Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-21

she looked up at Cartis.Sth glossy rope
writhed like Twin hing and a massive
Though her cheeks Ere pae her lips were
still red-Curtis had SeveSnoticed till now
how red and velvetTtheJ Avere.
rs he badly hurt?'' she asked.
Papas-Malecko's hair was clotted with
blood from the broken skin, but Curtis
made absolutely sure that the skull was not
fractured.
THANK God! Thank Ged.' cried Pana-
ri? Tss priest put hi. band y his aegshs .
gered a little and caughts his head in his
b.. oh paps s,1 papa "a: cried girl throwing
Bah! I'm all right. 1 was little dizzy,
that's ALL"
Nothing broken. Nothing broken" reit-
Grated Curtis. Tho blood is from the
he did not know the word for skin, so he
lifted up little tent on the back Of his
left hand with the finger and thumb of his
right.
Nothing, nothing at ALL said the priest.
Panayota turned her eyes toward the
smoky and cobwebbed rafters and crossed
herself. The steel cross in the door leaped
to parallel Of presented muskets, ana
Kostakes Effendi reappeared. Twirltng his
mustache he .gazed perplexedly at the
group within the cafe, but recovered him
so his reverence is quite well again! l
am glad to see it, very glad. 1 feared that
his skull! was fractured. A musket butt Is
no plaything.''
The Turk assisted Curtis to the door and
into a cavalry saddle on the back of a re-
spectable-looking horse.
1T is the horse of my sous lieutenant
explained Kostakes. who really prefers to
walk-Lieut. Gadben, monSieur-but nave
not the honor of knowing your name"
Curtis"
IN. Curtis. American journalist"
Half an inch of saber cut disfigured the
leutenant's left temple. Curtis wondered
at first glance how far 1t extended under
the flower pot hat. The possessor OF the
cut was grizzled man Of fifty. with a
short pointed beard and a mustache, into
the left side of which cigarettes had burn
ed a semi-circular hole. The Turkish troops
were drawn up in marching order dirty
dust-stained faded, some of them shoeless'
but there was something about every
mothers son of them, something in the at
titude of the bodies and the obedient ex-
pectancy of the countenances, that suggest
ed the soldier.
Curtis was amazed at the amount Of
desolation> which had been accomplished
in SO short time. The ruff1an hand OF
war had wrecked the peaceful and idyllic
house of blocks. Everything combustible
had been set on fire, and even from the
stone houses smoke was pouring. 1t is
wonderful what a bright and persistent
proof structure. Doors had been torn from
the hinges. windows smashed in. arbors
pulled down. The fire in the square filled
the nostrils with the familiar odor OF burn
ing olive oil. The houses with their de-
nuded window holes reminded Curtis Of men
whose eyes had been ruthlessly gouged out
Lieutenant Gadben brought the hilt of his
sword to his forehead and said something
to the captain in Turkish. The latter
glanced at his little army and Curtis fol-
lowed his eye. The men involuntarily
Strengthened up. stiff as posts.
Turning in his saddle Curtis cast fur
on a mule. looking sadly to earth. One
white hand rested caressingly on the wrist
of her father, who stood by, holding to the
pomme! Of her high pack saddle. She had
tied handkerchief about his wound. He
was a manly and appealing, albeit extra
ordinary, figure, as he stood there erect. his
dark eyes flashing scorn and defiance HIS
billowy, spade-shaped beard covered his
entire breast. He wore no coat and the
enormous Cretan breeches and yellow boots
seemed to take on added proportions for
that reason. An empty cartridge belt
passed under his right arm and over his
left shoulder bore strange comradeship
with the cross that hung from his neck
His dark brown hair. that any woman
and rippled in the breeze. Even as Curtis
looked Panayota gathered it in her hands
and hastily twisted 1t into knot The
captain said few words to the lieutenant
of the men nearest him with his sword and
transmitted the order to them. They sa-
luted, and stacking their muskets, ran into
the cafe Instantly the huge Oil crock fell
across the door, and breaking, gave up its
inoffensive. golden contents.
Monsieur, you will destroy the cafe!'
cried Curtis in alarm.
over went the bar with a sound Of
smashing glass.
TT will take but a moment" replied the
captain alphabetically. The tables and
benches were now going into the pile in the
middle of the floor.
''The rascals should have saved the oil
to pour on their bonfire" remarked kas-
takes judicially. The sound of dull blows
caused the captain to bend ana look In at
Hey! Heyr' he shouted, and gave an
order IT told them not to spill the wine.
but to roll the full barrels close to the fire. y
he explained to Curtis. There Is sure to
be one or two Of them filled with brandy,
and their loud explosion does more execu-
ton than half a dozen axes
Michalis barrel was fourth from TINS
why the devil wasn't born with some
brains in my head?" groaned Curtis, in
thing, blockhead?" He was seized with an
almost uncomfortable desire to butt his
skull against the stone wall of the cafe He
knew that a happy thought would save poor
MichaN, and he realized also that undue
excitement on his part would betray every
thing, The picture of his friend being dra g.
ged from his hiding place by his broken leg
and thrust through with bayonets leaped
before his Imagination with the suddenness
of conviction of a revelation by lightning
flash.
Monsieur" he said, Il beg grace for the
cafe. Stop the soldiers one moment and
will explain
"Kostakes called to the four vandals and
they desisted.
II beg of you" he said, inquiringly, to
Curtis, but pray be brief"
at am the CORRESPONDENT of the New York
Age. / am neither Greek nor Turk, assure
you / wish to write glowing accounts of
your heroism-and your magnanimity. l
have sentiment connected with the cafe.
It Is so beautiful l have written a little
poem about it. 1t begins thus:
1.-The Assyrian came down like wolf on
the fold,
And his cohorts were cleaning with purple
and gold.''
Curtis beat off the waltz time of the meter
with great energy.
ut sounds very beautiful. What a pity
that / do not understand English Mon
sieur's sentiment shall be respected. He
shall write for his paper that Kostakes
Effendi snot only magnanimous soldier,
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