Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-03-05
A BALKAN
EPISODE
BY LOUISE B.

little kingdoms that have been fighting
one another from time immemorial,
and all of them have been fighting the
Turk. II the many occurrences in the
Balkans of a romantic nature could be
gathered together there would be
enough OF them to supply story tellers
for hundreds of years. The following
Is a sample:
Not far from Adrianople there lived
a country girl named Tarissa. She
was a Christian %inhabiting a region
ruled by the Turks. Tarissa's home
was just south of the border line be-
tween Turkey and Roumelia. One day
a party of Roumelians headed by a
young man. Boris Lovatz. came down
the valley of the Martha river in pur-
suit of a band of Turks who had car
ried off some Roumelian m Be-
fore his return he had met Tarissa and
there had resulted a love affair. Lo-
vatz was successful in rescuing the
women he had come for and went back
into Roumelia.
Had 1t not been for having met Ia.
rissa he might never have come into
Turkey again and been safe from the
revenge due him for the rescue. But
there Is no risk a man will not take
for love. and it was not long before he
was again across the border on a visit
to his sweetheart Indeed be came SO
often that it got out among the Turks
that this enemy had been captivated
by a girl and was making periodical
visits to her. So a watch was set for
him.
One day the spy who was selected
for this service went to a Turkish off
Ger who was on duty In the neighbor
hood and told him that Boris was with
Tarissa. The officer directed several
of his men to mount their horses. and,
placing himself at their head. he rode
toward the hamlet where Tarissa liv.
ed. Dusk was falling. and the Turk,
before reaching the hamlet, directed
his men to remain where they were
and rode forward alone to reconnoiter,
for he knew that Boris was as slippery
as an eel and If he was aware that a
force was coming to take him he would
be off like the wind.
When near Tarissa's home the officer
approached cautiously. and since it was
dark he reached a window without be-
ing seen. In the room into which he
looked were Boris and Tarissa. Boris
was trying to induce the girl to go
back with him and become his wife.
She hesitated since he was marked for
destruction In Turkey and could never
come back with her to her home. So
intent were they with each other that
they did not notice the appearance Of
the Turk at the window till they heard
a click and. looking up, saw him level
ing a pistol at Boris.
The Roumelian realized that he was
doomed and. preferring to die by a bull
let without being tortured, as he doubt
less would be if he were captured, put
his hand to his hip for a weapon. But
he had unclasped his belt and laid it
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
and her lover. Since the former could
not shoot without killing her be sprang
In through the window and. covering
Boris, called on him to surrender.
There was nothing else for the captive
to do since he had nothing with which
to make a defense except TO induce his
captor to shoot him.
The next move of the Turk was to
get his prisoner to his men or his
men to his prisoner. The latter was
not an easy thing to do, for the men
were beyond call. and be had no one
to send for them. Keeping his pistol
pointed toward Boris, he glanced out
through the window TO see if any n
was near, for he was In a Christian
hamlet, and if he attempted to drive
his captive to his men he might get
a bullet from some one of the little
clump of houses.
During these few moments in which
he vas obliged to keep SO many things
in his mind there were two very i'm
portant matters that he failed to grasp.
One was Tarissa and the other Boris
belt, to which was slung his pistol.
though he may not have seen the lat
ter. The Turks glance through the
window enabled Tarissa to take a step
backward so that by placing her hand
behind her she might reach the weapon.
Not seeing any n without to send
for his men, he ordered Boris to pre-
cede him through the doorway and
out of the house. Boris obeyed, and
as the men passed out, the Turk keep
ing his eyes fixed on his prisoner, Ia
rissa possessed herself OF Boris pistol.
She now had every advantage. for
she was behind the Turk. Only the
knowledge that her lover would die a
frightful death enabled her to kill a
man in cold blood. Stealing up close
to the Turk. she shot him through the
head.
R0rfS turnad GOV fho Ty7rfx fall and