The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-06-19

| StanQlng not ana angry dIter us last
failure, he was by no means comforted
by seeing Helen's cheeks redden be-
fore the glances of the victor. who,
cap in hand, introduced himself to
Tam M'Gregor as the son of his old
friend, Mel Lesley, and saying that
he had cometo the Gathering on his
way to Balquhidder, his father having
told him of the sheep farming there,
and how. for auld acquaintance sake,
he might be lucky enough to get his
lesson in the management of focks
from Tam himself, lesson he meant
to put in practice as farmer in Aus
tralia. Tam was pleased to find his
| friend had not forgotten him, nor
| was he proof against the compliment
neatly offered to his farming skill.
| Moreover thereis never lack of hos
pitality among the Celts, and Tam
made his young friend welcome to the
best his house afforded SO long as he
liked to stay. 80
Mel was a fair haired, blue-eyed
man, tall and light-lim bed. but with
the muscles and sinews of a prize
fighter. He had been at the High
School in Edinburgh. was well UP in
modern topics, and able to hold forth
upon subjects which rarely reached the
cept when the shooting season brought
folk brought their servants then poll
tics, parliaments,a and the court were
Familiarity discussed, in every shieling.
Mel was no idler, either in work,
or play, or love- Everything he set
his hand to he did in the manner, we
are told, is sure to succeed. So no
wonder that, falling in love, as he did
at once, he reused what. poor Duncan
had watched and waited for in vain;
and, waking up the sleeping heart,
brought the loyehght. into the sweet
hazel eyes, that softened and dropped
now as they had never done before
any man gaze. There was no ques-
ton of love speech between the two,
and yet. before the Summer came,
Helen had found out what different
place love could make Ythe world.
There had never been such heather
on the hills, sor abraeken and wild
roses on the braes, as now bloomed;y
the love-Rlter was acting, and nature
took tone. as it always does, from the
heart. aa Y.I.91 ~
How bonnie, you're growing Nell
ly," said Tam one day, as Helen came
running up the grass, her hair eesca- /
ping from the skyrblue snood, the gay
cotton short gown coming half way
down the striped .linsey petticoat,
which was just short enough to show
her neatly-elad foot and shapely an
kles, coquettishly arrayed in bright
stockings, with acknowledgements
dered clocks. What's come to the
lassie, wife? She's b-eakin' the hearts
o. half the lads in the place. There's
Duncan, puir lad, fent smile he'll
gle now, but gangs as door"
"Wheist, faitherl cried Helen,
shutting his mouth with rosy little |
palm. Here's Duncan comm"
As she spoke, Duncan stalked up
to the door. 1t was easy to see that |
something had gone against the
grain; the expression of his face, the |
tone of his voice, his very gait were
changed: his clothes were thrown on
with a carelessness- unlike former |
days. and his eyes, restless and |
bloodshot, turned uneasily to Helen,
as he made some commonplace re- /
mark to her father concerning the
weather. &
Helen's color deepened. Some
thing in the mans eyes struck like a
knife to her heart, aud lay there rank
ling, making the hot blood spring to
her face, aud the hand that had been
on her fathers mouth clench fercely
as if to beat back some burst of anger
ing indignation. But the flush faded
the next moment, andla shudder shook |
her from head to foot, for Neil came
in from the hill, and as he turned the
corner of the hedge, and Duncan's
eyes fell upon him, Helen. saw the
thick black brows drawn passionately
the big veins start like knot
ted cords, and hestrong teeth set hard I
In the neither lip, She saw this, and
even then her heart, sank with an un-
defined fear; but twas not until some
days afterwards, when the braes were
with the mysterious disappear
ance of Mel Lesley, that. the full sig
nifcance of that look was revealed to
her. ~ 1aIsata a1s=s-fai =
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