Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-16

eyes; that's how they do it." insisted hlm
father tipsy with indignation. "They take you :,
down to the cellar Of the church. and just - !.
you pass the threshold they shoot you in thd
back of the head. And you, you damned impl" :.
he yelled at Sergey. "what are you going ID
do? thought you could find something"
Marfoosha's weary let him alone" reused
her father to q higher pitch.
mo; won't let him alone. What good has
he done? You damned imp 1t was Dedushka
who swore you amounted to something. The
old man Is getting crazier every day. Suppose
you get along over there and let him know
how worthless you are. Get on Get out Oh
here" Unable to vent his feelings otherwise
the commandment staggered to his feet and add
vanced with threatening fist toward the boy. {
Sergey retreated sullenly He was half way
down the steps when the commandant rushed
out and yelled ct him: what time will it be1Fs:
Eleven o'clock tonight" shouted the boy
without pauStng
It was already past o'clock and pitch dark.
He found his way through the town by the
glow from the windows and afterward by IND
stinct, like q young wild animal, accurately
retraced the path Of the evening before. Hi9
thoughts were whirlng about the awful eyes OF
the Baba Papagai. The longer he thought
the more convinced he became that she was &
Kelpie. His fathers stories came back more
vividy. Surely there was some. det&N he had
forgotten His father certainly had spoken OF
Sergey a whole lifetime seemed passed sinc9
then, and he CROPPED back in his memory -
an old man strives to recall his youth.
His boots brushed against the branches OF 6
fir tree growing beside the railroad track. 6ef@
gey felt as though door in his mind had
opened half way. :
"Tree berriesl The berries of the mountaiH
ashl That's what father said was good for.
Kelpies. Woven In cross"
But something else, too, when there were Nd
ash berries. Something still better he ref1ect4
ed. He was walking head down, so absorbed,
in the effort to remember that he went paSN
the old mans box car without noticing til
Suddenly he stopped, shifted the air like q
hound on the trail turned, saw the box eAE.
and ran toward It. He continued to sniff al
he banged on the door, stamping impatientIG
until it opened with puff of savory steam. 4
1--WE found It'll" shouted Sergey, leaping uif
and Selling the astonished old man by the
hand 1--WE found It'll" he repeated, dancing
in excitement I'VE can save him now"
I'm the name of the holy saints Boris and
G1eb!" calculated the grandfather. What Il
it you've found to make you jump like de&
on a frogs back?"
Sergey hardly heard him. His eyes were rows
ing around the cabin
'Ha! There, In the cornerl" He heaved
deep sigh of relief. 1.-THE charm!" he exc
claimed. "The charm, little grandfather, the
charm to defeat the Kelpie"
And now perhaps you'll tell me what KelS
PIE lS anu why you re DeLldflIB ike an lUlOtsS
grunted the old man sarcastically as he dipped
a bowl of stew and placed it smoking hot bee
fore the boy. How good it smelled! SergeE
recollected his stomach so keenly that he forgot
his excitement. Over the stew he related the
days events, dwelling on his conviction that tho
Bahia Papagai was Kelpie
The old man nodded aflrmatively and looked
with as much wonder as old age can feel ae
the red head Of his small visitor bobbing NJ
and down over the bowl.
''Whew, I'm late terribly late. Maybe he'd
already gone. Must run like the devil"
SERGEY jumped for the door, pulling hia
fur cap over his ears, and with q shriIn
"Good-by!" bOlted into the night
He took the steps at the prison door In OnG
jump, landed on his heels, skidded and fell IN
heap at the feet Of the surprised sentry.
"Gangway!" he gasped. "Lemme in"
who, then Is holding you?" said the sentrN
as Sergey jerked open the door and rushed into
the hall.
1t was empty.
Sergey stopped, frozen with fear that he had
come too late to give his talisman to the Amers
lean. His feet Jagged as he crossed the hall,
but voices in a room beyond quickened his step.
He pushed his head cautiously through tina
door, entered quickly, closed it with bang and
jumped forward. MarfooSha and the American
were sitting on the floor, talking so earnestly
that they scarcely needed Sergeys presence
Nm kkNak oJI