The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-11-15
NJ HAT is that quotation about
wv strange bedfellows"

WI HAT is that quotation about
| M strange bedfellows."
w Well. no matter. 1t Is not
important only insofar that this story
is about strange bedfellows. 1t con-
1 Germs a young Bulgarian by the name
of AIexandrov Apostoloff, a veteran of
the Balkan wars. and a young Greek.
whose name is Demitri Paratikos who
was also a warrior in the conflict
among the Bulgars. the Serbs, the
Turks and Greeks about two years ago.
It happened in the following manner.
according to the story of Arthur Green
wood a Greek who retold the story
from the lips of G. Christoff, Bulga-
rian, who heard 1t at fret hand from
Alexandrov Apostloff, the young Bulgar
soldier. in the original Bulgarian
''patois," and also from Demitri Para
tikos, the Greek warrior, In the his
toric Greek tongue. Incidentally 1t
may be stated here that Christoff is
| linguist also a socialist.
But this is depressing from the main
theme which was. something or other
about bedfellows. The young Greek
| warrior, Demitri, emigrate to this IL
Customary land of easy money and be-
came a dishwasher right here in Biz
mingham Yes, this future opulent
restaurant owner is at present occu-
plying the modest post of dishwasher
| in chief, at the Greenwood cafe. He
! started at the bottom of the ladder four
days ago as a floor sweeper. Now, he
| is dishwasher par excellence. This
| Hellenic son Is surely on his way.
| About the same time that Demitri
Paratikos attained the ambition of his
life and excursioned across the Atlantic
to become a millionaire. Alexandrov
Apostoloff became wearied of the reck =
less abandon of wild Bulgarian life,
and bethought him of coming to Amer
| lea and getting next to a square meal
He arrived In Birmingham the day
| after Paratikos.
G. Christoff formed committee of
| one to meet his countryman at the
Terminal station who arrived all tag
ged up like steamer trunk. Alex
sndrov Apostoloff took one glance at
the classic architecture of the Terminal
station and Immediately wished himself
on the Magic City" He is now a
coal digger--somewhere In the hills
about Pratt City. Another soldier
| gone to work.
/ After allowing Apostoloff to take
| peek at Twentieth street after dark, g..
| Christoff lead the young unsophisti-
( Gated Bulgar straight to mattress
repository somewhere en- Second ave-
nue. between Twenty-first and Twenty
second streets, and the shy young lad
was allowed to go to bed. However,
| nc had a bedfellow who was no one
else but Demitri Paratikos. =
Christoff remained few moments
| to converse with his countryman while
Paratikos. the Greek. tried to go 70
| sleep. The conversation turned to the
late war of the Balkans and finally
Paratfkos, unable to restrain his GU
riosity any longer requested OF Chris
| toff in the Greek tongue to eDlighten
| him on what they were talking about.
Christoff replied about the war be-
| tween Bulgaria and Turkey and also
| Greece. Paratikos at once frightened
up and told Christoff that he was q
veteran of those campaigns. ana had
| been wounded in both legs at the
great battle of Kinks, where the
Greeks completely destroyed the Bull
! garian army. Only Paratilxos was too
| diplomatic to mention the tragic de- :.
| feat. He only stated tho bare fact
I that he was at tho battle of Kilkis.
and had been shot in both legs by the
| same bullet.
| Apostoloff. interested IN what was
going on. asked Christoff what his bed
| fellow, Paratikos was talking about.
Christoff switched to the Bulgarian.
language and in lurid details explained
| that Paratikos had been Greek SOL
| der, and had been wounded at tho
battle of Kilkis. Apostoloff. in turn, In :
| formed Christoff that he also had en-
| joyed the zip alp OF the Mausers az
| Kilkis.
| 4Paratikos then, in Greek. explained
l. to Christoff, the Bulgarian. how no
| had been wounded. He stated that he
was lying behind a trench and tho
regimental colors which had been
placed above the trench during iuil
in the firing. were suddenly brought
| to the ground by a bullet which cut
the halyards. Paratikos jumped from
the trench to pick up his beloved Rag,
| and as the firing had again ceased.
was not in too great hurry to get
back to shelter. His delay was almost
fatal. as a bullet struck him just above
the knee and pierced both legs Para
tikos fell back in the trench badly
wounded.
This account Of the wounding Of
Paratikos was repeated in Bulgarian
to Alexandrov Apostoloff by Christor,
and as the account proceeded the
young Bulgarian's lips twitched and his
eyes dilated until his voice. tremulous
with emotion, he said to Christof that
he believed that he was the Bulgar
that had shot and wounded the Greek,
Paratikos. According to Apostoloff, he
was also in a trench at Kilkis. and
during a lull in the firing looked up
and saw a Creek soldier jump out
Of the trenches and pick up a flag. He
promptly sighted his rifle and sent q
bullet after the daring Greek and had
the extreme satisfaction OF seeing him
fall back.
When this was explained to Para
tikos BY Christoff in Greek. there fol-
lowed An embarrassing silence. during
which the two Bulgarians regarded the
young Greek. who. In turn. regarded
them stolidly. Then the silence was
broken By = ringing laugh. and Para
tikos had turned to Apostoloff, sitting
| on the edge of the bed near him, ana