The Washington times., 1918-08-02
CHAPTER CxIII.

The Son Named ZorSkA-
The Borradale signet ring-and
It is upon the finger of the Curse
that you have seen it," There was
horror and disgust in Esther's
voice.
~Yes. You must remember that
zorsla was old Borradale's eldest
SON" began Lillian
'szorska?"
@Tes. Has his real name never
been mentioned to you? We have
always spoken OF him as the Curse
or the Beast. As a matter Of fact,
he is neither one nor the other II
IN only as he grew up that his hor-,
rfhle abnormities of mind and body
came upon him"
you mean" asked Basil, ''that
as the eldest son he was entitled to
the siEnet EinE?"
II don't know whether he was en-
titled to i'll know he has got it
: / suppose IL be is entitled to the
ring he is the heir TO all the prop
erty. The Borradales. since emf
grating to America, have always
cIung TO the customs of the family,
which in England was q titled one.
Old Borradale, as we know, did not
acknowledge him, but passed him
and the two other sons over in IA
vor of. Harold 1 can imagine
Lillian turned again to look at the
picture-~that IL anyone cared very
much for Zorska and fancied that
he had been cheated of his rights,
he might resent the picture of Har-
old hanging in this room among the
heads Of the Borradale family"
l.
Illuminating flash Basil grasped
what was in Lilian's mind.
II think that this picture Of Har-
old is gradually being altered into
a representation Of Zorska-not as
he is, but as he promised to be. /
have seen q picture OF him in his
young days-it was an ioil-color,
too-and the face was very like the
one which is developing upon this
canvas. Zorska's face Is SO dis
torted now as not to be recogniz-
abIe"-Lilian gave q shudder of dis
gust at the picture which she had
conjured up-"but I can imagine
what It might have been"
But" cried Esther, "who would
: be sufficiently interested in this
horrow-this orzska, a mad crea-
ture, whose very existence has to
be kept a secret-to assert claims
for, him which are never likely to
be seriously advanced?"
Lillian turned and pointed to the
picture of Mrs. Borradale.
Portrait Undergoing Change.
THAT portrait Is being altered.
too," she said to Basil. Look at
tt closely, Mr.. Fleetwood. You see
how cunningly the one face has
been superposed upon the other?"
astonishing" he murmured, af-
ter a careful inspection OF the can
vas from near and from a distance
sI can distinctly see the face you
told me of. And what a terrifying
face 1t is! 1t is like a Medusa-
sin and SORROW personihed. Can
such a thing be~living?"s
sI think she is not only living,
hut also not far from us at the
present moment That is to say, in
the closed rooms upstairs. She has
migrated here from Adderley. 1t
was she whom l nearly saw that
day when followed Grimstead and
the Curse to the secret wing of
the old hall II is she who is the
real Curse OF the BorradaIes. It is
she who has instigated all that has
happened in this house. We know
that she must have a real affection
for Zorska-he was yapping for
foy-you remember the queer
sounds he makes-when Grimstead
took him to her. Evidently she
wishes her own picture and that OF
Zorska to take the place OF Mrs.
Borradale's and Harold's.
at is extraordinary-inco
hensibie." Basil was sitting astride
one Of the old chairs and gazing at
the portrait as IL fascinated by IL.
~Who can she be? What can be
her motive? What is the infiu-
ence she holds upon the Borradale
fortunes? Have you no theory. Mrs.
wilIoughby, not even a basis on
which to found an eXplanation?"
Must Rely on Facts.
you know as much as do" said
Lillian. Theories which would
nrobably- turn out to be false are
4 OF such little use. We must simply