The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-03-06
A GREClAN
 TRAGEDY

regiment Quartered at Corfu was In the habit of hunting frequently in Greece. One day while following a doe he became separated from his com. panions and lost his way. After con. siderable wandering he at last came ln sight of the Ionlan sea. with its nu' mcrouS and beautiful islands. The day was now. however. far spent. and it was with much delight that from the top of hlll he espled the white walls of a Crock cottage before him. He determined at all risks Co seek ad' mission for an asylum for the night. ue approached the door. which he found shut He knocked loudly with his hunting whip. and quickly the door was opened by a Greek female. the lovplicst hls eyes had ever rested on. The young huntsmau made hls mlsfor. tunes and hts wishes known to her in as good Albanian as be could muster. to which she replied In Italian and In vitcd him la.
 The cause of manhood and mlsfor tune seldom finds deaf ear among the ladies. and this beautiful Greek yielded to lts Influence and readily of fcred him an asylum. telling him at the same time that he must depart at Gaybreak. for if her male friends, who bore no great love for the English. caught him there he might repent his intrusion.
 CostellO-for such was the officers name-readily asSented aud Joyfully took possession of the small chamber the beautiful Zoraida showed him for the night. He even. fin the ecstasy Of his admiration for his beautiful host ess. nearly forgot his poor steed. His recollection. however, quickly return cd. and he Sallicd out to the stable and made the necessary arrangements Tor its comfort himself. The peculiarlty of hls situation not a little surprised hlm Alone. amid the desert noun tains of Albania. with the most beau tiful woman hls eyes ever rested on, and conjecture seemed at stand to account for her solitary situation. 'Tis true she had spoken of male relations. but hc had as yet seen no human form lu that solitude except herself. There was a ncatness about the cottage which scarcely belonged to a Greek peasant. and her language. although a Greek in habit and appearance. was pure Tuscan.
 On his return from the stable he found his beautiful hostess had pre- pared suitable collation.. which, with a cup og the good wine of TheSSaly, mads hm forget his fatigue. She seemed not unwilling to enter Into con vcrsation. Costello was good lin gulst. Having been some time in Flor cacc. he spoke the genuine Tuscan with sufficient luency. He therefore willingly seized the opportunity offered of entering into conversation in that language. to which her soft. mclodious voice lent an additional harmony.
 Her story was short. She belonged to party of brigands who occupied this retreat among the mountains, from whence they made excursions on the plains for pluudcr on one of which they were now absent. They had late ly come from the opposite coast of Ca labrla. and her father. who was the bead of the gang. was originally from Pisa. where she had been brought up.
 She was. she said. tired of that kind of life. which was now dOubly odlous to her. as her father was forcing her to marry one of his own gang.
 She owned she was unhappy, and the dowucast melancholy of her beau. utul eyes too well attcStcd the truth pf h,r assertion Costello felt for her, 70 which perhaps the extreme beauty or her appearance not little tended. He resolved Co rescue her. Yet how to effect it he did not know. It was more easily thought of than executed. In thc ardor of the moment he mentioned lt to her. He urged her to Hy with bun. She hcsltated. she resisted. Al last she yielded.
 But not now" said she. "I must again see my father. Poor. miserable ild man, He will now have nobody .o watch over him. to pray for him! Perhaps he may even fall victim to ais own bloodthirsty companions. Re
 urn. she continued. "to your own uurtcrs Prepare a few servants to itt,nd you. and In the next dark of the moon meet me under wonder rock at midnight. and shall be prepared to accompany you to some place where you may be able to procure a safe es' cort for ne back to Pisa"
 Costello promised all she asked. He retired to rest and the next morning at daybreak started oT on his return Co Corfu. bearing with him the Image ,f the beautiful Zoraida strongly i'm. pressed on his imagination.
 Another week passed on without their meeting Stil Zoralda was up. pcrmost in his thoughts. The moon had now arrived at that point in her orbit at which. even In that delightful climate. she wells her light for short time. and Costello. thinly attended and ignorant of the crrand of danger he was entering on. prepared to put tn ex. ecutlon bis intention of rcSculng the beautiful Zoraida and making her bis own.
 He found no difficulty In reiracine bis route and. leaving his servants and horses at the foot of the mountain joyfully asccuCcd tle rock. armed only with his sword and a case of pistols.
 An overhangiug mountain sheltered