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

THE EVENING ST.
I pies unchanged in the confusion of tongues.
| Curtis was not noticed in the tumult until
he had forced his way into the officers very
| presence where he Stood shaking his fist
| and shouting, still in his own tongue:
| This is ID shame! Do you hear
me? A ID shame! You're scurvy
| BLACKBOARD to treat a girl in that way. If
l had you alone about five minutes I'd
show you what 1 think of your!
Two or three soldiers sprang forward,
and a petty officer half drew his sword,
| but kostakes, astonshed at hearing a Ian
| guage which he did not understand, but
which be surmised to be either German or
| English. motioned them back.
'Qui eteS vous, monsieur, ct que faites
| vous ici?" he asked in the French which
| he had learned at the high school at Canea.
.'Je suis American, correspondent du-du
New York Age replied Curtis.
''Ah, charme! charme. Comment dites
vous en- Ang.ais? Welcome. Je sus Kos
takes Efendi, capitaine de vavalrie, a votre
| service!'
| CHAPTER XIII.
| Curtis did not find 1t SO easy to express
| his feelings in French to this smiling Off
Ger with the straight large nose, dazzling
white teeth and cordial manner, who wore
] an inverted red flower pot for hat. French
| is no language for a self-respecting man to
swear in. any way. Besides. doesn't
| learn a vocabulary suitable to critical occa-
sions in OIlendorf All Curtis could think
Of was ''lache, "sacre bleu'' and "caram-
| ba." The first did not seem appropriate,
the second lost its force by translatng itself
in his mind into English, and he wasn't
certain whether the last was French, Span
iSh Italian. he asked:
is this lady prisoner Of war;" And
Kostakes answered:
Monsieur Is as gallant as he is brave. I
give you my word of honor that neither the
! lady nor her father shall come to any harm.
Is that sufficient"
1t had to be: SO Curtis. being anything
but fod, replied:
"a gentleman's word of honor is always
sufficient"
And now continued Kostakes. being
| a non-combatant. you are at perfect lib
erty to follow your own wishes. Will you
remain here Or go with us? We shall be
| charmed, l assure you charmed to have
your society"
How long will you stay here?'
About an hour Just long enough to
town."
Burn the town."
Certainly; this is war. and war even for
nation so highly civilized as Turkey, con-
possible
rels in the cave. Here was new dilemma
Should he give up the brave Cretan and ap-
peal to Kostakes' manliness and chvalry?
He looked at the Turk shrewdly. Somehow
he did not have confidence in him.
Besides. Michali could understand French
If he were conscious he could call out and
give himself up, if he thought it were safe.
Il would stay here" thought Curtis and
ask him to leave me the cafe as a shelter;
but there's Panayota-I mustn't desert
her.
The firing had ceased and the looting had
begun. Turks darted by the door in the
abandoned glee of destruction. or passed
more slowly. dragging bedticks. doors,
pieces of furniture and other infiammable
great bonfire in the square A wave Of
ribald laughter. that started somewhere in
the distance. and ran nearer and louder,
splashed into the open door. A soldier
danced in with an Exon Of the holy Virgin
and held 1t up for the guard to spit upon.
Then he tossed 1t into the fire. The priest.
who was sitting on the floor, supported by
the kneeing Panayota covered his ewes
with his hands and shuddered with horror
The trellis for the demarch's grape arbor
came down with crash and was wrenched
loose from the grip Of the desparing vines
The benches wherein the gossip shepherds
had been wont to sit and sip their coffee
bore company in the fire with the only
| rocking chair in the village in which a very
OLD lady mad used to sway to and fro and
sing lullabes of her forgotten childhood.
soldier seized one of the tables within
the cafe and tossed it through the omen
door Then he dragged out a long bench,
,nat sGraped and splut,ered on the floor of
hard beaten earth Two others braced
themselves between the wall and the oil
crock. An Inspiration flashed through Cur
It's mind.
stop, stop!' he shouted. at is full NJ
ofl-the lady on the floor
Mafs. certainment," cried Kostakes, and
he sent the soldiers from the room.
The same argument will apply to the
barrels
would have been at them in a minute
more
Does monsieur elect to stay with us or
with the Greeks?" asked the captain. 1--WE
must leave here Immediately, before the
Greeks return with reinforcements and
seize the ravine.''
If 1 might be permitted to go with you?
But l am lame: have hurt nv foot
Il regret greatly to hear it. Not serious
ly, hope?"
No; l stepped on "a thorn" He did
not Know the French word for sea urchin.
Il will give a horse-my own. If neces-
sary. l shall be charmed, charmed And
now. perhaps you will excuse me one mo-
| ment while | marshal the force? Perhaps,
also. you will look at the priests head /
regret that our surgeon was killed in the
attack
Rising. he said few words in Greek to
Panayota. bending deferentially with his
hand on his heart. His tones were musical
| and earnest and Curtis understood him al
| most perfectly. He spoke high Greek very
| distinctly. He expressed regret for Papas-
| Malecko's hurt, and assured the girl of his
| undying love.
| You are the cause of all this ruin. fair
creature he murmured earnestly. my
| love for you brought me here. Have no
| fears. You shall be treated like a queen
Not a hair of your head nor of your
| fathers shall be harmed. All | ask is a
| little love in return"
She made no reply. She did not even
| look up. Curtis felt a great spasm of rage
| contract his heart. and a queer sickness
| swcop down upon him. He wanted to kill
kostakes. he did not know exactly why
| The man certainly had a right to love the
| girl, 1t is any mans inalienable right es-
| tabhshed from the beginning of the world
to love any girl; and the protestations Of
| protection were exactly what Curtis want
a. I