anube. No Tartar had
downed him!

And so our people had back their wealth, and the people of the village
theirs. No honour was lost and the maidens remained in the village--only
Maria did not. She followed her lover even as the people looked on. No
one even attempted to stop her. It was her right. Where was she to find
one such as he? She, too, was from the seed of an oak.

* * * * *

"And now, son, I ask thee--if the book before thee speaks of all the
great heroes, why is it that Ghitza has not been given the place of
honour?"

The log was burning in the fireplace, but I said good night to Murdo. I
wanted to dream of the mighty Ghitza and his Maria. And ever since I
have been dreaming of ... her.

FOOTNOTE:

[4] Copyright, 1920, by The Dial Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright,
1921, by Konrad Bercovici.

THE LIFE OF FIVE POINTS[5]

#By# EDNA CLARE BRYNER

From _The Dial_

A life went on in the town of Five Points. Five Points, the town was
called, because it was laid out in the form of a star with five points
and these points picked it out and circumscribed it. The Life that was
lived there was in this wise. Over the centre of the town it hung thick
and heavy, a great mass of tangled strands of all the colours that were
ever seen, but stained and murky-looking from something that oozed out
no one could tell from which of the entangling cords. In five directions
heavy strands came in to the great knot in the centre and from it there
floated out, now this way, now that, loose threads like tentacles,
seeking to fasten themselves on whatever came within their grasp. All
over the town thin threads criss-crossed back and forth in and out among
the heavy strands making little snarls wherever several souls lived or
were gathered together. One could see, by looking intently, that the
tangling knotted strands and threads were woven into the rough pattern
of a star.

Life, trembling through the mass in the centre, streamed back and forth
over the incoming strands, irregularly and in ever-changing volume,
pulling at the smaller knots here and there in constant disturbance. It
swayed the loosely woven mass above the schoolhouse, shaking out glints
of colour from the thin bright cords, golden yellows and deep blues,
vivid reds and greens. It twisted and untwisted the small black knot
above the town hotel. It arose in murky vapour from the large knots
above each of the churches.