Page:The strange experiences of Tina Malone.djvu/35

Rh I ran out before anyone could stop me and brought her in to meet my sister.

She came along the hall and the Tribunal proceeded.

I was not allowed to speak.

The Priestess would not turn her eyes my way whether I addressed her or not, and Naomi stood a rigid tragedy queen.

Soon the Priestess covered her eyes with her hand while Naomi read the offending parts of the letter aloud.

They sounded so paltry, those little sentences now.

I could see my sister had only a feeling of pity for Naomi as if she were only foolish in bringing forward such a trifle.

But the Priestess and Naomi were hand in glove with one another and when I said:

"Come on, Kitty, leave them alone, I can't stay here if this sort of thing goes on."

"Then I am to take that as notice?" asked Diana in a voice of excited joy.

"Certainly," I said.

The next morning I felt sorry, it seemed such a trifle to go for.

I had been to work and work always brings back a feeling of sanity, and as I opened my door I found a long printed slip about a horse.

The Priestess had an idea that to encourage my love for animals was a sure way of leading me from perdition to the Higher Plane, and with them the horse stood for strength.

I picked it up. It had the Priestess' initials on it. I felt sure I was forgiven and hurried to her room. She had been entrusted with the letting of the rooms.

I told her I had thought matters over and it had been such a silly little squabble I would like to stay on if she were willing to let us start again.

To my surprise she made excuses.

"I've promised the rooms," she said, looking up with a smile of excited pleasure. "Someone who saw your room one day said, 'Oh, if I had only known you had a room like that I would have taken it.' She may not come at once, but itsit's [sic] promised."

"You didn't take very long over it, then," I said.

I knew perfectly well who the "someone" was. It was an artist, an occultist, who had come to borrow a pencil from me and had exclaimed at the beauty of the view.

The Priestess would not let me withdraw but, ashamed of her behaviour, left for the country, and stayed away all the week that I was room-hunting and dismantling my rooms.

And Naomi!

Not once did she come near me.