Evening star., 1924-10-13
THE OWLS HOUSE
4 Thrilling Adventure Story
By Crosbie Garstin
Continued from Yesterdays star.)
Copyright. 1924. by Frederick A. Stokes Co.

from yesterday otdT.)
Polwhele ran backward out Of a
grip and stumbled. Eli launched out.
saw the sad eyes glitter behind the
draggles of hair and went headlong,
flying
The next thing he knew he was
lying full length, the breath Jared
out of him and the miner on top,
fixed like a stoat. The little man
had dived under him, tipped his thigh
with shoulder and turned him as
he fell 1t was a fair back" two
shoulders and a hip down; he had
lost the championship.
Polwhele. melancholy as ever,
helped him to his feet
"Nawthin' broke. Squire? That's
fifty. You'll beat me next year
could of this, If you'd waited" He
put a blade of grass between his
teeth and staggered off to join his
vociferous friends, the least jubilant
of any.
BOHEMIA came up with his masters
clothes Mother time you'm out
against quick man go slow-make
en- come to you. Eddn no sense in
playin' tig with forked lightnin'. I
shouted to e. but you was too furious
to hear. Oh. well, it's done now,
s'pose."
He walked away to hobnob with
the sticklers in the Lamb and Flag"
to drink ale and wag their heads and
lament on the decay of wrestling and
manhood since they were young.
Eli pulled on his clothes. One or
two Monks Covers shouted Stout
tussle, Squire" but did not stop to
talk, nor did he expect them to; he
was respected in the parish, but had
- f,,I - =
make for popularity.
His mother went by, immensely fat,
yet sitting her cart-horse firm as a
rock
The little dog had e by the nose
proper that time, my great soft bull
lock" she jeered, and rode on, laugh
ing. She hated Eli; as master of
Bosula he kept her short of money,
even going to the length of publicly
crying down her credit Had he not
done so. they would have been ruined
long since instead of in a fair state
of prosperity, but Teresa took no
count Of that. She was never tired
of informing audiences-preferab bly, in
ELS presence-that If her other son
had been spared. her own precious
boy Ortho, things would have been
very different He would not have
seen her going in rags. without a
penny piece to bless herself, not he.
Time, in her memory, had washed
away all the elders faults. leaving
only virtues exposed, and those
grossly exaggerated. She would di-
late for hours on his good looks. his
wit. his courage, his loving consider
aticn for herself. breaking into hot
tears of rage when she related the
fancied indignities she suffered at the
hands Of the paragon's unworthy
brother.
She was delighted that Polwhele
had bested Eli, and rode home jing-
ling her winnings on the event. Eli
went on dressing, unmoved by his
mothers jibes.
AS boy he had learned to close his
ears to the taunts of Rusty Rufus,
and he found the accomplishment
most useful. When Teresa became
abusive he either walked out of the
house or closed up like an oyster and
her TRADES beat harnilessly against
his spiritual she'll. Words, words.
nothing but words; his contempt for
talk had not decreased as time went
on.
He pulled his belt up, hustled into
his best blue coat and was knotting
his neckcloth when somebody behind
him said, We'll wrastled, Eli"
He turned and saw Mary Penaluna,
with old Simeon close beside.
Eli shook his head. He was small
er than 1, naught but a little man. l
take shame not to have beaten en-"
But Mary would have none of it. II
see no shame then" she said, warmly.
They miners do nothing but wrastle.
wrastle all day between shifts and
underground, too. so I've heard tell
but yo6've got other things to do,
Eli; it's a wonder you stood UP to en-
so long. And they're nothing but a
passed. O. tricksters, teddn what do
call fifty wrastling at all"
We'll. it's fair. anyhow" said Eli;
he beat me fair enough and there's
an end of it,
les. s'pose." Mary admitted, "but
I do think you wrastled bravely, Eli,
and so do father and all of the par
ish. Oh. look how the man knots his
cloth, all twisted; you'm bad as IA
ther. I declare. Lave me put it to
rights" She reached up strong. capa-
bic hands, gave the neckerchief a
pull and pat and stood back, laugh
ing. You men are no better than
babies for all your size and cursing
and 'bacca 'Tis proper now. Are e
steppin' home along?'
Eli was. They crossed the field and.
turning their backs on the church
tower, took the road toward the sea
old Simeon walking first. slightly
bent with toll and rheumatism, long
arms dangling inert: Mary and Eli
followed side by side, speaking never
word. 1t was two miles to Ros-
warva, over upland country, bare of
trees. but beautiful in its wind-swept
nakedness. Patches of dead bracken
glowed with the warm copper that is
to be found in some women's hair; on
gray boulders spots of orange lichen
shone like splashes of gold paint. The
brambles were dressed like harle-
quins, in ruby, green and yellow, and
on nearly every hawthorn sat a pair
of magpies, their black and white
livery looking very smart against the
scarlet berries