Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-08-10
"Ah, see you are one of the large class

the foeman she considers most worthy of
her steel But am anxious to see your
charming gardens, if there is time after
tea Sir ST. John Isle tells me it is a gem
of place"
"Weel, hope you will come as often as
you like to look at it," returned Uncle San
dy.
at is admirably situated. A family
place, 1 supposes" asked Miss Morton,
passing up her cup.
Nav" exclaimed Uncle Sandy; 81
bought it wi my ain fard-earned money"
''Oh, you lucky man! OF all powers, the
one l envy most is the power of making
money"
'You have quite enough, dear" said
Lady FinistOun. Now. my dear Mr..
Craig, want You to spare my cousin to
me for few days. 1t is SO long since we
were together, and as we have rather q
pleasant party. and the change"
"She's no your cousin" said Uncle San
dy, hastily; "she has no kin except me.
Her grandmother's kin fell from her when
she most needed them"
But she Is indeed my cousin; and
through her I claim you, too, my dear Mr..
Craig as a kinsman, if you will permit the
claim"
at would be hard to say ye nay" he re-
turned, smile puckering up his self-satis-
fed face. mona may please herself"
do you always wear the kilt" said Miss
Morton, abruptly, to Kenneth.
"Mostly, when Pm amang the heather"
cts very becoming" said she, with an
admiring glance. 81 do not wonder at
Highland gentleman wearing it; but you
are all very conceited."
81 am sorry you think So"
Don't you admit iti"
81 am not sure"
''Ahl that is the cautious Scot all over.
Tell me, are you his nephew" nodding in
the direction Of Uncle Sandy.
81 am"
"And Miss Craig's brother?'
''No; my name is Kenneth Macalister."
"Ahl Highland to the backbone. Then
Is this young lady your sister,"
Kenneth and Mary blushed simultane-
ously.
81 see. No, certainly not" returned
Miss Morton, with harsh laugh. "Now,
Mr. Macalister, the room is rather warm;
haven't you a shrubbery or a garden, or
something to show me? don't care to sit
here any longer"
Kenneth rose reluctantly
'Oh, yes, can take you for a stroll"
81 am going to look at the grounds, " said
the resolute spinster to her chaperon, with
Mr. Macalister"
MY niece will" began Uncle Sandy,
but Miss Morton promptly interrupted
him.
ooh, no, thank you; l don't want any
i,rI,I l.,
me-" and she walked Off, followed some
what sheepishly by Kenneth.
''Milly Morton processes not to like wo-
men, !" explained Lady Finistoun, laughing
"Mair's the pity" said Uncle Sandy, dry
ly, "for Pm thinking few men would like
herl'
Il assure you they do. She Is very pop
ular and has had endless ofTers-to ba
sure, she has a good fortune"
'Weel, weell siller is nae everything to
wife. Moo, If you'll taxi nae mair tea,
pll 70 round the grounds with you myself "
''Inank you" and Lady Finistoun sat
isfied her hosts heart with EXPLANATIONS
of admiration and Observation-Disclosures
flattery.
"Well, my dear sir, l must tear myself
away. The shades of evening will be round
us before we reach the Lodge. Now, where
has Miss Morton wandered to with that
good-l oking Highlander? 1t will be dark
before we can go home"
"a think they went round by the big
oak" said Mona. "I will 20 and look for
them"
When found, Miss Morton proposed-as
1t was only three miles to the Lodge by the
short cut oyer the hill-to walk back under
Kenneth's escort, a suggestion which evil
IDENTIFY alarmed him.
This lady Finistoun decidedly mega
lived.
Don't talk such nonsense, my dear.
Mr.. Macalister would not get back till
midnight, and you would be too late for
dinner. Three miles over n hilltop are
equal to Dix on a fiat road. Come, let us be
going"
"You are little tyrant," said Miss Nor
ton.
"Will you walk with me to the gate,
Mona, while they are bringing round the
phaetOns | am sure Mr.. Macalister will
come so FAR with Miss Morton"
"With pleasure" cried Mona.
Having bid a cordial farewell to Uncle
Sandy, and q civil goodbye to Mary, Lady
Finistoun Slipped her arm through Mona's,
and they walked slowly down the approach.
II have been dying to ask you a hundred
questions, dearp' she exclaimed. What
a droll, intensely Scotch Scotchman your
uncle isl Quite n characterl | am sure he
Is very rich. Has he adopted your Is he
going TO leave you all his money! Is young
Lochinvar' a lover, or a rival near the
throne? Tell me everything"
Mona laughed, and gave Lady Finistoun
n slight sketch Of the situation, In which
that sympathetic young peeress was i'm
mensely interested.
1.-The Draw Hielandman' Is no doubt an
excellent person." she said; "but should
like to see YOU sole heir to your uncle's
wealth. l suppose he is very rich?"
mot according to your standard, l inn
aginc," returned Mona, Though | believ~
he could make Kenneth independent, and
me, too; for l have found that woman
wants but little here below to make her
happy. Money cannot buy what is most
essential"
ooh, of course mott Still one wants n
few neCessaries. often wonder how poor
Geraldine will get on. She will not hear
OF the horrors which wait on poverty"
May l." said Mona, with slight hesit-
alton, may send my love to your mother'
am so fond of her. And you know she
has right to be angry with me. Ibid not
behave well to"
ITO poor Leslie Waringr' put in Lady
Finistouu, rs she hesitated. NO, you did
notl Now, l dare say you are sorry for it'''
81 am very sorry panied him, but l am
very glad did not marry him. 1t would
have been bad for both of us"
Perhaps SO. At any rate he Is gone 10
the bad, so some one was telling me. He
lost heaps of mon Y on horses and at Monte
Carlo; and he got % an awfully fast set;
then he disappeared. They say he was
last seen blowing or breaking horses, or
some such thing, in Texas. So, after all.
he might have ruined you as well as him
self ii you had married him"
1T Srieves me to hear such an account
OF him" replied Mona, after a few mo-
ment's silence. He was kind and gener-
Gus, and deserved better woman than
am"
Then came leave-taking, and the visitors
drove off as the soft gloom of an autumnal
night began to deepen in the east.
DO you mind walking back by yourself''
asked Kenneth. ~ am going up the hill
a bit to speak a word TO Allan, the shep-
herd"
"Oh, no. 1 am only few steps from oul
own road, and there is nothing to feal
among these delightful hills"
That's true. I'll be back before sup
per-" and Kenneth went swiftly on, with 1
free, swinging step.