Evening star., 1924-08-31
THE OWLS HOUSE
A Thrilling Adventure Story
By Crosbie Garstin
Continued from Yesterdays Starr
Copvright. 1924. 10y Frederick 4. Stokes Co

assess the damage. She stalked SUD
denly into the kitchen one morning
surveyed the ruins of her nephew
comely face, outw wardly unmoved. anG
then stalked out again without d
word of consolation. or regret, bark ed
instructions that her horse was to be
baited and ready in two hours anG
turned up the hill. Up the hill she
strode, over Polmenna Downs and on
to that haunt OF her girlhood, the
Luddra Head. Perched high on its
stone brows. the west wind in her
cloak and hair, she stared. rigid and
unseeinS, over the glitter of the
Channel She was back in the two
hours. but her eyelidS were red-for
the last time in her life Selma had
been crying.
She slept at the Angel at Helston
that night. visited a certain disrepu-
table attorney next morning and left
his office with the Tregellas mort
gage in her pocket.
Mr.. Hugh TregellaS of Tregellas
had four daughters and mania for
gambling. He did not fling his sub
stance away on horse-racing. cock or
man fights-indeed he lifted up his
OF these purSuitS--he took shares in
companies formed to extract gold
from sea water. in expeditions TO
discover the kingdom of Frester John.
and such like. Any rogue with an
oiled tongue and project sufficiently
preposterous could win hearing
from the squire. But though mucn
money went out few ships came home.
and the four Misses TreSellas sat in
n Il, n a
to nothing, and waited for the SuitorS
who did not come.
All this was we'll known TO their
neighbor. Selma Donnithorne. She
knew that when the four Misses Tire
ScllaS were not in the parlor play
ing at ladies they were down on their
kneebones scrubbing floors. She even
had it on sound authority that the
two Youngest forked out the cow
byre ever ymorninS.
She called on the squire one after
noon. going to TregellaS in state,
dressed in her best. and driving in a
cheap from a broken down roNsterer
a Bodmin assizes She saw Mr.. Trc-
ccllaS in his sunlesS sunroom and
came to the point at once. She want
cd his youngest daughter for John
Penhale Mr.. TreSellas flushed with
anger and opened his mouth to reply,
but Selma gave him no opportunity.
Her nephew was already a man of
moderate means. she said. living on
his own good farm in the Penwith
Hundred, with an income of nearly
f1o0 per annum into the bargain.
When she died he would have Tregors
also. He was well educated. a fine
figure of man and sound in wind
and limb. if trifie cut about one
side of the face-one side only-but
then, after all these wars, who was
net?
Here Mr.. Tregellas managed to in
terpose spluttering refusal. Selma
nodded amia bly,. She yentured to re-
mind Mr.. Ire gellas that since Arethu-
sina's dowry had sunk off Cape St
Vincent with the Fowey privateer
Gods Providence. her chances of d
distinguished marriage were negli-
Eible-alSo that she, Selma. was now
mortgage of Tregellas and the mort
gage fell due at Mchaelmas.
Mr.. Tregellas was a gambler. AS
long there was one chance left &c
him, no matter how long. the future
was radiant He laughed at~Selina
He had large interests in d company
for trading with the King of certain
South Sea atollS. he said. the lagoon:
of which were paved with pearl. L
had been estimated that this enter
prise could not fail to enrich him a
a rate of less than eleven hundred
and fifty-three per centum. \ shiI
bearing the first fruits was expected
in Bristol almost any day now, was
in fact overdue. but these noPeaSter-
ly head winds. Mr.. TregellaS
saw Selma to the door, his good humor
restored, promising her that long be
fore Michaelmas he would not only
be paying off the mortgage on Ire
gellas, but offering her a price for
TregorS as We'll.
Selma rocked home in her "a brioleI
no whit perturbed by the Squires op.
timism. Nor'easterly head winds
Three months from that date Mr.
Tregellas returned the call. Selma
was feeding ducks in the yard Wher
he came. She emptied her apron, lee
the squire into the kitchen and gave
him Il glass of cowslip wine--which
he needed.
= Come to offer me price for Ire
gors?" she asked.
The old gambler blinked his weak
eyes patheticallH, like a child blink
ing back tears. and buried his face in
his hands. Selma did not twit him
further. There was no need. She
had him where she wanted him. She
smiled to herself.
To the pearl ship had gone the deer
road of the Fowey prfvateer-and all
the other ventures. She clicked her
tongue. "Tchuc-tchuc," and offered
him another glass of wine.
I'll send for John Penhale tomor-
row. said she. Til tell him that if
he don't take your maid he shan't
have TregorS'. You tell your maid if
She don't take my John III put you
all out on the road come Michaelmas
Now get along wild 'ee.'
Arethusina came over to Tregors to
pay Mrs. Donnithorne d weeks visit
and John was angled from his retreat
by the bait of roam colt he had long
coveted and which his aunt suddenly
expressed herself willing to sell.
The sun was down when he reached
the farm: Selma met him in the yard
and. leading him swiftly into the
stables, explained the lay of the land
while he unsaddled his horse, but she
did not tell him what pressure had
been brought to bear on the youngest
Miss Tregellas.
John was amazed and delighted
Mr.. Hugh Tregellas' daughter willing
to marry him. common farmer
Pretty, too; he had seen her once, be.
fore his accident. sitting in the fam
lily pew in Curry Church--plump. fiuf
fy little thing with round, blue eyes
like kitten. This was incredible
luck,
He was young then and hot blood
ed, sick of the loneliness of Bosuls
and the haphazard ministrations Of
the two slatterns. He was for dash
ing into the house and starting his
jove-making there and then, but Sc
lima held him. hagglng like a fish
wife over the price of the roam. Wher
he at length got away from her i
was thick dusk. 1t was dark in the
kitchen. except for the feeble glow OF