Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-06-20

VinCial, that l could not pear 10 nave
anybody kiss my hand and pay me
compliments. I've made lot of 9TH
err mistakes, too, but 1 never make
the same mistake twice.
| SO many interesting men come to
our Thursdays; and some women.
prefer the men, think. There Is
one old French general who is dear;
and there are young officers too; and
yesterday two cabinet ministers and
several people from the British and
Russian embassies. And the Turkish
charge, whom 1 dislike.
The women sem to be agreeable,
and they all are most beautifully
gowned. Some have titles. But all
seem to be q little too much made up.
| I don't know any of them except for
mally. But I feel that know some
Of the men better-especially the old
tache of the Russian embassy, whom
I everybody likes and pets, and whom
everybody calls Prince Erlill-such
handsome boy! And his real name is
Ajax, and think he is very much IN
love with Princess Naia.
Now, something very odd has hap
pened which I wish to tell you about.
My father, as you know, was mis-
sionary in the vilayet of Trebizond
came into possession of a curious sea
chest belonging to German named
Conrad Wilmer, who was killed in
riot near Gallipoh.
In this chest were, and still are,
1.-TWO very interesting things-an old
bronze Chinese figure which I used to
called the Yellow Devil; and native
Chinese missionary once read for US
| the inscription on the figure which
I identified 1t as Mongol demon called
Erik, the Prince of Darkness.
The other object Of interest in the
box was the manuscript diary kept
by this Herr Wilmer to within few
moments of his death. This I have
often heard read aloud by my father,
but I forget much of it now, and l
curious thing about it all. The first
time you spoke to me of the Princess
Naia Mistchenka, I had hazy idea
THAT her name seemed familiar TO me.
And eyer since I have known her,
now and then found myself trying
name, even before I heard it from
Suddenly, one evening about a
| week ago, it came to me that I had
heard both the names, Naia and
Mistchenka, when was child.
former names occur in Herr Wilner's
diary; the latter heard from the
Chinese missionary years ago; and
that is why they seemed so familiar
! TO me.
1t is so long since I have read the
diary that I can't remember the story
in which the names Naia and Mist
chenka are concerned. AS I recol-
lect, it was a tragic story that used
ITO thrill me.
At any rate, I didn't speak of this
to Princess Naia; but about week
ago there were a few people dining
here with us-among others an ol0
Turkish admiral, Murad Pasha, who
took me out. And as soon as I heard
his name thought of that diary; and
| l am sure 1t was mentioned in 1t.
Anyway, he happened to speak Of
Trebizond; and, naturally, said that
Emy father had been a missionary
| there many years ago.
As this seemed to interest him,
and because he questioned me, told
him my fathers name and all that
I knew in regard to his career as a
missionary in the Trebizond district.
And, somehow don't exactly recol-
lect how it came about spoke of
Herr Wilmer. and his death at Gal
lipoli, and how his effects came into
my fathers possession.
| And because the old, sleepy-eyed
admiral seemed so interested and
amused, I told him about Herr Will
ner's box and his diary and the plans
and maps and photographs with
| which used to play as little child.
After dinner, Princes Naia asked
me what it was I had been telling
| Murad Pasha to wake him up so COM
pletely and to keep him so amused. So
I merely said that I had been tell
, ing the admiral about my childhood
in Brookhollow.
Naturally neither she nor thought
=. about the incident any further Mu-
rad did not come again; but few
days later the Turkish charge DAFT
flares was present at a very large
crix 1axyD rin Vol
And two curious conversations oc-
CURED at that dinner:
The Turkish charge suddenly turn
| ed to me and asked me in English
the Reverend Wilbour Carew who
once was in charge of the American
mission near Trebizond. I was so
surprised at the question; but I an
swered yes, remembering that Murad
must have mentioned me to him.
father, and spoke of his efforts to
establish a girls school, first at
lBrusa, then at Tchardak, and finally
near Gallipoli told him had Oft
en- heard my father speak of these
matters with my mother, but that
was too young to remember anything
about my own life in Turkey.
All the while we were conversing,
1 noticed that the princess kept look
ing across the table at us as though
lattention.
After dinner, when the gentlemen
had retired to the smoking room, the
lprincess took me aside and made me
repeat vrything that Ahmed Mirka
had asked me.
I told her. She sadi that the Turk
ish charge was an old busybody, al
ways sniffinfi about for all sorts of
information; that it was safer to be
reticent and let him do the talking;
and that almost every scrap of con-
versation with him was mentally not
ed and later transcribed for the edi-
fication of the Turkish secret service.
I though this very humorous; but
Igoing into the little salon where the
piano was and where the music was
lsong by Messenger, from LA Baso-
che" called "Je suis Anne de la plus
belle" Ahmed Mirka's handsome at
Itache, Colonel Izzed Bey, came up to
where I was rummaging in the mu-
sic cabinet.
He talked nonsense in French and
In English for a while, but somehow
the conversation led again toward my
father and the girls school at Galliu
oil which had been attacked and
burned va mob during the first
month after it had been opened, and
where the German. Herr Wilmer, had
been killed.
Monsieur, your reverend father,
must surely have told you stories
about the destruction of the Gallipo-
Ii school, mademoiselle," he insisted.
Eyes. 1t happened a year before
the mission at Trebizond was de-
stroyed by the Turks" I said mali
ciously.
so I have heard. What a pity!
Our Osmanli-our peasantry are so
stupid! And it was such a fine school,
A German engineer was killed there,
1 believe"
Yes, my father said So"
was it not?''
Yes. How did 70 uhear of him.
Colonel IZzet?"
at was known in STEAMBOAT. He
persisted by mistake, I believe at
| GallipOli."