Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-12-02

|
own hand before he fell; but how he
fell and what was the nature of the
wound l cannot tell you. 1 was going
up with the rest of the force to his sup
| port when the whole Turkish army
moved down upon us, and as it out
numbered us two to one, the order was
| given for retreat"
Gertrude listened in dead silence to
! the Majors story.
Is there no one who saw more than
your she demanded, anxiously. rs
| there no one who can tell me more
about it?"
| The Major scratched his chin
thoughtfully.
Il do not know" he said, doubtfully.
The lieutenant-I might find him. He
speaks little French; perhaps he
| might be able to tell you something
more"
Gertrude implored Major Cheriton to
find the lieutenant and bring him to
ASA anu nc WCuI away, W
| do so without delay.
Before the lieutenant could arrive,
| however, Gertrude had another visitor
one whom she had little expected to
see 1t was Theodore Kalarakis.
Overwhelmed with grief as. she was,
Gertrude tried to greet her old friend
pleasantly.
Il see you have heard the news" he
| said. Vaughan is missing"
Yes" answered Gertrude I'm try
ing to find out what l can about it.
Nobody seems to know how he fell.
Il cannot tell you that" said Kalar-
| axis Il was nowhere near the spot,
but I understand that he was shot by
! one of the retiring Turks
| Gertrude shook her head despairing-
ly.
And you think there is no chance
| that he is still alive?" she asked
1T is best to be frank with you, my
dear Miss Lydeard," the Greek replied,
in soft tones. There is absolutely
no hope. The Albanian soldiers, who
are in the opposite army, are the most
! merciless set of savages breathing.
They massacre every prisoner, as a
matter of course Probably poor
Vaughan was shot dead on the spot.
1t is to be hoped for his own sake
that he was"
Gertrude shuddered at this ominous
| declaration. Before she could say more,
the lieutenant sent by Cheriton came
in.
He, too, was profuse in expressions
of sympathy, yet held out but little
hope.
Did you see him fall?" Gertrude
inquired, Have you any idea where
he was wounded?"
The lieutenant shook his head.
The whole thing puzzles me very
much" he answered. 81 saw Vaughan
leap into the Turkish position. He
killed one or two Turks, but they made
no stand. The whole body of them got
up and ran away as hard as they could
go. Vaughan stood up for a moment,
all by himself We were coming as
fast as we could behind to support him.
Suddenly he fell. How the shot got
to him l cannot tell you"
Monsieur Kalarakis thinks that one
Of the retreating Turks must have
turned back to shoot him." Gertrude
observed.
The lieutenant shook his head with
decision.
mo; that cannot be So" he an
swered Il saw the Turks: they were
were going too fast for any one to
think of doing that; besides had one
of them tried to fire at Vaughan,
must have seen him do it. No, there
was firing going on all around US in
one place or another, and stray bullet
must have come to Vaughan"
He hesitated for a moment as if re-
luctant to proceed, and then added, in
a low voice:
Il have sometimes thought it posi-
BILE that he might have been hit by one
OF our men in mistake Or possibly a
bullet fired from the rear, and meant
tc go over his head. may have come
too low and struck him. From the
way he fell it certainly looked as
though the bullet had struck him in the
back"
Gertrude gave low moan. 1t made
It seem ten times more dreadful that
her lover should have persisted, not