BY

DEMETRIOS BIKELAS

From "Tales from the AEgean." Translated by L.E. Opdycke. Published by
A.C. McClurg & Co.

Copyright, 1894, by A.C. McClurg & Co.




I.


Mr. Plateas, professor of Greek in the Gymnasium of Syra, was returning
from his regular afternoon walk.

He used to take this walk along the Vaporia, but since they had begun to
build a carriage road to Chroussa--at the other end of the island--he
bent his steps in that direction, instead of pacing four times up and
down the only promenade in Syra. He followed the road-building with
great interest, and went farther and farther from week to week. His
learned colleagues said he would finally get to Chroussa,--when the road
was finished; but at this time--that is, in 1850--the Conservative party
in the town regarded the expense as useless and too heavy for the
resources of the commune, and so the work had been stopped for some
months.