Evening star., 1924-10-14
Continued from Yesterdays star.>
Chapter 1XvI.


The smuggling affair at Monks Cove
was remembered and exaggerated out
of all semblance to the truth. Mil
lions of gallons had been run through
by Ortho and his gang, eliminating
in pitched battle with the dragons.
Nobody could say how many were
killed in that ARRAY, and 1t was af-
firmed that nobody ever would know.
Midnight buryings were limited at.
ing business altogether. Ortho was
spoken of in the same breath as King
Nick and other celebrities of the
Trade" His subsequent adventures
lost nothing In the mouths Of the
gossips. He had landed in Barbary
a slave and in the space of two years
become a general. The Sultan's ia
vorite queen fell in love with him;
on being discovered in her arms he
had escaped by swimming four miles
out to sea and intercepting an East
Indiaman, in which vessel he had
visited India and seen the Great
Mogul.,
Ortho discovered himself a per-
sonage. 1t was most agreeable SEN
sation. Men in every walk of life
rushed to shake his hand. He found
himself sitting in Penzance taverns
in the exalted company OF magis-
trates and other notables telling the
story of his adventures-with pic
turesque additions.
And the women. Even the fine
ladies in Chapel street turned their
proud heads when he limped by. His
limp was genuine to a point; but
when he saw pretty woman ahead
he improved on it to draw sympathy
and felt their softened eyes follow
ing him on his way. heard them
whisper, "Ortho Penhaie, my dear q.
general in Barbary
twelve times wounded. How
pale he looks and how handsome!"
A most agreeable sensation.
To insure that he should not pass
unnoticed he affected a slight eccen-
tricity of attire. For him no more
the buff breeches, the raffish black
and silver. coats; dressed thus he
might have passed for any squire.
He wore instead the white trousers
of sailor, q marines scarlet tunic
he had picked up in junk shop, a
colored kerchief loosely knotted
cur,s the round fur cap Of the sea.
There was no mistaking him. Small
boys followed him in packs, round
eyed, worshipfuL "Ortho PEN
hale, smuggler. Barbary lancer"
If he had been popular once he was
doubly popular now. The Monks
Cove incident was forgiven but not
forgotten; it went to swell his credit,
III fact. To have arrested him on
that Old score would have been more
than the Collectors life was worth.
The Collector. prudent man, publicly
shook Penhale by the hand and con-
graduated him On his miraculous
escape.
Ortho found his hoard of go
pounds intact in the hollow ash by
Tumble Down and spent it freely.
He gave so pounds to Ansons widow
(who had married a prosperous cous-
in some years before, forgotten poor =
Anson and did not need IT'D and put
a further SO in his pockets to give to
Tamsin Eva
Bohemia told him the story as a
joke, but Ortho was snitten with
what he imagined was remorse.
He remembered Tamsin-a slim
appealing little thing in blue, skin
like milk and 4 cascade of red gold
hair. He must make some honorable
gesture-there were certain obliga-
tions attached to the role of local
hero. 1t was undoubtedly somewhat
late in the day. The Trevaskis lout
had married the girl and accepted the
paternity of the child lit was a boy
y cars olo -.o i'tilN4iid { pti lSdy
but that made no difference: he must
make his gesture. Fifty pounds was
a lot of money to a struggling farm
er: besides he would like TO see
Tamsin again-that slender neck and
marvellous hair! II Trevaskis wasn't
treating her properly he'd ,ake her
away from him, boy and all; bGod.
he would,
He went up to the Trevaskis home
stead one afternoon and saw a mea-
ger woman standing at the back of
a small house washing clothes in a
tub. Her thin forearms were red
with work, her hair was screwed up
anyhow on the top OF her head and
hung over her eyes in craggled rat
tails, her complexion had faded
through long standing over kitchen
fires, her apron was torn and her
thick wool socks were thrust into a
pair of clumsy mems boots.
1t was some seconds before he
recognized her as Tamsin-Tanlsin
after seven years as workingman' s
wife. A couple of dirty children of
about four and five were making mud
pies at her feet. and in the cottage
a baby lifted its Guerulous voice.
She had other children then-two,
three. half a dozen perhaps-huh.
Ortho turned about and limped
softly away. unnoticed, the 80 pounds
still in his pockets.
Making amends to pretty woman
was one thing, but to a faded drudge
with a school of Trevaskis bantlings
quite another suit of clothes.
He gave the SO pounds to his moth
er, took her to Penzance and bought
her two famboyant new dresses and
a massive gold brooch. She adored
him. The hard times, scratching a
penny here and there out of Eli,
were gone forever. Her handsome,
free-handed son was back again.
master of Bosula and darling of the
district She rode everywhere with
him, to hurting matches. bull bait
ings, races and cock fights, big with
pride, chanting his praises to all
comers.
THAT Eli would have seen me
starve to death in a ditch" she would
say, buttonholing some old crony in
a tavern But Ortho's got respect
for his old mother; he'd give me the
coat off his back or the heart out OF
his breast. he would, SO help me"'
(Hiccough.)
Mother and son rode together all
over the Hundred, Teresa vreathed
in fat, splendid in attire, still impos-
ing in her virile bulk: Ortho in his
dispensing free liquor, telling amaz-
ing stories Eli stayed at home,
working on the farm, bewildered,
dumb, the look in his eyes of suf-
fering dog.
Christmas passed more merrily
than ever before at the Owls House
that year. Half Gwithian was pres
ent and two fiddlers. Some danced
in the kitchen, the overflow danced
in the barn, profusely decorated with
evergreens for the occasions. so that
it had the appearance of candlelit