The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-06-19
A TALE OF GREECN.1

young irisn oiucer ol bflblsn fegf-
ment quartersd at Corfu was in the habit
of hunting frequently in Greece. One day
while following doe be became separated
from his companions and lost his way.
After considerable wandering he at last
| came In sight OF the Ionian sea, with It's
numerous and beautiful islands The day
was now, however, far spent, and 1t was
with much delight that, from the top of
hill, he espied tho white walls of Greek
cottage before him. He determined at all
risks to seek admission for an asylum for
the night. He approached the door, which
| he found shut. He knocked loudly with
his hunting whip, and quickly the door
| was opened by Greek female, the love-
| Hest his eyes had ever rested on. The
young huntsman made his misfortunes
and his wishes known to her in as good
Albanian as he could MUSTER to which
she replied in italian and invited him In.
The cause of manhood and misfortune
seldom finds deaf ear among the ladies,
and this beautiful Greek yielded to its In.
Huence, and readily offered him an asy.
lum, telling him at the same time that
he must depart at daybreak, for If her
male friends, who bore no great love to
the English, caught him there he might
repent his intrusion,
Costello-for such was the officers name
readily assented, and ioyfully-took pos
session Of tho small chamber the beautiful
Zoraida showed him for tho night. He
even, in the ecstasy of his admiration for
his beautiful hostess, nearly forgot his
poor steed. His recollection, however,
quickly returned, and he sailed out to the
stable and made the necessary arrange
ments for its comfort himself. The pecul-
iarity of his situation not little surprised
him. Alone, amid the desert mountains
of Albania, with the most beautiful woman
his eyes ever rested on, and conjecture
seemed at stand to account for her soli-
tary situation. Ills true, she had spoken
of male relations, but he had as yet seen
no human form in that solitude except
herself. There was q neatness about tho
cottage which scarcely belonged to Greek
peasant, and her language, although a
Greek in habit and appearance, was pure
Tuscan.
On his return from tho stable he found
his beautiful hostess had prepared suit
able collation., which, with cup of the
good wine of Thessaly, made him forget
his fatigue. She seemed not unwilling to
enter into conversation. Costello was "a
good linguist. Having been some time
in Florence, he spoke the genuine Tuscan
with sufficient fluency. He therefore will
ingly seized the opportunity offered of on
ter1ng into conversation in that language,
to which her soft, melodious voice lent an
additional harmony.
Her story was short. She belonged to
a party of brigands who occupied this re-
treat among tho mountains, from whence
they made excursions on tho plains for
plumber, on one of which they were now
absont. They had lately come from the
opposite coast of Calabria, and her father,
who was the head of the gang, was orig |
inally from Pisa, where she had been
brought up, which accounted for the pu- |
rity of her language.
She was, she said tired Of that kind of |
life, which was now doubly odious to |
hor, as her father was forcing her to marry |
ono OF his own gang-a young Albanian |
whose habits and disposition she could not |
fancy.
She owned she was unhappy and the
downcnst melancholy of her beautiful
eyes too well attested the truth of her as
scrtion. Costello felt for her, to which
perhaps the extreme beauty of her appear
ance not q little tended. He resolved to
rescue her Yet how to effect it he did not
know. 1t was more easily thought of than
executed. In the ardor of the moment he
it to her. He urged her to fly
with him. She hesitated-she resisted.
1t last she yielded.
"BGt not now," said she. 81 must
4 q nj fpth = |
man! He will now have nobody to watch
'Vor him-to pray for him! Perhaps he
nay even fall victim to his own blood
thirsty companions. Return" she con-
jinued, to your own quarters. Prepare
ow servants to attend you, and in the
next dark of the moon meet mo under
'onder rock at midnight, and l shall be
prepared to accompany you to some place
where you may be able to procure a safe
'sCort for mo back to Pisa"
Costello promised all she asked He re-
ired to rest, and the next morning ut day
Freak started off on his return to Corfu,
)caring with him tho image of the beauti-
I'll Zoraida strongly impressed on his im-
gination.
Another week passed on without their
Meeting. Still Ioraida was uppernost in
lis thoughts. Tho moon had now arrived
It that point in her orbit ut which, even
II that delightful climate, she wells her
light for short time, and Costello, thinly
ttonded and ignorant of tho errand of
angCr he was entering on, prepared to
nut III execution his intention of rescuing
he beautiful Zoraida and making her his
wn.
He found no difficulty in retracing his
QUITE, and, leaving his sCrvantsand horses
t the foot of the mountain, joyfully us.
ended the rock, armed simply with his
word and case of pistols.
An oyerhanging mountain sheltered all
rom the back, while before thom stretched
he fair plains and valleys of Eprus
hough now shaded by the veil of night
Another moment, ind Costello held tho
Horaida in bis arms. They hud
Lst turned to descend Co the horses when
Wo brigands rushed from behind tho
nck, and with a cry of "Faithless Tor
ida Villain Inglcse" plunged dag
or into each Of their hearts Tho follow
X morning saw the corpses of the blnuti.
ii HorAoa and the unfortunate Costello
l the market place of Corfu.-Ncw York
GWs.