The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-01-21
A BALKAN
EPISODE
BY LOUISE B. CUMMINGS

The Balkan states are half dozen
little Kingdoms that have been fighting
one another from time immemorial.
md all of them have been fighting the
Turk. If the many occurrences III the
Balkans Of a romantic nature could be
gathered together there would bc
enough of them to supply story tellerS
for hundreds of years. The following
IS n sample:
Not far from Adrianople there lived
country girl named Tarissa. She
was a Christian inbabitiDg a region
ruled by the Turks Tarlssa's home
was just south of the border line be-
tween Turkey and Roumelia. One day
party of Ronmelians headed by
young man. Boris LoyatZ, came down
the valley of the Martha river III pur-
suit of band of Turks who had car
ried off some Roumehan women. Be
fore his return he had met Tarissa and
there had resulted love affair. Lo-
vatZ was successful i'll reScuing the
women he had come for and Went back
into Roumelia.
Had it not been for having met Ia
IlS,d IG llilEuL IACNGt udAt NUult llliA
Turkey again and been safe from the
| revenge due him for the rescue. But
there is no risk Il man will not take
for love, and it was not long before be
was again across the border on n visit
| TO his sweetheart. Indeed he came sc
| often that it got out anon" the Turks
| that this enemy had been captivatcd
| by girl and WAS making periodical
| visits TO her. So Il watch was set FOR
| him
One day the spy who was selected
! for this service went to Il Turkish off
! Ger who was on duty in the neighbor-
| hood aud told him that Boris was with
| Tarissa. The officer directed several
/ Of his men TO mount their horses. and
! placing himself ut their bead. he rode
| toward the hamlet where Tariesa liv
ed. Dusk was falling. and the Turk
before reaching the hamlet, dircctc,
his men to vemaiu where they were
! and rode forward alone 20 recounoitcr.
for he knew that Boris WAS rs slippery
rs an eel and il Inc was auar" taat 81
force was coming 10 falo him lie woull
be of like the wind
- Atli t4t-tAt ~ ii-~f : iifilif llit' fltffl
| approached cautiously. and since Il was
dark lie reached window without be
ing seen. IN the room into which he
booked were Boris and Tarissa. Boris
was trying 10 induce the girl 10 60
back with him and become his wife
She beSitated since he was marked GuI
destruction in Turkey and could never
como back with her 10 her home So
: intent were fuoy with each other that
they did moi notice the appearance az
the Turk at the window till they E-GrI
q click and, looking W, saw Linn level
ing q pistol at Boris
The RoumeIian realized that he was
doomed and, preferring to die by q bu}
: let without being tortured. rs he doubt
less would be il he were captured. put
2 his hand TO his hip for a weapon. But
, he had uDclaSped his belt aud laid il
On a chair. TariSsa saw his eye turn
toward the chair. and. anticipating his
intention to die defending himself. SHE
threw herself between him and his
weapon.
- This placed her between the officer
, aud her lover Since the former could
t not shoot without killing her he Sprana
in through The window and. covering
Q Boris, called on him to surrender
e. There was nothing else for the captiv,
10 do since he had nothing with which
TO make 4 defense except TO induce his
captoU TO shoot him.
The next move OF the Turk was (,
. get his prisoner to his men or hi,
men to his prisoner The latter wa,
not au easy thing to do. for the mcf
were beyond call. and he had no oui
to send for them. Keeping his pisto
:, pointed toward Boris, he glanced ON
through the window TO see If any on,
was near, for he was in a Christian
- hamlet, and if lie attempted to driv,
= his captive to his men he might GO
5 4 bullet from some one of the littl,
clump of houses.
= During these few moments in whicl
= he was obliged to keep so many thing
in his mind there were two very i'm
portant matters that he failed to grasp
l. One was Tarissa and the other Boris
belt, TO which was slunS his pisto
:, though he may not have seen the lat
$ ter The Turks glance through tn
/ window enabled Tarissa to take ste
c backward so that by placing her han,
behind her she might reach the weapon
Not seeing any one without to seu
for his men, he ordered Boris To pr,
cedc him through the doorway an
out Of the house. Boris obcycd. an
+ as The men passed out. the Turk keel
a Ing his eyes fixed on his prisoner. RI
,. rissa possessed herself OF Boris piStu
She now had every advantage. 10
IA she was behind the Turk Only ID
knowledge that her lover would die
frightfuI death enabled her 10 XIII
man in cold blood, Stealing up clos
IL the Turk, she shot him through ia
Il head
Boris turned saw the Turk fan an
Tarissa with 3 smoking pistol in he
hand