Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-03-19
headings in unfamiliar type-th
Greek alphabet

Ireek dlpnaDeL.
The air was thick with cigarette
smoke, giving forth an aroma unusual
to English nostrils-that pleasant
aroma peculiar to Servian tobacco.
The younger man, dressed in we'll
fitting, dark gray f1annels, his long
legs sprawled out as he lay back III
mis- chair taking his ease and gossip
ing with his friend, was, without
doubt, handsome fellow. Tall beyond
the average run Of men, with 1.-THE,
clean-cut limbs, a pair of merry dark
eyes, and small dark moustache
which had an upward trend, his air
was distinctly military. Indeed, until
a few months before he had held a |
commission in a calvary regiment, but
had resigned on account of the death OF
his father and his consequent suces-
sion to the wide and unencumbered
Barclay estates in Lincolnshire and up
in the Highlands.
Though now possessor of fine old
English home and a seventeenth-cen-
fury castle in Scotland, Max Barclay
preferred to divide his time between
his chambers in Dover street and
wandering about the Continent. There
was time enough to "settle down." he
always declared. Besides. both the
houses were too big and too gloomy
to suit his rather simple bachelor
| tastes. His Aunt Emily, an old lady
| of seventy, still continued to live at
Water Newton Hall, not far from that
quaint, old world and many-spired
town, Stamford; but Kilmaronock
Castle was unoccupied save for six
weeks or SO when he went up with
friends for the shooting season.
Agents were frequently making
tempting offers to him to let the place
to certain wealthy Americans, but he
refused all inducements The fine
old place between Grief and Perth
had never been let during his fathers
| lifetime, and he did not intend that
any stranger, except his own friends,
should enjoy the splendid shooting
now.
my dear Petravitch' he was say
ing between whiffs of his cigarette, 'It
is indeed reassuring what you tell me
regarding the settled state of the
country. You have surely had SUI
ficient internal troubles of late
"Ah yes!" sighed the elder man, a
deep, thoughtful expression upon his
pleasant, If somewhat sallow, counte-
nance. "Servia has passed through
her great crisis-the crisis through
which every young nation must pass
sooner Or later; and now, heaven be
, thanked, brighter day has dawned
for us. Under our new regime pros
perity is assured. But"-and pausing
he looked Max straight in the face,
and in changed voice, a voice OF
increased earnestness and confidence
F, he added with only a slight accent
for he spoke English very well-'1
did not ask you here to discuss
: politics. We Servians are, | fear, sad
gossips upon our own affairs. l want
. ed to speak to you upon a subject OF
greatest Importance to myself person
t ally, and of someone very dear to me
= Now we have been friends, my deal
|. Max, you and l, through some years
8 and feel-nay, l know, that you will
: regard what | say in entire conf
f dence."
o "Most certainly" was the youns
j. Englishman's reply, though somewha
surprised at his friends sudde1
t change of manner.
# 1t was true that he had known DR.
S Michael Petrovitch for quite numbe
It Of years.
d Long ago, when he had first visited
y Belgrade, the Servian capital The
Q man before him. well-known through
k out the Balkans as patriot, was oc
h cupying the position of Minister o
France under King Milan his Excel
O lency and his wife had been extremel.
r kind to him, had introduced him tt
the smart social set, had obtained TO
IS him the entree to the Palace festivitie
e and had presented him to Queer
D Nathalie. Thus firm friendship ha
been established between the tw
IS men.
d But affairs in Servia had consider
4, ably changed since then, Madam
a Petrovitch, charming English lady
had died, and his Excellency, after be
n coming Minister of Commerce, an
subsequently Foreign Minister l.
a. several succeeding cabinets, had gon
Ell abroad to represent his country a
e, foreign Courts, first St. Petersburg
then Berlin and then Constantinople
at finally returning and coming to liv
Is in England
Even now he was not more tina
,e fifty, and it had long ago been whispe
Or ed that his Majesty was constant
I'd urging him to return and accept tn
n portfolio of Finance or of Commerce
Ii. But he steadily declined. AS state
ri man, his abilities had long lae
I'd been recognised by Europe, and non
a knew his value or appreciated hi
Ie more than his own sovereign; yet fl
A, private reasons he preferred to liy
~, quietly in the Cromwell Road to r
or turning to all the worries of state an
,r those eternal chickering's in the Servia
Skuptschina.
He was a man Of even temper.
- charming manner, and Of scrupulo,
~ honesty. Had he been dishonest in h
W. dealings he might have amassed