Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-07-30
The GHAIST O. GHAIRLEE.

The incident am about to relate occur
red to myself when ON visit to an old
house far in tho wilds of Rosshire. Scot
land is the land of visions. Few are the
places that have not some tradition attach
ed to them. Gloomy and grim sand the
old houses, and there is cause for their
forbiddng aspect. The sullen shadow of
past crimes hangs over them.
Last autumn I was invited by my dear
old friend, the Laird o. Ghairlee, to make
one of a shooting party assembling there.
Sport is good there, if ifanywhere; and, more
over, the laird had eovey of pretty daugh-
ters, who would be sure to make things
lively and pleasant.
I arrived, then, at 6hairlee Station full
of hope and preparation for enjoyment.
brought with me my guns and my beloved
violin, without which never travel.
Ghairlee itself is curious old house; the
passages run about it in an extremely COM
plicated fashion, up one step to g, room :,
down two steps into it, and 80 on. The hall
is portion OF the old tower, the walls of
immense thickness. Many additions have
been made by different lairds long since
gathered to their fathers.
| did not see all this the night of nv ar
rival-in sooth, it was so dark that could
distinguish very little as the dog-car spun
up the avenue, but I did notice the black
mass on my le.t a. We turned a very sharp
corner round block of buildings, and on
my right sIllen roar as if angry waters
boiled over in torrent to dash upon rocks
in the dark depths far, far below.
The next moment we drew up before the
door, barred and studded with great iron
nails. Light was pouring from the hall and
the laird stood in the doorway, surrounded
by bowling bodygnard of terriers.
"Whist, dogs! Come in, laddier'
And my old friena gathered me into bis
ancestral hail with Highland hospitality.
We passed up a low stairway and aaross a
thickly carpeted corridor furnished with
strange pieces OF antique workmanship
frowning cabinets and carved chairs, from
which uncanny faces leered in the freight.
The drawing room was at the far end, and
there were again two or three steps leading
to it alone. By the side Of those steps, and
| against the wall, stood fine old press Of
rnarquetrie quantity iplaid, and used, as
afterward learned, for the slowing away o
odds aud ends Of nothing and all things. 1t
was here that my violin soon found place
and laid it in its modern embroidered cast
by the side of quaint old lutte about which
/ WuS lWl5lCu q lodCu3 AloeAOes10i AiCbOhs
| "This,n said tie laird's pretty daughter
touching it trevevently, ''has it's history. w
keep it here-pretty as it ia-beoause non'
of us like to look On It," But all this be
longs elsewhere in my story.
Report had not exaggerated the charm
of the old lalrd's daughters. Four Of ther
he had-the youngest a charming child; tn
eldest already appropriated. But there re
NAMED the adorable second and the ex
uuisite third, and after day Of painful un
certainty fell before the first of those two
who was called by the tunefu, name O
Mavis, and who had musical fever akin t.
Inv own. Together we trilled and tumme
and turned leaves and played love songs an
imadrigals, serenadee, sand sonatas, and whe
we did not talk music We talked-ah, we'll
suffice it to say that the days hurried b.
and the weeks flew after them, and l ha
been guest at Ghairlee nigh on to sec
ond month, and my heart belonged to Mavif
The cream of the shooting was over an
the party much diminished. Ono or tw
men only remained besides myself, and
pretty young woman-a neighbor Of til
laird's, who had come for two week.
visit. We we're gathered in the drawin
room, and somebody asked for music.
went out to the fire-lighted hall to th
old cabinet to get my violin, and Nav
went with me. We fingered there m,
ment, just for the sake Of lingering. It WI
then Mavis spoke of the lutte. took it
| my hands, and as | did so a thin far-awa
vail of melody seemed to sweep past us an
| lose itself in the dimness beyond the glO
of the freight.
"What was that?" I asked sharply. The
seeing that Mavis only trembled in reply,
added, quickly: II must have Jared tt
old thing"
"Put it down." said Mavia: sit is uncal