Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-15

tea, my dear. Anu eggs, anu DultSi, anu q
cold chicken, The Lord bless your kind
happy the man who shall win We! Happy
the man who shall wed We, my dark, beauti-
full maid. And strong must he be, aye, and
masterful. who shall wake the lovelight in
those dark. great, passionate eyes of yours.
And there is no man in all this world can do
it but he must be golden man-wl' the
tiger mark upon him.
"Why-oh, Nanny"
aye, blush if We WILL my dark lady; but
Mother Dibbin knows she's seen it in the
fire, dreamed it in her dreams, and read 1t IN
the ink The path lies very dark afore we,
my lady,-aye very dark it be, and full O
cares, and troubles. there's the sun
shining beyond, bright and golden. You be
proud, and high, and scornful, my lady: tbs
in your blood. You'll need a strong hand
to guide ye-and the strong hand shall come.
BY force you shall be wooed, and by force
enough to WOO and wed We but him as I've
told We of, him as bears the tiger mark
"But, Nanny" said Anthea again, gently
interrupting her and patting the old woman's
shriveled hand, "you re forgetting the basket,
YOU haven't found all we've brought you
vet 49, ~
aye aye" nodded old Nanny "The
fine, strong basket,-let's see what more be
in the good kind basket. Here's bread and
sugar-and-'
"A pound of your favorite tobacco" said
Anthea, with smiling nod.
ooh, the good weed! The blessed weed!"
cried the old woman, clutching the package
with trembling fingers. "Ah! who can tell
the comfort it has been to me in the long,
long days, and the long, long nights-the
blessed weedl-when I've sat here looking
and looking into the fire? God bless you,
my sweet maid for your kindly thought
and with sudden gesture she caught Anthea S
hand to her lips, and then just as suddenly
turned upon Bellew.
"And now, tall sir. can 1 do aught for We?
Shall look into the fire for We, or the ink, or
read your hand?'
@Why, yes" answered Bellew, stretching
out his hand to her, "you shall tell me two
things, if you will: first, shall one ever find
his way into the Castle of Hearts Desire,
and, secondly, when?'
"Oh, but l didn't need to look into your
hand to tell you that, tall sir, nor yet in the
ink, or in the fire; for I've dreamed it all
in my dreams. And now, see you, It's a
strong place, this castle, wi thick doors, and
great locks, and bars. But have seen those
doors broke down, those great locks and
bars burst aSunder; but-there is none can
do this but him as bears the tiger mark. So
much for the first. And for the second,
Happiness shall come riding to you on the
full moon; but you must reach up and take
it for yourself-if you be tall enough"
"And-even you are not tall enough to
do that, Mr. Bellew!" laughed Anthea, as
she rose to bid Old Nanny goodnight, while
Bellew, unnoticed, slipped certain coins upon
a corner of the chimneypiece. So old Nanny
blessed them and theirs-past, present, and
future thoroughly and completely, with a
fine comprehensiveness that only genuine
accomplished old witch might hope to attain,
and, following them to the door, paused
there with one shriveled, clawlike hand up
lifted toward the sky:
"At the full O the moon, tall SIR she re-
peated, "at the full O the moon! AS for you,
my dark eyed lady, say by force you shall
be wooed, and by force We shall be wed!
Aye! aye! but there is no man strong
enough except he have the tiger mark upon
him. Old Nanny knows: she's seen it in
the ink, dreamed it in the fire, and read it
all in your pretty hand. And now-thank
we for the tea, my pretty, and God bless We
for the good weed, and just SO sure as you've
been good and kind to old Nanny, so shall
Fortune be good and kind to you, Miss
Antheat'