Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-09-01
A Story Of
TheBalkans
By DONALD CHAMBERLIN

about it and noticed that he was under
considerable emotion.
IF the subject is disagreeable to
you, Ned" said. ''let us change it."
He made no reply for few mo-
ments, then lowering his voice said:
"You know that my wife was born
and brought up in one of the Balkan
states"
II know that you have been very
secretive about your wife's past" re-
piled.
There is reason for my secretive-
ness. The people of the Balkan states
/ have lived in a constant state Of OPP
preston by the Turks and Of late years
in dread Of being absorbed by one or
another Of European sOvereigns. My
wife had spent her childhood in ia
miliarity with the barbarous acts Of
the Turks and when she became q wO-
man saw her country in process OF
passing into an empire lying to the
west"
He then*told me the following story:
my wife. as you know. is called
, Anna. That is not her name. but I
shall not give you her real name or tell
you where is her birthplace. When
went abroad before settling down to
my profession put aside a year for
travel In Vienna made the &C.
quaintance Of an Austrian Of promi-
hence who let me into the secret OF
Austrian intentions respecting the
provinces lying to the eastward OF the
empire. That summer Bosnia and
Herzegovina were annexed.
From Vienna" T. went to Servia and
thence through all the Balkan states. 4
In one OF them shall not say which
! / met my wife. We took q desperate
fancy to each other at once. Her fam
lily was. noble. and. she being both re-
fined and intelligent. there seemed no
reason why we should not be married
except that we were of different race.
after our engagement ! told my
wife what l. had learned about Aus
trian intentions concerning certain
Balkan states. | noticed that she
listened with deep emotion. She hated
| the Austrians and seemed to dread
their encroachment My information
confirmed certain hints she had re-
ceIved that the emperor Of Austria
was about to appropriate her native
state and that a certain Austrian
diplomat was then in the capital-in
which she lived-who was taking GER
tain preparatory steps for the occupa-
ton. This seemed to work upon her
mind. distressing her very much.
Il was glad when our wedding day
arrived. for she was to leave her home
with me for America. The bridal was
solemnized with a certain barbaric
splendor which was enhanced by the
picturesque costumes of all but myself.
| wearing the usual American clothes
and looking for all the world like
weed in a flower garden.
I'm the evening after the ceremony
my wife babe goodby to her family and
| friends with so much emotion that |
wondered IL she would be content In
| our far distant home. Then we entered
the carriage that was to take us to the
station. Before starting my wife told
me to ask the coachman to stop at
the house of q friend of hers to whom
she wished to say goOdby. | noticed
! that Anna carried in her hand a small
package, and asked her why she had
not put it in q trunk or a satchel. She
replied that it was glass and perishable.
when we reached her friends house
she asked me to remain in the carriage
while she went in and babe her friend
| goodby. She would not be gone more
| than two or three minutes. assented.
! She went to the door. still carrying the
| package. A young woman admitted her:
the two disappeared inside for about q
minute; then Anna reappeared and re-
turned to me-without the package. I
saw no evidence Of an emotional part
| ing between the two girl friends. In
deed. both seemed absorbed in some
thing else.
From Annals home we passed into
| Hungary. In the morning we were at
| Budapest, and at the hotel | noticed
knots Of persons talking excitedly on
some subject and on inquiry learned
| that an attempt had been made during
the night in the city we had left to
assassinate the Austrian diplomat who
was preparing the way for the states
annexation. woman had thrown a
room where her intended victim was
sitting. He was badly injured. but not
killed. The news did not appear in the
| newspapers. 1t was simply whispered
| from one person to another. Indeed,
it was never published to the world.
when l rejoined my wife l told her
what | had heard. She turned pale
and in two quick questions asked If the
girl who had thrown the bomb had
been captured and If the attempt had
been successful. The answer to the
first question did not know. The Sec
ond l answered mechanically. for my
| wife's emotion. taken with other
! events. led me to suspect that she had
delivered to the assassin the bomb that
had been used.
1.-The look OF horror on my face re-
vealed to Anna what was on my mind.