The Washington times., 1919-04-16

Paris Folk Interesting.
The women seem 70 be agreeable,
and they all are most beautifully
goWned- Some have titles. But All
seem to be a little too much made
up. / don't know any Of them ex-
cept formally. But / feel that I
know some OF the men better-es-
pecially the old general and a
young military attache OF the Rus
sian embassy, whom everybody
likes and pets, and whom every
body calls Prince Erlik-such a
handsome boyi And his real nams
Is Ajax. and think he Is very
much In love with Princess Naia-
Now, something very odd has
happened which I wish to tell you
about. My father. as you know,
was missionary in the Vilayet Of
TrebizOnd many years ago. While
there he came into possession OF a
curious sea chest belonging to q
German named Conrad Wilmer. who
was killed in a riot near GallipolL
"In this chest were, and still are,
two very interesting things-an
old bronze Chinese figure which I
used to play with when I was q
child. II was called the yellow
Devil; and a native Chinese mis-
sionary once read for US the in
scription on the figure which iden-
titled IL as a 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
a few moments OF his death This
1 have often heard read aloud by
my father, but forgot much Of IL
now, and I never understood Il all,
because was too young. Now
here Is the curious thing about u
all. The first time you spoke to me
OF the Princess Naia Mistchenka, I
had a hay idea that her name
seemed familiar to me- And ever
since have known her, now and
then found myself trying to recol-
Sect where 1 had heard that name,
even before heard IL from you.
Suddenly, one evening about q
week ago. II came to me that I
had heard both the names, Nais
and Mistchenka, when / was a child
Also the name Erik. The two
former names occur In Herr Win
ner's diary; the latter heard from
the SHAuESC UlASAAgAAaEI LGNAA 8Sga
and that IS why they Seemed -
familiar to me
1t Is so long since I havs read
the diary that I can't remember the
story in which the names Naia and
Mistchen4xa are concerned As
recollect 1t was a tragic story that
used to thrill me.
Recalls Turkish Name.
At any rate. I didn't speak Of this
to Princess Naia; but about a week
ago there were a few people dining
here with us-among others an old
Turkish admiral. Murad Pasha, whO
took me out. And as soon as
heard his name thought OF that
diary; and I am sure IL was men
toned in it
Anyway, he happened to speak Of
Trebizond; and, naturally, said
that my father had been a mis-
sionary there many years ago.
As this seemed TO interest him.
and because he questioned me, I
told him my fathers name and al
that I knew in regard to his ca
reer as a missionary in the Trebt-
Zond district And, somehow
don't exactly recollect how q came
about spoke OF Herr Wilmer.
and his death at GallIpoli, and how
his effects came into my fathers
possession.
And because the old. sleepy-eyeA
admiral seemed so interested and
amused. told him about Herr WI
ner's box and his diary and the
plans and maps and photographs
with which 1 used to play as q lit
tie child.
After dinner, Princess Naia asked
me what it was I had been telling
Murad Pasha to wake him up so
completely and to keep him so
amused. So I merely said that
had been telling the Admiral about
my childhood in Brookhollow. .
Naturally, neither she nor
thought about the incident any fur
ther. Murad did not come again;
but a few days later the Turkish
charge d'affaires was present at a
very large dinner given by Princes
Naia.
And two curious conversations oe-
CURED at that dinner.
The Turkish charge suddenly
turned to me and asked me in Eng
lish whether I were not the daugh-
ter Of the Rev. Wilbur Carew, who
once was in charge of the American
mission near TrebiZond. II was so
surprised at the question; but an
swered yes, remembering that Mu-
rad must have mentioned me to
him.
He continued to ask me about my
father, and spoke OF his efforts to
establish a girls school, first at
Brusa, then at Tchardak, and finally
near GallipoH 1 told him I had
often heard my father speak Of
these matters with my mother, but
that 1 was too young to remember
anything about my own life In
Turkey.
Under Secretary OF Princess.
All the while we were conversing.
noticed that the Princess kept
looking across the table at US a.
though some chance word had at
tracted her attention.
After dinner, when the gentlemen
had retired to the smoking room.
the Princess took me aside and
made me repeat everything that
Ahmed Mirka had asked me.
/ told her. She said that the
Turkish charge was an old busy
body, always shifting about for all
sorts Of information, that IL was
safer to be reticent and let him
do the talking; and that almost
every scrap of conversation with
him was mentally noted and later
transcribed for the edification o6
the Turkish secret service.