Evening star., 1939-01-15

just an inscription OH Tie wall tile idoy -
supposed to have scratched there in extremis.
And the bed these interesting events are
supposed to have taken place in
"Were you really taken there when you
were twenty-one. and told about it?'
II was told the story. Naturally it's not
thing one broadcasts For one thing, there is a
very unpleasant curse supposed to come on
ANYBODY who lets it out of the immediate
family. You'd better bear that in mind. None
of the servants know the story"
He stood up and stretched himself. "Abso-
lutte rot. the whole thing, of course.
She looked round, apprehensively.
II don't know, Colin. This place has
queer feeling about it.
She knew, suddenly. that the noise the wind
made outside her bedroom window was like
the Tapping of loose sails. Sails of demon
ship, come in on the tide. 1t was silly, and
nerves. She was too much alone. She tried to
pull herself together. II shall get used to it.
she told herself Presently l shall make
new friends.
She never did People do not 60 calling
much when storm may arise and maroon
them for anything up to week.
The voice of the wind. and the sound of
the sea- They were all she had. Colin was
cold man. After year with him she knew
him no better than she had done that first
night, when she looked at him over her shoul
der, the come -hither in her eye.
Nothing was what she had expected it to
be- The children curtsied to her. The old
women with their bright eyes and apple
cheeks said: "Yes, my Lady No. my
Lady," but there was queer expression she
could not understand in their faces. As if they
were glad when her shadow ceased to fall over
their Threshold She was indeed, a kind of
queen, just as they had said on Long Island
she would be- But it wasn't the same.
Put away in an old chest, she found the
coronation robes. They were of crimson
velvet and ermine, and there were two coro-
nets there, also Full of moths.
The winter was over Snowdrop and winter
aconite frightened the castle gardens. faint
simmer of blue showed again on the gray
sea- Colin had gone to the mainland. but not
to right wrongs or rescue distressed maidens
To buy sheep Half tree. burning in the
huge CRATE of the library, sent out a pleasant
pungent scent. Meryl moved the long ladder
around, amusing herself by delving into the
old books looking for something to read.
Tucked away on top shelf was bundle
that broke as she touched it. Old photographs
came tumbling to the ground. She picked
them up and was putting them together again
when one drew her attention.
1t was fair boy. with the high-bred Har
binger look, the pale eyes, the narrow fore
head; the thick sandy gold hair that fitted
almost like metal cap. But about this boy
there was something that turned her sick and
cold and creepy.
He had pointed ears that stood straight
out from his head. So protuberant that for
moment she thought they had been stuck on
for joke, that perhaps it was part of fancy
dress. But they wouldn't. she thought, not
remembering that horrible story.
Cummins doddered in. bringing her tea.
He saw the picture in her hand, and peered
at it with his rheumy old eyes. His Lordship.
before he had his operation. Oh. yes. my Lady.
They all have to have it done. It's quite
feature in the family, is them ears. The Mac
Tam Lug, they call it in these parts. You'll
notice, my Lady, that before surgery became
what it is now. none of the family were ever
painted showing their ears. 1t was either a
cap of some Sort or a clever hair arrange