleasant thoughts as to the wide field for
industry and thrift offered by young and
rising countries.
Az lTSb ldu very uUIle intercourse
with my hosts. Early in the morning
long before we Europeans had risen, Kyr
(Mr.) Spires had gone to his stall in the
bazaar where he sold wooden and linen
goods. as also sugar, coffee and rum, and
in the evening he did not generally return
until l had gone out to pay visits to the
cafe, so that it was rare for me to see him.
His somewhat elderly sister, Kyria mis-
tress) Maria, whom l met more frequent
ly, would pass me in silence, evidently
considering the exchange of a "good morn
ing" sufficient conversation for the day,
while her niece Irene, an orphan whom
she was bringing up, was apparently COM
manded not even to look at me if she could
help it, At any rate, whenever passed
through the courtyard she always man.
aged to find something to do which should
prevent my obtaining view of her face.
Either she would stOop down to pick up
stone that a moment before had in no way
troubled her, or something would be amiss
with her shoe, or she sat herself down on
bench and put her little head in her
hands. And once when l happened to ap-
pear rather suddenly nothing better sug-
gested itself to her than to thrust her lit
tie head and ears into the big earthen pot
she was cleaning, from the depths of
which, however, could not help hearing
the smothered sound of "a merry laugh.
But, notwithstanding all her precautions,
1t was not always possible for her to hide
her face from me, and before l had been
fortnight in the house l had convinced
myself that she was one of the most beau
tiful girls in Athens.
Such were our relations at first but
gradually, as my hosts came to know me
better-that is when they observed that
l generally came home early in the even
ing, did not take too much wine and did
not beat my servant Jorgi-the Paidi, as
they called him-our relations changed
sensibly for the better.
One Sunday morning early Kyr Spires
appeared before me in all the glory of his
snow white Albanian skirt of kilt his
rich Tunisian fez his Jacket of fine blue
cloth embroidered with silk, a costly rosary
of amber in his hands. He had come to
pay me a visit and as he slowly let the
amber beads drop one by one through his
fingers he gave me to understand that my
uncommon sobriety and steadiness had
greatly prepossessed both himself and his
maiden sister in my behalf and had de-
termined him to show me personally his
respect sebasmata by this visit ! thank
ed my worthy host heartily for his good
opinion of me and promised to make my
self still more deserving of it. At the
same time | shook him warmly by the
hand and requested him to be seated. I
then ordered pipes and coffee, and while
we smoked and drank we chatted away
about nutmcgs and currants, arrack and
neckerchefs like two old cronics until, us
we warmed, our converse took higher
fights and we discoursed at large on trade
and manufactures church and state. |
think l may safely say we agreed on all
points for kyr Spires left me with the
most flattcring speeches about the Ger
mans in general and myself in particular,
and promised often to come and see me
again, a promise which he duly fulfilled
by calling upon me thenceforth regularly
every Sunday morning.
Soon afterward an event happened which
was fraught with the most agreeable con-
sequences. An iron stove that l had Or
dered from Germany arrived, and pending
the necessary preparations for its reception
In my room had to stand up for couple of
hours in the courtyard. While | was busy
up stairs instructing a Greek tinsmith in
the intricacies of providing an exit for the
smoke by substituting metal plate for
the pane of glass and constructing an
opening III III L remarked with delight
that down stairs aunt and niece were
gazing on the strange arrival with won
Ter, walking round it and apparently
questioning one another about this great
iron pot standing on its four slim pedes-
tails, evidently puzzled as to the purpose
for which this extraordinary piece of fur
niture could be intended. l hurried quick
ly down, but before l could get to the bot
tom of the staircase Irene had fled and had
disappeared behind the door of their cot.
tage, so tnat the explanation l would fain
have impaired to the niece / was forced to
give to the less bashful aunt. She looked
at me in blank establishment as | explain
ed to her that this outlandish article was
thing used in Europe for heating rooms,
and that it was to serve no other purpose
than to warm my sitting room after the
fashion of my country in the coming win
ter. She shook her head with an incred-
ulous smile, murmured II couple of "Theei
Thee! (Lord! Lord , and looked after us
dubiousiy, rs with our united forces the
smith and pushed the stove up the stair
case to my room.
The same evening the flames were crac-
king merrily in the iron pot" A pleas
ant warmth ditfused itself through my