The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-11-03

y
he still wore an air Of calm, still spoke
as II the conversation dealt with an alb
stract problem outside the field OF per-
sonal interest
"You are mistaken if You suppose
that | am trying to do Prince kilziar
an injury." he rejoined. THAT heltried
1 to take my life. Il. as small matter to
me as it Is to you. II"
"A small matter to me" echoed Vera
her hand closing on the hilt of the
sword IF he had succeeded and you
had looked down from the stars after
ward. think the wrath Of your spirit
would have been satisfied. But now
that he has failed and you are safe he
remains merely Kilziar. Cireassia's
best soldier and at heart a good pa
triot"
"a bad man cannot be good pa
trlot," answered Darrell. He cannot
be a good anything. except perhaps a
good soldier, as this man is. The trade
requires no conscience. | saw KilZiar
commit murder for greed and at
tempt another for mere anger. ard that
stamps him indelibly to my eye. But
for his own personal merits he Is moth
ing to me. 1t is ealy because his char
acter affects your personal safety and
the success OF the cause toiwhich you
have devoted yourself that,I speak of
him"
MY personal safety is not worth
speaking. Of" replied Vera.l except as
| 1t may affect the cause. Yet you are
insane to suppose that Kilziar's alb
surd love for me is in any way a
menace"
II had not that In mind" answered
/ Darrell earnestly. 1T Is the conduct
| of this war that makes me shudder
| for You, that forces me to warn you,
though | have neither right nor au-
I thority to do SO"
And what have you to say of the
conduct of the war;" she asked. Have
we not met with success:"
Vera" he said, what is the object
of this struggle?"
"To free my country"
"Is it free? Have you driven the
Russians out Of it?'
"Wc SHALL" she cried, "and in the
meantime
I'm the meantime" said Darrell,
'you are engaged In an utterly hope
less war of invasion. What was your
hope in this campaign? TO take STAY
ropol? will grant that you might
conceiyably succeed Even SO. you
could not have dreamed of going fur
Their, aud you certainly could not have
expected to hold the place indefinitely
without anything that could be called
line of communications, without pos
sibility of reinforcement, with only
| the resources of the city itself to de-
pend upon. A successful retreat would
have been your best expectation
why not terms?' demanded Vera,
rising. ''Do you think our successes
Would have won us reconsideration"
mot on Russian SOIL" answered Oar
rell. Every success you win outside
your own borders Is an obstacle IN the
way of your. liberty. You cannot con
auer Russia. Your only chance was TO
persuade her that the reconquest of
Circassia at this time would cost toe
much IN men and treasure. What does
the government in st. Petersburg care
about the loss of Gredskov as IA mill
tary incident? Nothing But as an
act demanding reprisals the taking of
that city assumes importance. Ii Is
the same with vladikaukas, and the
taking of Stavropol would make your
cause hopeless"
"Prince Kllziar does not think SO.
said Vera, pale with excitement.
"Prince Kilziar has never had any
other opinion" rejoined Darrell. He
is a soldier, man of long experience
In war, familiarly acquainted with Rus
sian governmental policy. Vera, when
such a man moved your army beyond
the boundary OF the country you Were
fighting to free he proved that he was
not patriot The soldier Of freedom
resents aggression. He takes mp arms
for the purpose of expeIling tyrants
be defends his own land; he stands up
on his rights and strives TO win the re
spect Of the world. But to rush out OF
his own country. leaving Its strongest
fortified places still in the hands of the
Intruder, to invade the territory OF 9
monstrous power like Russia. with nc
hope except TO infiict a certain amount
OF injury and then withdraw - This
could not be the act OF trained sol
der who was also patriot. To Xii
ziar the military principles and tb,
policies involved were plain as one plus
one makes two. He did not organize
this campaign IA the interests Of Cir
cassia."
sTn whose, thenf" she cried.
"In his own. Vera" replied Darrell
"for loot. There was n rich treasure II
Gredskov. imperfectly guarded through
Russian oversight. kilziar knew Of il
and now he has It absolutely In hii
hands"
"why mott" demanded Vera. "Wil
not money help or causeT
"My child" he rejoined. without
meaning 10 use the term which maid
the priDcess rcd with wrath. "is Il con
ceivaI,le that Russia viii permit you Il
hold this sunni 1t Is a mere item in th'
bill that you asust settle Your wbol'
/ r.olfrr sboF,id have bsaD Ia QocrrP tin