Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-10-16

up the lillInpAU To certain solitary thor
oughfares he had discovered in his devious
busy with various interpretations of this
message from Meenie, and of her reasons
for sending it, At first, as has been said,
there was nothing for him but shame and
establishment; this was reproach: she
had heprd of the condition into which he
had fallen this was to remind him of
what had been. And. indeed. it was now
Tor the first time that he began to he con-
scious of what that condition was. He
had fled to those boon companions as u
kind of refuge from the hopclessness of
the weary hours, from the despair vii h
regard to the future that had settled
down over his life. He had laughed,
drank, smoked. and sang the time away,
glad to forget. When haunting memories
came to rebuke, then there was a call for
another glass, another song. Nay, he
could even make apologies to himself
when the immediate excitement was
over. Why should he do otherwise The
dreams coniured up by the Americans
had no more charms for him. Why
should he work toward some future that
had no interest for him
Death is the end of life; ah, why
Should life all labor be?
And so Kate Menze's dogcart became a
pleasant thingas it ratified along the hard
stony roads; and many merry glass
they had at the waysidc inns and then
home again in the evening to supper, and
singing, and a goodnight bacchanalian
festival at the Harmony Club. The hours
passed; he did not wish to think of what
his life had become; enough if for the
time being he could Danish the horrors Of
the aching head, the hot pulse, the
trembling hands.
But ii Meenie had heard of all this how
would it appear to her and he made no
In, hat hn had hon rl
powerful motive that had prompted her
to do this thing He knew that her sister
had been making inquiries about him ::
his brothers congregation was u hot-bed
of gossip if any news had been sent Of
him by that agency, no doubt it was the
worst. And still Meenie did not turn
away from him with shudder. He took
out the envelope again. What could she
mean? Might he dare to think it was
this-that no matter what had happened,
or what she had heard, she still had some
little faith in him, that the recollection of
their old friendship was not all gone
away? Reproach it might be, but per-
haps also an appeal? And if Meenie had
still some interest IN what happened to
him?
He would 90 no further than that. 1t
was characteristic of the man that, even
with this white token of good Twill and
remembrance and good wishes before his
eyes-with this unusual message just
sent to HIM fro II one who WAS generally
so shy and reserved--he permitted to him
self no wildly daring fancies or bewilder-
ing hopes. Nor had the majesty of the
Stunrts of Glengask and Orosay any
thing to do with this restraint: it was
the respect he paid to Meenie herself.
And yet-and yet-this was n friendly
token; it seemed to make the day
whittier somehow; it was with no ill-will
she had been thinking of him when she
rot l,npn ,Nf ha lie
at the foot OF Clebrig or from the
banks of Mudal Water. So
white and fresh it was: it spoke of
clear skies and sweet moorland winds :;
and there seemed to be the soft touch Of
her finger still on it AS she had pressed it
own small white hand that had written
that rather trembling MIR. Ronald
Strang.' "A gentle message: he grew to
think there was less of reproach in it :;
if she had heard evil tidings of him. per-
haps she was sorry more than anything
else; Meene's eyes might have sorrow in
them and pain, but anger-never. And
her heart-well, surely her heart could
not have been set bitterly against him, or
she would not have sent him this mute
little token of remembrance, as if to re
call the olden days.
bars that Gagged him in. Why should the
CHASTITY farce be played any longer?
Why should he go through that dun,
mechanical routine in which he had
no interest whatever? Let others make
what money they choose: let others push
forward to any future that they might
think desirable let them aim at being
first in the worlds fight for wealth, and
having saloon carriages, and steam yachts
on Lake Michigan, and cat-boats on Lake
George; hut as for him, if Lord Ailine
now would only let him go back to the
10 h,,,, ,lAt
give him charge of the dogs again, and
freedom to ask Dr. Douglas to go with
him for a turn at the mountain hares or
for days salmon fishing on the Mudal-
i'll short, il only he could get back to his
old life again, with fair skies over him.
and fresh blowing winds around him, and
wholesome blood running cheerIly
through his veins? And then the chance
at some hour or other of the long day, of
meeting Meenie, and finding the beauti-
full, tmid Highland eyes fixed on his :
Are you going along to the inn, Rom
alc ?, he could almost hear her say.
And will you he so kind as to take these
letters for me ~
But contracted habits are not so easily
shaken OIL as all that; and he was sick
and Ill at ease: and when the hour came
for him to 90 down and see Kate Men
zies and her friends, perhaps he was not
altogether sorry that he had made a def
mite promise which he was bound to keep.
He left the envelope, with its piece of
white heather, at home.
Nevertheless, he was rather Idull, they
thought and there was some facetious
raillery over his not having yet recovered
from the frolic of the previous night, with
frequent invitations to take n hair of the
dog that had bitten him. Kate was the
kindest she had been a little alarmed by
the definite repugnance he had shown IN
the morning; she was glad to be friends
with him again. AS tor him, well, he
was as good-natured as ever, but rather
absent in manner for sometimes, amid
all their boisterous cdmdrddGrie, he abso-
!utely forgot what they were saying and
In kinl of dream he seemed to see be-
rore him the sun-lit Strath- Terry, and the
blue waters of the loch, and Mudal's
stream winding through the solitary
moorland waste, and young girl there
STOPPING to pick up something from the
heather.