Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-07-08
MAID OF THE MOUNTAINS.

1t was supposed that he had fallel
from some lofty crag and been dashe'
to death but Il search Of the glen
and tarns did not discover his body
and so his fate remained a mystery.
Several years after, a young mai
was vending his way on foot through
the mountains of Scotland, and stop
ped at wayside inn for glass of all
and bite to regale himself with.
There were in the inn halfa- dozei
Highlanders, two of whom started a
seeing the young man, and immediate
ly went out together.
"It's the laddie p said one.
eyes, Mcdonald, il is, and no mis-.
take"
"Then Donald played us false p
"True, he did,"
"And he is going home to the
castle, and all will not be well with
u.s."
"No."
1--WE must take care of ourselves !"
"Yes, you say WE'LL"
ave will walk on ahead and droT
him at the pass, and the steam will
carry his body away!"
Eyes"
Ard the two walked on together
disappearing up the glen, while a
moment after the young man came
out of the inn and followed the same
path.
AS he did so young girl arose
from where she had been reclining
book in hand, OH the other side Of q
large tree, and followed him.
She had heard all that the two men
had said, and as the young man got
out of sight of the inn she overlook
him.
81 beg pardon, sir, but are you not
Master Lochiel, of Castle Craig
II am, Missy" was the polite reply
as the young man beheld before him
a beautiful girl Of sixteen.
"You disappeared from home mys.
teriously, some six years ago, as re-
member hearing of it ?"
Eyes. l was taken at disadvantage
by two men, dragged to the sea-cliffs,
and thrown into the sea but / am q
good swimmer and after holding up
for nine hours was picked up by an
American craft, and carried to foreign
parts.
II wrote home, but got no replies,
and after some years of wandering
and hard knocks, | am back home
again"
"And the two men who attempted
to kill you, were both in the inn, re.
cognized you, and are now lying in
wait to murder you, for overheard
their plot"
"God bless you, my sweet girl
But are you not Aileen Carton, the
daughter of the innkeeper ?"
Eyes, sir"
81 remember you now, sweet Alleen
but you have grown from a mere girl
almost to womanhood, and / thank
you for the service done me, and l will
give those fellows hot reception"
"You will not go that way, sir,
surely ?"
"Ah, yes, for am warned and
armed, too %
1--WE will meet again, Missy Aileen
the few weeks | am at home," and
unheeding the urging of Aileen Gar
ton, to take the lower pass to Castle
Craig, Lochiel went on his way.
Soon after two shots rang out in
the pass, and timidly approaching the
spot, Aileen beheld the two plotters
lying dead in the path, while the
young man was nowhere to be seen.
Fastening back to the inn she told
her father what bad happened, aud at
once the country rang with the news
of the return of the young master OF
Castle Craig, aud his having killed
the two men who had attempted to
MURDER him in the past.
During his absence from home the
father of young Lochiel had died, aud
his young sou, by second wife, was
the acknowledged heir of the estates,
but there were ugly rumors that
Lochiels step-mother had forced her
husband to plot the life of his eldest
son, that hers might be the heir; but
of this the young master of Castle
Craig said nothing, and after few
months ut home again departed upon
his travels,
But during bis stay at Castle Craig
he had almost daily met pretty Aieen
Carton in his ramblings.
The people called her the maid Of
the Mountains" as she was almost
sure to be found hunting, fishing, or
gathering wild flowers among the
glens and on the mountain sides.
And in those meetings the young
master Of Castle Craig had learned to