"Well?" "Oh, there is nothing more. They all sit round the floor, and I say, 'Who is this?' The Greek priest, he say: 'Effendi, I am a great man, a very great man. I killed Stefanos.' "They say: 'This is a great man, a very great man. He killed Stefanos.' "The Greek priest say: 'I went up the hill in the heat of the sun, and Stefanos sleeps himself in the vineyard. I took my gun, my very great gun, and crept close to Stefanos.' "They say, 'He took his gun, his very great gun, and crept close to Stefanos.' "'I put the muzzle to his ear, but he did not wake.' "They say, 'He put the muzzle to his ear, but he did not wake.' "'I shut my eyes and pull the triggers, for I am a great man, a very brave man.' "They say, 'He shut his eyes and pulled the triggers, for he is a great, a very great man.' "And that was the end of poor Stefanos. I did give the Greek priest some kicks," said Oscar, reminiscently. "Oh yes, many kicks, but they did not bring back poor Stefanos." As Van Heidsteyn kicked an imaginary Greek priest, two shots rang out almost simultaneously, and a bullet buried itself harmlessly in the trunk of the tree. "Sit still," said Van Heidsteyn, with a nonchalance I was far from feeling. "Sit still, unless you are afraid, O Little Yellow One. Tomasso will be here directly." [Illustration: PRESENTLY TOMASSO APPEARED CARRYING A BUNDLE IN A HANDKERCHIEF.] Presently Tomasso appeared from the shelter of some out-buildings, carrying a bundle in a handkerchief. The handkerchief was carelessly tied up at the corners, and held something round. Tomasso came up to Van Heidsteyn, made the customary salutation, and with his usual placid smile, laid the bundle on the ground before us. "Open the bundles, Little Yellow One," said Van Heidsteyn. I did so, and out rolled the bleeding head of a man. "Now we can go without any more pot shots. I will make a photographs of him to put with the others. It is the brother of Stefanos," said Van Heidsteyn, complacently rolling a cigarette. THE MIDDLETON BOWL. BY ELLEN DOUGLAS DELAND. CHAPTER I. "It is shocking--positively shocking!" The five Misses Middleton crowded about the window, if ladies so punctilious, so precise, so ceremonious as were the five Misses Middleton could be said to crowd. "See her now, running as fast as any one of those boys," said Miss Middleton the eldest. "And without her hat!" said Miss Joanna, settling her spectacles. "And her hair streaming!" added Miss Dorcas, as she clutched her knitting-needles. "And--and--I hardly like to say it, but, my dear sisters, do you notice how she--well, how she thrusts out her feet?" murmured Miss Melissa, with a look of embarrassment. "But how happy she looks!" said Miss Thomasine, though in so low a voice that it almost seemed as if she must be hoping that her sisters would not hear her. But they did, and immediately they turned upon her in a body.