The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-12-03

the keeping of a woman.
".
That q man OF CARTS, or's rank,
breeding aud refinement should NEE:
his fate within the walls of lonely
farmhouse beyond the Trossachs,
seems incredible. One would scarcely
expect 10 find among such humble sur
roundings a wife suitable TO man of
his stamp. And vet when | saw line
woman who had won him l neither
wondered at the conquest nor did l
blame him for weakness.
l made the great discovery on the
morning after my arrival. Eager 10
taste the freshness of the morning air,
| rose betimes and went for short
stroll. | returned, and while standing
at the door of the house, was positively
startled by the beauty of a girl who
| passed me and entered. as if she were a
regular inha bitant of the place. Not 4
rosy Scotch lassie, such as one would
expect to find indigenous to the soil;
but a slim, graceful girl, with delicate.
classical features. A girl with a mass
of knotted light hair, yet with the APP
parent anomaly, dark eyes, eyelashes
and eyebrows-a combination which,
to my mind, makes q style of beauty
rare, ire sistible and dangerous abvoe
all others. The features which filled
the exquisite oval of Der face were re-
fined and faultless Her complexion
was pale, but its pallor in no way su@-
gested anything save perfect health.
To cut my enthusiastic description
short, may at once say it has never
been my coed fortune to cast my eyes
on loveler creature than this young
girl.
Although her dress was of the plain
est and simplest description. no one
could have mistaken her for . servant:
and much as l admire the bonny,
healthy Scotch country lasses, l felt
sure that mountain air had never reared
a being of this ethereally beautiful type
As she passed me raised my hat IN
stinctively. She gracefully bent her
golden head and babe me quiet but
unembarrassed good morning. NY
eyes followed her until she vanished at
the end of the dark passage which led
to the back of the house.
Even during the brief glimpse l en-
|
idea occurred to me. There was re-
markable likeness between her delicate
features and those scarcely less delicate
of Carriston. This resemblance may
have added to the interest the girls APP.
| pearance awoke in my mind. Any way,
| entered our sittingroOm, and, prey
to curiosity and perhaps hunger await
ed with much Impotence the appear
ance of Carriston and breakfast.
The former arrived first. Generally
speaking he was afoot long before
was. but this morning we had reversed
the usual order of things. As soon y:
| saw him | cried:
GARRISON, tel me at once who is the
lovely girl 1 met outside. An angel
with dark eyes and golden hair. Is she
staying here like ourselves?"
A look of pleasure flashed into his
eyes-a look which pretty well told me
everything. Nevertheless he answered
as carelessly rs if such lovely young
women were assscommon to the mount
ain side rs rocks and brambleS.
Il expect you mean Miss Rowan; a
niece of our worthy landlady. She lives
with her"
She can not be Scotch with such a
face and eyes?"
Half and half. Her father was
called an EngIishman; but was, be-
lieve, of French extraction. They say
the name was originally Roman"
Carriston seemed to have made close
inquiries as to Miss Rowan parentage.
''But what brings her here?" 1 asked.
'She has nowhere else to 90.
Rowan was an artist He married a
! sister of our hostess, and bore her
away from her native land. Some
years AGO she died, leaving this one
daughter. Last year the father died,
penniless, they tell me. 50 the girl has
since then lived with her only relative,
| her aunt"
We'll" 1 said, ''as you seem to
know all about her, you can introduce
me 10y and by
with tine greatest pleasure, if Miss
Rowan permits" said CarFiston. |
was glad TO hear him give the condi.
tional promise with as much respect to
the lady wishes as if she had been a
duchess.
Then, with the liberty a c.ose friend
may take. | drew toward me a port
| folio. full, l presumed, of sketches of
surrounding scenery. TO my surprise.
Carriston jumped up hastily and
snatched it from me. "Ihey are too
bad to look al" he said. As l strug-
glcd to regain possession, sunGry
strings broke, and, 10 and behold! the
floor was Uttered, not with delineationS
ofrock, lake and torrent. but with i'm
ages of the fair young girl | had seen
few minutes before. Full face, profile,
three quarter face. five, even seven eight
face, al were there-each study per-
fectly executed by Carriston'S clever
pencil. [ threw myself into a chair and
laughed aloud, while the young man,
blushing and discomfitei, quickly mud
died the portraits between the covers,
just as genuine Scotch lassie bore in
the plentiful, and, to me, very welcome
breakfast.
Carriston did favor me with his COM
pany during the whole of that day, but,
in spite of my having come to Scotland
to enjoy his society, that day. from east
ly-guesSed reasons, was the only one in
which l had undisputed possession of
my friend.
Of course | bantered him a good deal
on the portfolio episode. He took it in
good part. attempting little or no de-
Tense. Indeed. before night he had
told me with all boys fervor how hR
had loved Madeline Rowan at first sight,
how in the short space of time which
had elapsed since that meeting he had
wooed her and won her; how good and
beautiful she was; how he worshiped
her; how happy he felt; how when
went South he should accompany me,
IL,