The Press., 1901-06-27

yourself as well, Tor snail want you.
Madame went to sideboard and
poured herself out a liqueur, while she
lit the daintiest of dainty cigarettes.
She had not blown half dozen whiffs
of smoke when Iona returned and
quickly enveloped her mistress in the
warm cloak.
"Sklavatz is to be found today, Lo-
na?"
Eyes, gracious mistress; at the vel
low khan In the lower town."
Then conduct me there. No time is
to be lost. My liberty Is threatened,
Iona, and may be gone from me at
any moment" AS she spoke Nine. Va
loffsky stepped toward the jalousie.
Hist, Iona! There is body of Turk
ish soldiers coming down the hill es-
corting a closed carriage. Bolt and
barricade the front door while run by
the back"
Iona, having done her work, rushed
after her mistress. She knew the Mac
adonian town thoroughly and led ma
dame by devious and intricate turnings
to battle pursuit. Besides, the twilight
had begun to deepen, and rain was
falling and threatening to fall heavily.
At last they reached the lower town.
and, again pursuing windings seeming
~ interminable, they at last passed up
narrow passage to where underneath
an ancient Roman wall, a bright light
issued forth from large interior.
'"The khan-the yellow khan,' whis-
pered Iona beneath her breath. Mime.
Valoffsky sighed a sigh of relief, and
her gait assumed it's wonted undulating
grace as she stepped forward toward
the open front of the khan or rude inn.
A number of men in the garb Of the
Macedonian mountaineer were sitting
within, carousing out of drinking
horns, jesting and laughing loudly. A
dead silence fell on them all as Sophro-
MIA Valoffsky stepped forward and
stood calmly facing them, dream of
beauty - so she seemed to those stall
wart fellows - while Iona quietly, as
became the waiting woman, took her
place little to the left of madame.
"Where is Sklavatz?" said madame,
with clear, bell-like, penetrating voice.
"Sklavatz, your excellency! He is
Within" said one of the men. "Skla-
vatz! Sklavatz"
Instantly tall, handsome, splendidly
made Macedonian stepped from the in
terror of the khan and raised his hat
high in a not ungraceful salute.
"At your service, gracious lady," said
he. "Pray, what are your commando"
Sophronia then drew from the folds
of her dress a small leather letter hold
err, from which she took a document,
which she handed to Sklavatz. He pc
rused 1t, his interest rising as he read.
Then he folded it and handed it back,
with an air Of great devotion and in
creased Difference.
"Can 1 speak with you alone?" she
asked.
"Come with me, madame" And he
led her into an interior apartment.
Quickly she told him of the peril which
threatened her from Amantor Pasha.
eff your excellency let's him know by
how great a parsonage you are hon.
ored."
"But he must not know. 1t is imper-
alive he should not" And then in
low tone she unfolded to him her plans.
She must be saved after having Sc
cured her quarry.
SIT shall be done, your eXcellency,"
said Sklavatz at last, 'if it costs me
my life and that of all my kinsmen."
When madame and Iona returned to
their residence, the Turks had gone,
and Sophronia at once sat down and
wrote a most caressing note to Aman-
| tor Pasha, and this she sent to the
palace at once, smiling slyly as she
thought how the great eyes of Aman-
tor Pasha would glow as he read the
perfumed page, how lovingly he would
finger his long mustachios.
Two days later Sophronia sat in a
closed carriage with dispatch boxes
near her containing documents by
which both the Ottoman and German
governments laid the utmost store.
They were going to Amantor Pasha's
shooting box, which lay near lakelet
In q lovely mountain glen. A few
Bashi-BaZouks We're the sole escort
Some cantered in front; a denser body
brought up the rear. Amantor on a
handsome charger caracoled gayly in
sight of the open window of the car
riage. They were in the center of the
defile of Jalouf when suddenly a rifle
shot rang out amid the stiffness of the
| mountain solitude, and a horseless
steed came Gathering past the carriage.
Amantor Pasha galloped forward to
see what had happened. Before he
had ridden so yards the mountains
were echoing with the sharp, swift
volleys poured in on all sides. The
Bashi-Bazouks in front were shot
down to a man. Those in the rear,
having lost heavily, turned to fly, but
| their retreat was cut off at the mouth
of the Jalouf defile, and not one es-
capped.
Again Sklavatz stood bareheaded in
front Of Sophronia Valoffsky, who
smiled on him her sunniest smile as
she sat back in the carriage.
"And the pasha p she asked.
''He is dead, madame"
'It is WE'LL" said she; "he became in
solent."
Later in the day Sophronia turned to
her trusted servant after a few mo-
ments' reflection. '"This Is great
coup, Iona" said she. But this Mace
donian-did you see his look? He loves
me."-Penny Pictorial Magazine.
| Why Flowers Bloom and Birds Sing.
The old comfortable belief of our
forefathers that the flowers and fruits
and all the good things of the earth
were created for their benefit has been
completely shattered by science. The
shining gold of April celandine, the
scent of white violets, are not for us at
all, says science, not even for the in
sects that come to them for honey, but
just for the sake of the flowers them