The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-06-22

enough to get his lesson in the manage
ment of tiocks from Tam himself, q les
SON he meantsto put in practice as q
farmer In Australia Tam tFas pleased
to find his friend had not fofsotten hImi
nor was he preof Against the eompii,-
ment neatly offered to his farming Skill
Moreover there is never lack of hosPi-
tality among the Celts, and Tam MADE
his Young friend welcome to the Dest
his house afforded so long as he, liked TO
stay.
Mel was fair-haired, blue-eyed man,
tall aud light-limbed, but with the
muscles and sinews of q prize-hghter.
He had been at the High School IN Ed
inburgh, was we'll up in modern topics,
and able to hold forth upon subjects
which rarely reached the ears OF the
inhabitants of the Braes, except when
the shooting season brought down the
great folk, and the great folk brought
their servants; then politics, Parlia-
ments, and the court were famiiiarly
discussed in every shieling.
Mel was no idler, either in work o.
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 DuIcan had watch
ed and waited for in vain; and, waking
MP the sleeping heart, brought the love
light into the sweet hazel eyes, that
softened and dropped now as they had
never done before any mans gaze. There
was no question of love speech between
the two, and yet before the summer
came, Helen had found out what diff
ferent place love could make the world.
There had never been such heather on
the hills, or braken and wild roses on
the braes, as now bloomed; the love-
filter was acting, and nature took tone,
as it always does, from the heart.
"How bonnie you're growing, Nelly"
said Tam one day, as Helen came run
ming up the grass, her hair escaping
from the sky-blue snood, the gay cotton
short gown coming half way down the
striped linsey petticOat, which was
Just short enough to show her neatly
clad feet and shapely ankles, coqnett-
ishly arrayed in bright stockings,
with elaborately embroidered clocks.
whats come to thelassie, wifei She's
breakin' the hearts % half the lads in
the place. There's Duncan, puir lad,
fient q smile he'll gle now, but gangs rs
dOur-" 23ffssEfs
"Wheesht, father ~ cried Helen, shut
ting his mouth with q rosy little palm.
"Here's Duncan COMM"
As she spoke Duncan stalked up to
the door. 1t was easy to see that some
thing had gone against the grain; the
expression Of his face, the tone of his
voice, and his very gait, were changed;
his clothes were thrown on with care
lessness unlike former days, and his
eyes restless and bloodshOt, turned I'M
easily to Helen, as he emade some COM
monplace remark to her father concern
ing the weather. y
Helen's color deepened. Something
in the mans eyes struck like knife to
her heart, and lay there ranking, max
ing the hot blood spring to her face, and
the hand that had been on her fathers
mouth clench fiercely as if to beat back
some burst of angering Indignation.
But the flush faded the next moment,
and shuder shook her from head to
foot, for Mel came in from the hill, and
as he turned the corner of the hedge,
and Duncau's eye fell upon him, Helen
saw the thick black brows drawn pas
sionately together, the big veins start
like knotted cords, and the strong
teeth set hard in the neither lip. She
saw this, and even then her heart sank
with an underlined fear; but it was not
until some days afterwards, when the
braes were ringing with the mysteri-
Gus disappearance of Mel Lesley, that
the full significance of that look was re-
vealed to her.
To be Continued.