The Washington times., 1904-04-24

ODldln cdruS through MS nd
tional representative. 1t was at one
of these that / met Miss Evans. a
young lady born in the American Con-
sulate at Smyrna, and, consequently, a
ceantrywoman of mine.
Her interest in everything American
led to my monopolizing the greater part
of her time during the evening, and as
she happened TO be a guest of my friend.
Lady B.. in the Avenue Victor Hugo.
we soon became fast friends.
Up TO the age of forty I had escaped
matrimony. and having tendencies to-
ward club life, corpulency and early
badness. it seemed more than likely
that I should remain a bachelor for the
rest of my days; but there was some
thing so natural and refreshing, so hon.
estly unconventional. in Miss Evans
personality that 1 began to imagine all
sorts of impossibilities We saw each
other every day, and many hours in the
day. We had ourselves photographed
ostensibly for Lady BIS beneft-and
roamed about the beautiful city with
a chaperon only too willing to laugh
away all ideas of espionage and busy
herself with her own affairs. And when
we parted. Miss Amy to join her fam
lily, via the Oriental express, and I to
journey Londonward on the Club Train.
it was with the mutual promise to
write as frequently as possible.
For several months the letters came
and went regularly and with entire sat-
isfaction to the recipients, so far as I
could Judge from my own feeling in
the matter. Then-the usual mail
failed to bring her letter. I laid it to
postal delay. or. possibly, some family
trouble at which she had limited in her
last: but after three weeks had passed
1 concluded she had determined to ter
inmate the correspondence for reasons
OF ier own This apparent winding up
Of our acquaintance-frien I had
called twas more of a disappointment
than any one would have supposed to
a man of my years and fixed habits,
and my wanderings over the face of the
earth became more erratic than ever.
Several times I was on the point of
sailing for Smyrna to look her up but
a man hates to make a break Of that
kind in the face of a woman's evident
dissemination TO continue the acquaint-
ance- When the cable news from Tur-
key began to assume a threatening as
pect, however. decided that the
voyage would benefit my refractory liv-
er. even if the services of an able bodied
man should not be necessary to the
Evans family-so booked passage on a
steamer bound for Greek and Turkish
ports.
II happened to be one of those little
Messageries boats, the officers Of which
refer one so calmly and conclusively to
administration a MarseilIe." when
questioned regarding some trihing
matter, as wind sail in ones port, or
an extra blanket up in the Aegean Sea-
The passengers were the usual mixture
Of all acknowledgements and Jews
the most in evidence-but my room
mate. fortunately. proved to be a Bos-
tonian. as genial travelling companion
as one could wish.
When we were going through the
Messina Strait, some time after mid
night. Brown and I were discussing so
many matters Of interest that we con-
cluded to make a night Of it-helped
along by wine and cigars.
He was thoroughly conversant with
the inside workings of Turkish politics,
and explained so clearly far reaching
causes which had contributed to the
Armenian atrocities, that I wondered
matters hadn't reached a crisis long be-
fore. The conversation presently drift
ed around to European residents in
Turkey. and asked him if he had ever
met the Evans family. He seemed to
start a little at the question and said
abruptly:
(which Evanses do you mean. the
H It's, in Erzerum, or Samuel SIS in
Smyrna?"
Samuel SIS, I presume-they live in
Smyrna, anyhow"
when were you there IastT'
Never saw the place-I met Miss
Amy in Paris last April
"Oh-h-h-yes. I remember now. She
spent month with Lady Something-or-
other-friend Of her fathers. You didn't
have time to get very well acquainted,
1 suppose7"
THAT depends on what you call
well acquainted The recent cable re-
ports started me out Of comfortable
quarters in Algiers with the determina-
ton to place my services at the family's
disposal. in case they should need them
''Hm-m-nn-guess you must be the man
she mentioned so often when she came
back. I know the Evanses very well.
indeed, have known them for years;
and the only reason I ask what you
may consider impairment questions is
because we are approaching a country
where the unexpected always happens,
where human life is a constant gamble.
and where the events OF tomorrow are
'Kismet' We foreigners drift into Tur-
key with an abiding faith in consular
protection. which disappears on closer
acquaintance with the country. From
Smyrna there are but two short rail-
ways as far as Kassaba and Adm
from ConstantinopIe and Scutari three.
Telegraphic communication Is unknown
in the interior. Sometimes things run
along for a year or two without an event
among the European population shock
ing enough 10 appear in the outside press
but Turkey is the most uncertain place