Evening star., 1927-11-14

1
| as we'll as author. and also something of
artist or. and scientist Among wPs h %gn,
Werther" The present story has been en-
iriao sins was m the name Of fairy in French lore
who became a serpent every SATURDAY. night
waist down Her husband e.. .,O,T lived
be intr4dsd on her pryacy e, sss. one Satu Si
One evening as I was entering
| small inn, handsome carriage with
| four horses ratified up close behind
| me. I turned and saw a young lady
all alone, with no maid or other attend
ants. T hastened to open the door
| for her, and inquire whether | could
help her. AS she stepped out her
| beauty became evident. save Tor
touch of sadness in her charming
face.
"You may carry UP that little box
| that is on the seat" she said. only
be careful to hold it steady-do not
swing or shake it in any way"
Alone in her room with her. she
had me put the box on the table:
AS I took my leave I warmly Kissed
| her hand, in the custom or the daH.
| Indeed she seemed well pleased with
me and invited me to dine with her.
Now I can scarcely be blamed Tor
making love to one so beautiful, but
| I got nowhere at all. She rebufred
every offer Of affection. Finally, be-
cause of nv persistence, she said tnat
| I should hold myself in check lest L
spoil some good fortune that had come
| nv way. I could serve her, she said,
| if I would be faithful to a trust.
7 was to take the mysterious box
and her carriage and travel ahead
some distance. I must handle the
| box carefully. At night l must put
| it in a room by itself and never DIS
turb it until ready to proceed with
| the journey. She gave me Key
which would lock any door so that
no other key could open 1T. With
| this I was to insure the privacy or
| that strange box.
| I promised, il she would kiss me.
| She did, and from that moment /
was her slave, to do as she might
command. AS we parted she gave
me purse-it would never be empty,
| she said, as long as I was faithful to
my trust.
Reaching a city, where my fair one
| had promised to meet me. was so
| lonesome that I gave way to an i'm
pulse to gamble. My purse became
exhausted. I returned to my inn,
where 1 had left the box in room
| by itself, wishing to see my beloved
| At last I heard soft sounds in the
room with the box, and 10! she came
| out and Joined me, more beautiful
| than ever.
She pardoned me for yielding to
! temptation, but said that it neces-
stated another expedition into the
| world before we could both be happy.
| She gave me more gold-enough, she
| said, if I was not rash. She left me
| by retiring within the room where the
| box was-the same box that I took
with me on my journey the next day.
Temptation, however, again waylaid
| me. My money ran out. While living
a gay life with new acquaintances
| got into a quarrel over a woman-I
| was taken to my quarters half dead
with various wounds.
When alone in my bed the door of
the room with the box again opened,
and in came my fair one. was an
CRY, because half felt that she had
put temptation in my way: had
even, in my heart, repudiated my VOW
to her. and had determined to open
| that box in the hope that it might
contain valuable jewels. I told her
she should not leave me so myste-
riously-that she must be my beloved
or I would rather die, and so saying
ripped off my bandages. But was
wholly healed!
She was my sweetheart In earnest
then, and for q time we were very
happy. She travelled with me, and
the box went with us. I always took
| care of the box, though neither of us
mentioned it. So we lived for many
! days. and then she disappeared. Be-
g. IxH.
went on without her-taking the box
and noting that my supply Of cash re.
manned undiminished.
| Then one dark night I was startled
| The carriage was very dark, as /
| Travelled onward with the box, and
| noticed a chink of light in the mys-
| terious box. Unable to restrain the
| impulse, I peeked through the crack
Il found myself looking into a room
| brightly lighted, and furnished with
much taste and magnificence. An
open fire seemed to be burning, near
which stood an armchair. Then, from
the side which could not see, there
came a young lady reading a book
she was my wife! For we had been
married, as I wished.
l was amazed and terrified but
could think of no explanation. After
some time. my wife reappeared to
me, as usual. in full human size.
remembered what I had heard of
mixes. and she noticed the lack of
warmth in my welcome.
You have seen me meanwhile"
she reproached me, land you know
the situation in which I find my
self at certain periods. Your happi-
ness and mine is thereby interrupted.
l must leave You and / know not
whether l shall ever see you again."
prevailed upon her, however.
and decided that it were far better
to have her dwindle in size now and
then than to have woman for wife
who became giantess at such times.
So our happiness continued, only
l was warned never to think Of her
strange situation with reproach-
and / must avoid wine and anger
like a pestilence.
My wife was SO beautiful and
talented that she attracted many
friends. Some of them were men
harmless enough, and yet I allowed
myself to be jealous. Then, one
night, I overstepped myself, drank
too much, and made adverse, in
cautious remarks. When my wife
tried to stop me, said: water is
for niXies!"
This time she was to leave me in
earnest. First she explained to me
that the tiny size was her natural
shape, for she was Of a race of
dwarfs-one Of the oldest races in
the world, she said. They had been
shrinking in size, however, and
might vanish altogether except that,
from time to time, a royal princess