Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1878-12-21

to her This is Hogmanay morning, my
lass, and you're the first foot in the house.
It's pity that you brought nothing better
with you than that-that thing that sent
you to Saddell for. But it was all my doing
your going there, and you've brought what
sent you for; 80 | ought to take your
New Year gift and he pleased with it
And you must have been wearied with the
getting of it, and you must he almost worn
| out, my lass, with your long walk and
you'd better rest"
Mary, going to the peat fire, over which a
| large iron pot, suspended fg great chain,
| was kept in state OF perpetual simmer,
returned, as ii were, to the ordinary duties
of her daily life, and made herself bowl OF
porridge, with which, and hammock cake,
she refreshed herself after her late fatigue.
| The intelligent Luath looked on with the
greatest delight, and kept her company
| during this New Year mornings breakfast
Then, when she had finished her meal, and
changed her wet clothes for dry ones, she
| took couple OF hours sound sleep, and
then awoke refreshed, and went about her
ordinary household duties.
| Meanwhile old Donald had been out of
doors seeing to his own work with the
beasts, and about the farm buildings, and
cautiousness seemed to have returned with
him. "You had the skull, Marv?" he
asked.
Yes, master. have put it aside, in Il
sale place; but l can bring it to you"
! don't want to see it again. But you re
sure it's the same skull, Mary" I'm
thinking that il might be one from else
where"
| It's the one that you bid me fetch you,
| MIR. Macbane, and it's from the Macdonald's
tomb in the old church at Saddell. took
it from under the arch, and | carried it all
the way here And then she told him the
circumstances under which she had obtain
ed it, and the mysterious sounds that she
had heard in the old church.
It's strange tale" said old Donald
"Im doubling the facts, Mary
" II yell go there she replied, yell find
all the facts, Mr.. Macbane'
| Then he said, "Pll take We at your
word, Mary; it's broad daylight now, and
the storm is blown over. thought that
Jock MacPhail this was his farming
man." might have been keeping Hogma-
nay; but he's come to his work, and III 60
away to Saddel, and he shall 60 with me,
for an eyewitness of the facts. And we'll
prove your words, Mary Morrison; and We
shall see if there are your tracks in the
snow right up to the old church and I'm
thinking, my lass, that as likely as not we
shall find the true murderer's skull on the
great Macdonalds tomb"
" took the skull from there, Mr.. Mac
bane; and it's all true that I've told you.
Aye, aye, we'll see, Mary we'll see "
said old Donald. And soon after she saw
1 Ia, ,tk
plodding up the hillside, and taking that
so bravely labored during the long hours OF
the preceding night.
1t was afternoon on that New Years day
before old Donald returned to Glenbarr
for, vigorous though he was, yet the elastic
ity OF youth was past, and he had been COM
PEELED to rest several times by the way. Not
only did his man Jock McPhail return with
him, but his son Donald also, greatly to
Mary's surprise. Her lover soon explained
it to her: " | met them, quite accidentally
between here and Saddell. | learnt what
they were after, and went with them to
see fair play
81 But, Donald" she said, you are back
from the fair day earlier than you ex-
pected?'
| eyes," he replied, sold the beasts, and
did all the business that wanted. And
besides---I had dream a bad dream it
was about you, Mary. | thought you had
gone down into some dreadful charnel house,
| though you were not dead and l was dis
turbed that greatly that nothing would
pacify me but to hasten back to Glenbarr,
and know that you were safe, and that my
evil dream was an empty vision"
| And then, between those soft nothings that
lovers delight in after an absence however
brief---and this parting had, for them, been
a long one---she told him how very near his
dream had been of coming true; and that
she during the night, had been really among
the graves and relics OF the dead.
| Yes, he knew all about it. That casual
meeting with his father, 80 unexpectedly,
had led to the needful explanation, and he
had retraced his steps with them to the old
ruined monastery at Saddell, to be wit
ness, in his true loves behalf, to what they
saw there "And," continued young DON
aid, when we got to the old church, and
| found the door shut, ust as you had left it,
and burst it open, what do you suppose we
found there?"
"Not ghosts." she faltered.
"Well," replied young Donald, dubious
| ly, certainly they may have been called
something else than ghosts, for they had
hoofs, and not few of them had horns.
Yet they were not uncanny creatures for
all that. They were deer, number ofwild
deer, who had evidently pushed their way
into the old church to seek shelter from the
snow storm, and then, when they had we'll
| frightened you, my poor darling, with their
meanings and rushings about, they tried to
make their escape; but you efiectually
stopped them by slamming the door in their
faces. There, at any rate, We three found
them, and very pleased they seemed when
we let them out"
"And did you find that skull on the old
tomb7'
| "No. We found your footmarks there,
and the place where your plaid had swept
the snow from the slab; but the skull was
gone"
"And here it is" she said triumphantly,
as she produced it from the place where she
had put it for safety. dts strange thing
for love token, Donald or for a New
Year gift, but l went through all | did to
gain it for your dear sake"
Then her lover took her in his arms.
"And I have brought Hogmanay gift
for You, DEAR" and from dainty little box
he produced cairngorm brooch, with
which she might fasten her shawl or plaid
when she went to kirk on the Sabbath and
from a still smaller box---which, in her
eyes at least, looked far daintier than the
other---he showed her plain gold ring,
which Just fitted the third finger of her left
| L.nJ Eor - he eaid Nthpra's M kpnw.