The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-10-20

into danger, and into Roy's horizon. She
made sad commotion in that horizon during
the next few weeks; now splendidly gracious
now haughtilY Indifferent; now meeting
Roy's advances with more than equal pas
sion, now treating him with GOODNESS which
almost drove him wild.
Her mother had been Mahratta chief
tainess, and she was going back, she said
with her father to Calcutta in few weeks.
Janet prayed for her departure. Her dress,
manner, style OF beauty, her very name was
an offense.
"Maha, indeed!' she said, when told Ma
hal was her name. "Such an heathenish
name just fits her; she's more like splendid
leopard than woman"
And just as leopard might play with its
victim she played with Roy; now suffering
him to escape her tolls aud now Turing him
back with some fresh witchery which he was
poWeress to resist. But at length, one night
she encouraged him to pour out his entire
heart; she suffered him to hold her childlike
hands, to feel the perfume of her chdlike
curls, to touch her glowing cheeks. She dis
missed him with kiss which intoxicated
him with joy, and the next morning left for
Calcutta without one word OF kindliness or
farewell.
He did not know she had gone for twenty
four hours. The news smote bin like
sword. He went back to Airlie house like
man stricken with death. The disappoint-
ment was the climax to six weeks of worry
and anxiety; typhoid fever was the most nat
ural of results, and Roy went down to the
very gates of the grave with it. 1t is said
that most love affairs can be cured by smart
attack of fever; we can only Judge Roy's by
the results.
Whatever thoughts occupied the long hours
A1o1E %r,s.s 10 fr
Alice Elderslie. He frankly confessed his in
fatuatlon for the splendid Mahal, and begged
her, if she could trust an affection whose
roots lay deeper than it, to forgive and &C.
cept him.
But woman's instinct in such matters 1t
very fine. Alice saw good reasons to dstruss
his cure. She was quite sure that Mahal yet
had very powerful influence over him. Per-
haps she was right, for upon Alice's refusal
Roy placed his estate in Lawyer Bells care
left the house with Janet, and suddenly dis,
appeared.
Of course he went to Calcutta, and upon
the principle that like cures like he could
have done no wiser thing. He saw there
superfuity of beauties like the magnificent
Mahal. Hundreds of women, with soft,
black. lustrous eyes, and carnation cheeks,
and forms of voluptuous loneliness. The
semi-barbaric splendor of dress and jewels,
which had so dazzled him by its contrast
with the simplicity of English costume be-
came a common and familiar sight. Mahal
lost by the side of still lovelier halfbreeds;
and as she had touched no moral or intellect
ual point of Roy's character, she soon lost
him altogether.
There very soon came time when he
could have paid her back in her own coin,
but Roy came of race of gentlemen, and
and MahaPs weapons were not in his armory.
From Calcutta he went to Australia, and
there turned his knowledge of sheep-rasing
to very great advantage. He took a partner
renewed in a kind of Arabian Nights
fashion his experience of strengthening
on the Cumberland hills. He was among coun
trymen, was making money rapidly and was
happy. He fully intended to remain in Aus
traian sheep walks until he had made suf-
ficient to realize his dreams for Airlie house.
But one day his partner went down to Sid
ney, and retured with fair, sweet, young
English girl, who, trusting to his love, had
She was not like Alice, only in kind, but
somehow she brought Alice, and Alice's
sweet, tender, womanly love and lovliness so
near to Roy, that he could not bear his sep
aration from her any longer.
He had not memory of Alice which did
not link itself with purity, religion and love
of home and love of country His wild in
fatuation for Mahal had not touched so holy
feeling, and absence had only fed and
strengthened it, He found that he possessed
10000, and he gave up the chance OF the
next shearing without care and set his face
Englandward.
Janet was clapping haver-bread one morn
ing in Spring, when Roy opened door of his
own houseplace, and suddenly stood before
her.
"Guid sakes Master Roy, is it you or your
ghaist?'
at ISL Janet"
"Then you're vera welcome, en- no before
you're needed. There's auld Elderslie an
Lawyer Bell gaun clean daft ABBOTT ye-for
me telt them, you'd turn up again when ye
get ret ready to.''
"Janet, you're real glad to see me, you
know you are-why, there are tears in your
eyes, womanV'
"Mair shame for ye to bring them there,
Master Roy-maist breaking my heart these
three years."
Janet, we will not part again, hope;
where is Alice Elderslie?"
'Deed she was here minute since-she'll
hae gaun to the garden belize"
Roy lost no time in going to look for her;
and Janet, watching him through the open
lattice, nodded her head with great satisfac-
ton at the sight of the young laird under the
apple blossoms, and sweet Alice Eldeslie
iOfluSAy UCelu0 uius
CHE ought to hae said the words he's say
ing now three years ago. murmured Janet,
respectfully, shut they're better late han nev-
er."
"Janet, Janet, Alice has promised to be
my wifeV
''In time'she comes when God sends, Mas
ter Roy: but whites men are fain to kill them.
selves for the ither ane. Do ye ken what has
become o. your Mahal? She ran away VII
nlorlz ir,h or fou +box,
sac much o. the old naD's gowd WI them
that they maist ruined him. hope we shall
nae hear the end o. that marriage; it Gamma
be a good ane."
In the meantime Janet had sent for Squire
Elderslie and Lawyer Bell and Roy was ca
ing dinner with Alice when they arrived.
"My letter, Airliei Did you get my letter?
But that is impossible; it only left ten days
ago.
81 got no letter from you, Bell"
"Then you don't know what Elderslie and
wrote to you about?"
Gas I got no letter, impossible that
should"
''Then, Airlie we wrote to tell you that
Elderslie has found an immense bed of coal,
half of it on his own land, and half on yours.
1t is SO rich that l am sure that if you want to
buy back the old earldom OF Airlie you may
do it in half a score of years."
'Let the earldom 60. have now Alice of
Elderslie, that is enough joy for any man to
bear in one day. Come now, and rejoice
with us, and then tomorrow will talk with
you about seams and shares and profits.
"Janet," said Roy, as he bid her good
night, Janet, 1 have won the best and love-
Hest wife in all the world"
'And weel-tochered one too, Master
Roy. Pm not saying that Miss Alice needed
a fortune, but one does ma lharm."
"And am in the right road this time ia
net"
''Weel, weel, the right road is aye, some
gate or ither, profitable road. A guild wife
is from the Lord, and she aye kin to Guild
Fortune p'-Amelia e. Barr.