The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-08-03
4 TALE OF GREECE

A young Irish officer Of British regi.
Gent quartered at Corfu was in the habit
Of hunting frequently in Greece One day
while following doc be became separated
from his companions and lost his way.
! After considerable wandering he at last
came In sight of the lonian sea, with its
numerous and beautiful islands The day
was now, however, far spent, and 1t was
with much delight that, from the top of a
hill, he espied the white walls Of Greek
cottage before him. He determined at all
risks to seek admission for an asy liim for
the night He approached the door, which
he found shut. He knocked loudly with
his bunting whip, and quickly the door
was opened by Greek female, the love.
lest his eyes had ever rested on. The
young hnntslnan 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.
Tho cause OF manhood and misfortune
seldom finds deaf ear among the ladies,
and this beautiful Greek yielded to Its In
duence, and readily offered him an asy.
lum, telling him at the same time that
he must depart at daybreak, for II her
male friends, who bore no great love to
the English, caught him there be might
repent his Intrusion.
Costello-for such was the officer name
readily assented and joyfully took pos.
session of the small chamber the beautiful
Zoraida showed him for the night. He
even, In the ecstasy of his admiration for
his beautiful hostess, nearly forgot his
poor stecd. 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 o little surprised
him. Alone, amid the desert mountains
of Albania, with tho most beautiful woman
his eyes ever rested on, and conjecture
seemed at stand to account for her soil
tary situation. IT'S true, she had spoken
of male relations, but he had as yet seen
no human form In that solitude except
herself. There was neatncss about tina
cottage which scarcely belonged to a Greek
peasant, and her language, although
Greek In habit and appearance, was pure
Tuscan.
On his return from the 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 Il
good linguist Having been some time
in Florence, he spoke the genuine Tuscan
with sufficient fiuency. He therefore will.
ingly seized the opportunity offered of en-
ter1ng into conversation In that language
to which her SOFT meodious voice lent an
additional harmony.
Her story was short. She belonged to
party of brigands who occupied this re-
treat among the mountains from whence
they made excursions on the plains for
plumber, on one Of which they were now
absent. 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 |
her. as her father was forcing her to marry
one OF his own gang-a young Albanian |
whose habits and disposition she could not |
fancy.
Sho owned she was unhappy, and the
downcast 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
anco not a little tended He resolved to |
rescue her. Yet how TO effect 1t he did not
know. 1t was more easily thought of than
executed. In the ardor of the moment he |
mentioned 1t to her, He urged her to fly
with him. She hesitated-she resisted. |!
AT last she yielded
But not now,'' said She ~ must
again SEQ my father. Poor, miserable old
mani He will now have nobody to watch
over him-to pray for him Perhaps he
may even fall victim to his own blood
thirsty companions. Return" she con-
tinued, "to your own quarters. Prepare
few servants to attend you, and in the
next dark of tho moon meet me under
yonder rock at midnight, and l shall be
prepared to accompany you to some place
where you may be able to procure a safe
escort for NE back to Pisa -
Costello promised all she asked. He TO-
tired to rest, and the next morning at day
break started off on his return to Corfu,
hearing with him tho image of the beauti-
full ZorHida strongly impressed on his i'm.
agination.
Another week passed on without their
uioeplii6' sun Loralua was NppefmOSt IN |
his thoughts, The moon had now arrived
Mt that point in her orbit at which, even
ID that delightful climate she wells her
light for short time and Costello, thinly
attended and ignorant of the Grand of |
danger he was entering on prepared to
put In execution his intention If resculng
the beautiful Zoruida ant: making her his
own.
He found no difficulty In retracing his
route, and, leaving his servants and horses
1t the foot of the mountain, joyfully as.
oendcd the rock, armed simply with his
sword ard case of pistols
An oycrhanging mountain sheltered all
from the back, while before them stretched
the fair plains and valleys of Eplrus,
though now shaded by the veil of night.
Another moment, and Costello held the
beautiful Zo,aita in his arms. They had
Just turned to descend to the horses when
Two brigands rushed from behind the
rock, and with cry of "Faithless Zor.
ida! p "Villain lngleso' plunged dag
ger into each of their hearts. The follow.
ng morning saw the corpses of the bcauti.
'ul Horaida and the unfortunate Costello
n the market place Of Corfu New York
Nova