by Whit Burnett
sounded more and more incredible--one of the
childish
things," spoken of in that passage Daddy had happened to read
yesterday at prayers, that people should outgrow and "put
away." And yet-it could not only be coincidence. She thought,
frowningly, of the Major's plastered ear, and of his lameness.
For every point where she, or, earlier, Bella, had misused the
manikin there was a scar or some disfigurement or answering
disability.
But she was in far too great an eager-anxious Outter and increasing mental turmoil over her new beginning life at school to ponder such a relatively uni.olportant matter more than a
few moments.
It was not until her first term had been survived, and even
not until several days of the ensuing holidays had sped by too,
that she again recalled the doll.
"Vic," she said suddenly conscious of a slight stab of guilt at
her forgetfulness. "Oo, I wonder how old Major Candy's getting
on?"
Vic's school had broken up almost a week before hers, so he
had the advantage of her as regards local news. They were
strolling in the orchard, near the shed. He glanced at it now,
and an odd expression crossed his face.
"Oh," he said. "I thought you'd heard. He died, you know."
"Died?" asked Dulcie blankly.
"Yes. Well, he was pretty ancient, really. But he-he burned
himself. There was a-fire. Quite a lot of their house was
burned out too."
"How did it start?" She had a sick feeling, half guessing.
"How did the fire start? Was it because of--of what we sent
him?"
"Well, yes, it was, in a way. When he opened the box he was
so angry-and so disgusted just at the silliness of it I supposethat he must have got into one of his tempers and chucked the thing in the fire. He was always a peppery old boy, they say.
Of course, with the wax, there was a tidy blaze. His clothes
must have caught alight or something . and-when they found
him he was just-just lying down . . . . "
"Oh . . . oh, dear/ How horrid/" wailed Dulcie. She was crying. "Oh dear!"
Vic looked undecided whether to be annoyed with her or
afflicted by her tears. "Well, I shouldn't worry too much if I
were you. Why, YO¥ only saw him once in your whole lifeto speak to, I mean. It's not your fault, anyhow. And all that about images and spells and magic is sheer bosh. • • . "
"But it-it's spoiled everything. And it kept on being true,"
The Clllldlsll Tiling • 229
said Dulcie, gulping. "Even then, right to the finish! When the
wax man was burned so was he . . .
"
"Oh, don't," implored Vic. "Don't be so silly. I'm sorry for
the old chap of course. But it was an accident, pure and simple.
And if he hadn't been so furious about how ridiculous the superstition was it wouldn't have happened. That was it, don't you see? I can just picture him cursing at the parcel when he'd
opened it."
Dulcie, unconsoled, did not answer, for this line of reasoning seemed somehow to defeat itself and only to lead back to the enigma. She gazed up at the evening sky where a piled rack
was driving. Amber and rose and amethyst were in it, as the
clouds reeled smoothly on like gliding figures in a carnival procession, drawn as if on rails invisible to the land's rim, spilling their glowing cores and endlessly toppling there, a stately ferment of every burning hue.
"Cheer up," Vic insisted. "You did the best you could. The
trouble was that you believed in it too much, I think . . . .
"
He put a hand on her arm, urging her to the house, away
from the orchard. But before she left it she threw one glance
behind her at the shed, dark and wizened in the gloaming,
knowing that. if she could help it, she would never go there
again.
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