Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-29
CHAPTER xI-Continued.

L
| from charming tete-a-tete with one fair
/ lady he was now to have the like with
| second; for on passing through the gar
| den gate. he saw Beatrice Ravengar read
/ ing in a low chair beneath the apple trees -
| Beatrice the sea kings daughter, the de-
scendant of that very Viking whose bones
| reposed in Ormfell!
Her heart beat more quickly as 1dr1s ap-
| preached. He, little divining the cause or
| the color that played so enehantingly over
| her cheek thought Godfrey's sister very
| pretty maiden indeed. True, she lacked
| the dark starry beauty of Lorelie-ldris'
1 tastes ran In favor of brunettes-yet there
| was a subtle witchery in Beatrice's SOFT
| gray eyes and winsome expression; in her
/ sunny hair; and in her graceful figure, set
| off as 1t then was, by dainty dress OF
soft muslin.
| my name, being Breakspear," said he,
! with mock sternness. as he took seat
/ beside her, you will not be surprised TO
/ learn that I have a lance to break with
| you.
| And what have done that is amiss?'
/ asked Beatrice outwardly smiling, but in
! wardly uneasy; for some secret feeling told
| her that he had just left the presence pf
| Mademoiselle Riyiere, and she feared lest
| that lady should have said something to
| prejudice her in the eyes Of ldrfS A fair
| return, for had not she herself let fall In
| Idris presence words unfrienoly to Lore
/ lie?
| 'You have committed the sin of omis-
| sion in not telling me that the armorial
| shield of the Ravengars is decorated with
| a silver ring" SAL.
| IT am aware that a ring figures in their
| coat of arms" said Beatrice, with wide,
| wondering eyes, "but where is my fault In
not telling you of it? Surely" she added,
! with a sudden intuition as to his meaning,
| "surely you do not mean to say that there
l &c hef wppf rl1piC ring
| and the Ravengar device?'>
| Idris' reply was to repeat the story he lad
/ just heard.
! ",rhis is all new to me-" said Beatrice,
| when he had finished, but then / never
was Ravengar. / am the daughter of
4 my mother, and have taken little If any.
interest in the genealogy and family ira
| ditions of my ancestors, the belted earlS.'
| You should now look with more favor
| on the Vikings skull as being that of
your great forefather. His object in COM
| ing down the staircase last night was
| evidently to introduce himself to you, his
youngest descendant. But have inter-
| rupted your reading, for which beg par
| den. May ask the title of your book?'
.Longfellow.s Saga of King Olaf You
| mo; but Morse saga in verse is, by its
very nature, certain to interest me. Will
you not read aloud. Miss Ravengar?"
There is little Beatrice would not have
done to please 1driS, and accordingly she
| began the reading of the poem. Her voice
was clear and silvery and marked at times
| by cadence, plaintive and pretty. Idris
| would have Jared i'll had he been required
| to give a summary of the poem, for he
| Paid little attention to the words finding
| a greater charm in the face and voice of
| the reader. More than once the thought
stole over him that if he had not seen
| Mademoiseile Riviere his love might have
| found its resting place in Beatrice.
Reading smoothly onward Beatrice
came to the scene in which the reluctant
pride. Gudrun, on her. wedding might,
| draws near to the couch.sof Olaf dagger
| IN hand and murder in her heart.
What is that King Olaf said,
Wh ,easns 50 bright above l'. thy head7
In pale moonlight
'' "Tis the bodkin that wear
When at night bind my hair =
Beatrice paused. "Bodkin?" she said.
| THAT'S not the right word Ladies don't
| fasten their hair with bodkins"
| Poets do not speak with the precision
or srammarians. l suppose he should
| have said hairpin"
Did they use hairpins in those days,
| them
| without doubt" replied Idris, being
i.ie navy on the point nevertheless
| Euorun must nave worn a very large
nalrpin II she could liken a dagger to it,
i suppose it was not very unlike the
stlletto contrivances worn by ladies' of
Ihe present day" answered Idris
Ills the bodkin that wear
| At Hsut Dlnd hair. ~
repeated Beatrice. "At night? Did she
wear 1T in her hair while sIeeping?'
L never knew the lady" laughed Idris
she?" veg 'ooAuii
Because during sleep she might turr
her head upon the point and receive an
| unpleasant stab" ~
You speak from experience?"
night" oi'S as ias'
I'VE must leave Gudrun.s bodL,r s,,s
pended In midair while you tell me how
this happened" 0 "
There is really nothing to tell. When
| 1 went to bed l forgot tn remova ~
stlietto from my hair. Somehow 7 was
unable to sleep last night" "'
haps?" '"oii' per-
Yes. it must have been that" ren,,ed
beatfice. coloring at this evarication
| LOT mad she spoken truly she must h q We
lcla MIN that he was the cause of her I'm :
And So" she continued "u,h;,Y
tossing from side to side the stiIetto ,,,,st
aso sUt ioose, and In turning nv head on
me piiioW 1 received stab from the
| scalp wound" n oi-a mere
IT was we'll the point was not forced
ma your brain. 1 have heard of fatal ar.
c.u u resulting from the use of these
..of cpn rs, lou discarded it at once?'
Forever"
| On no. only till the morning" renlied
Beatrice demurely 'epiieu
what! You have not let il serve as ,
warming! On, Miss Rayengar. Miss Raven.
gar: what is this l see shimmering in
your hair at the present moment? ?" -
proof of feminine vanity for II ;s =.
no real use, being merely an Ornament
1 May inspect the savage weapon fba,
might have ended your existence. and NAV
yet since you decline to learn wisdom
from experience? 'uon'
Beatrice drew forth the bairntn :,
was shaped like a dagger. TIE steel heinz
slender. rounded and taperifIe to n noint
the hilt of gold set with seriiliants
AS soon as Idris saw il he stared at If as
if mesmerized. the tapering point of the
slender steel was so strahEefy suggestive
of the metal fragment chat had fallen
from the Vikings GkulLIa He took it from
his pocket and held 1t out to her
Miss Rayengar, what should you say
this is?" s1iTi3f -'
THAT" replied Beatrise.q THAT is a
part of hairpin. SeersifgGu
She laid 1t upon her upeny palm beside
her own stiietto. The terminal of the lat
ter correspondent e-:actly ins form and colo,
with the broken fragment at least. the
difference, If difference thereowas, was i'm
perceptible by the naked eyes
1T certainly looks like a hairpin'
Looks like it. do you ssiy?" said Bea.
trice. with sort of reproach in her tone