Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-04-24

placid repose Of the place. or the
broad couch opposite Irenya was
Sleeping with the relaxed abandon
and rose-fushed prettinees OF child
hood. one Of the yellow braids lying
about her throat in . gold collar
warm breeze was'coquetting with all
things hat could be made to dance
and stir under its soft pressure. 10
that the air wal fresh and very pure,
as mountain air, is apt to be.
After a while. Delight rose quietly.
wrapped herself in a nesligee 1renya
had unpacked the night before. and
crossed to a window. She wanted to
lsee this country n which she had
been brought: see it alone and her
self unmatched. r. F
But she nearly frustrated her 'pur-
pose by the exclamation forced from
her. as she looked. Was this the
nightmare desert OF rock and black
ness. this?
The house of Stefan Balsic was set
high. yet the mountains rose q
above. On every side the huge hills
lowered and billowed away, so thAt
the castle was like a tiny boat set
iamong the waves Of a sea immeasur-
ably vast. The resemblance wal en-
HANGED by the barren, corrugated
surface Of the land. from which the
sunlight glanced back as from gray
glass. But below on n side lay the
plain. at this distance bright-hued
and dainty as a garden where rntnia-
ture white houses clustered amid
lofty Albanian mountain-ranEe ran
like a %forbidding wall dark in the
blue clearness of the morning. And
between the two lands of hereditary
enmity, the American glimpsed Lake
jScutari shining like n of those
coveted jewels for whose possession
men plot and die; as they have for
their water-jewel. and do still.
Winding across the Karst ran a
road; the road Delight had Travelled
the las. night. She studied it. now,
wondering in which direction lay Mi
'chael's home. She was certain that
she had been carried much deeper
into Montenegro than her journey to
had she not waitedAas her guardians
had wished? How trivial now seem
ed the separation of an ocean voy-
age! Had she been mad. the night
before. that she had consented to a
marriage which left her helpless in
the hands OF Michael's enemy and
her won? She felt anger with her.
self run over her body like actual
heat. =
The courtyard OF the once-Turkish
castle lay below and TO the right of
the tower. As Delight leaned at the
window. her attention was brought to
the enclosura by a movement and
stir. A man ran across to the gate:
doorway. A moment later. Count
Balsic and four of his men rode in
to the court.
The girl drew back into the shelter
of the curtains. watching the man
she had married. Was this indeed
the supposed Partisan she had met
in France. this strange noble. sur
rounded by his gigantic followers?
While she looked. (of the
mountaineers in the courtyard leaned
his rife against the wall. approached
the master with a few words appar-
entity of explanation. Inc kissed
Count Balsic's hand with natural
simplicity. The action was no,
servie but Of a quaint dignity thai
ihonored both. 1t struck the Amefi.
zation Of the new forces among
which she had stepped. and what il
meant to challenge Stefan Bafsic or
his " soil. How had she chal'
lenged him? Amusement swept back
across her mind. levelling all other
emotions. Why had he risked sc
much to keep her from Michael:
why.
1renya had awakened and wa.
SIN oothinR herself once more kitten.
like. Her blue-black ever smiled
greeting At the girl who fmnulaiyel,
turned from fhe window.
"Irenya. will drees.' DELIGHT an
nounced. imperiously abrupt. AM
have word sent to CONT Balsic tha
j will see him"
co.as.,,.., =.
evsrr r.,;a ., s,t,uat+s .a5 a
,v.y e us.I
ausn. nel; lIehys la'tereI > 3ule
aano me enee. -. neI pug
sisye, m;renr ~ 80 iI 80! oeiGse tn