Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1920-01-15

my Dubluesb ITeely. IOuT metuou VI
bringing us here, Chevalier, may be
characteristic of the Balkans; but
do not think 1t will be understood by
my English friends in Bucharest. You
will be wise to rem member that at the
outset
Here was threat and wise
threat; but the old man heard 1t with
disdain, his tongue licking his lips
and smile, vicious and cruel, upon
his SCARED face.
my friend" he said, Eat the don
ion OF Setchevo we think nothing OF
English opinion at Bucharest, as you
will learn in good time. thank you.
however, for reminding me that you
are my guests and fasting. Be good
enough to follow me. The English,
remember are eaters Of flesh at dawn,
being thus but one step removed from
the cannibals. This house shall graft
ty you-please to follow me, say"
Laboriously as he had descended
the stairs, he climbed them again, the
battling smile still upon his face and
the stick tapping weirdly upon the
broken stone. The house within did
not belle the house as 1t appeared
from without Arched corridors,
cracked groins. moulded frescoes,
great bare apartments with dismal
furniture of brown oak, the whole
building breathed breath both
chilling and pestilental. II there
were a redeeming feature, Gavin
found It in the so-called Banqueting
Hall, a fine room gracefully panelled
with barrel vault and some antique
mouldings original enough to awaken
an artists curiosity. Tho great buff
fet of this boasted plate was Of con.
siderable value and no little merit Of
design; and such a breakfast as the
Cheavlier's servants had prepared
was served upon mighty oak table
which had been table when the sec
ond Mohammed ravaged Bosnia.
The men were hungry enough and
they ate and drank with good appe-
lite. Perhaps 1t was with some relief
that they discovered greater leni.
ency within the house than they had
found without. Discomfort Is often
the ally of fear; and whatever were
the demerits of the House of Setche-
vo, the discomforts were relatively
trifilng. AS for the old blind Cheva-
lier, he sat at the head of the table
Just as though he had eyes to watch
their every movement and to judge
them thereby. Not until they had
made a good meal Of delicious coffee
and fine white bread, with eggs and a
dish Of Kolesha in stiff square lump
from the pan-not until then did he
intrude with word, or appear in any
way anxious to question them.
"You pay tribute to our noun
tain air." he exclaimed at last, speak
ing little to their astonishment in
their tongue; that is your English
virtue, you can eat any time"
"And some of us are equally useful
In the matter Of drinking" rejoined
Arthur Kenyon, who had begun to en-
10y himself again, and was delighted
to hear the English language.
The Chevalier, however, believed
this to be some reflection upon his
hospitality, and he said at once:
II compliment you upon your frank
ness, mein herr-my servants shall
bring wine"
"Oh, indeed, no, l referred 20 a
very bad habit" exclaimed Ken yon
quickly and then rising, he added.
with your permission, sir, vii. leave
you with my friend. I am sure you
have both much to say to each other"
He did not wait for a reply but
strolled off to the other end Of the
hall and thence out to the courtyard,
no man saying him nay. Alone to-
gether, the Chevalier and Gavin sat a
few moments in awkward silence, each
debating the phrase with which he
should open the argument. Mean
while, Turkish servant brought
cigarettes, and the old man lighted
one but Immediately cast it from him.
"The blind cannot smoke" he said
irritably; that Is one of the compen-
sations of life which imagination can
not give us. Well, l am too old to
complain-my world lies within these
walls. 1t Is wide enough for me-"
II am indeed sorry" said Gavin.
for suffering could always arouse his
sympathies wherever he found It. "Is
there no hope at all Of any relief"
None whatever. The nerves have
perished. So much owe to my Eng
lish friendship-the last gift 1t be.
slowed upon me. Shall tell you by
what means became blind. mein
herrr Go down to the salt mines at
Okna and when they blast the rock
there, you will say. Georges Odin. the
Englishman's friend, lost his eyesight
in that mine" It 10 true before God
And the man who put this calamity
upon me-what OF himf A rich man
mein herr, honored by the world, 9
great noble in his own country, lead
or OF the people. the possessor Of much
land and many houses. He sent me
to Okna. We were boys together or
the hills. II he shamed me in the
race for all that young men seek oi
life, suffered 1t because of my friend
ship. Then the night fell upon me