Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1894-01-27

back with her hands before her eyes.
''What were those Gaelic Words" he
asked sharply, noticing the girls action.
9TH corp crasdhl til corp oraedh!" she
answered suddenly, but with never
another word; as If shame would come to
her in Hugh's eyes az even her innocent
possession of such baleful knowledge.
But Hugh Richie had gathered more of
dread secrets of the north than Joan had
thought. This Internal curse of the corp
creadh was at least not new to him; and
he knew that one of black and cowardly
heart seeking his enemy's life by stealth,
secretly wrought corp cresdh, or body of
clay, placed it in the bed of some near run
ming stream, and then, as he supsrstitious-
ly believed and murderously prayed, while
the corp creadh wasted away by the action
of the water, the victim of the curse would
pine and die.
s'Speak to me fairly like aScotchwoman,
Joanl" he demanded. 81 do not know
Gaelic words, like you. Which made this
threats Or which has already done this
miserable thing? Or, Joan, have they esch
made the corp creadh against the other3'
"Na, ma, mai" she answered, half laugh
ing through her tears. INA, Hugh, auld
Sandy skYled tn body agsne puir Dsvy,
lang, lang syne."
'tDid the corp creadh harm hint"
"Hechl 1t just spe1ppd AVA wi'oot pour
or harm, for a. that's ken'd. Davy's skirl-
in tss Sandy moo that curses ilka COON
hame tae roost Bit" che concluded with
Sigh, "their spreichIn' and fsshin' CARS
my heart sairly, sairly!"
It was no common turmoil this day be-
tween the crofter neighbors. Tho voices
rose higher and higher, and the two watch
ers on the cliff became genuinely concern
al Aufur hail haoan ta fako tn a
place of fervid Gaelic words.
'It'1l be stsnes ahint kail-stumpel" ex-
claimed Joan In great anxiety.
And 80 1t would have been, had not q
heavy carriage, with q smart goodman
and an old footman in front, mountain
of luggage behind, and gaunt old woman,
with her head swathed In plaids in turn
surmounted by huge bonnet from which
! in every direction waved forests of plumee
and flowers, sitting complaoently within
while one hand rested upon a curiously-
wrought casket, at that moment stopped In
front of Sandy Nichols door.
The storm of ksil-stumps ceased at once,
and the fierce combstants had already dis
appeared, when Sandy's auldwife, casting
furtive elances bshind her, came dodder-
man gestured towards Lord Glebemoth's
lodge, and the auldwif smiled and fut-
tered, and nodded reply. Then the lady
in the plaids and bonnet pointed toward
Glenn Affrick pass; as If she would 90, re-
turn and halt again, on her way to the
lodge,
':Its Lady Mac Tavitt at last, Joanl" said
Hugh ruefully; for they both knew it was
the beginning of their parting then. She
is great lover of fine scenery. She had
ordered her carriage driven up there Q mo-
ment to Ess-na conn (the Falls of the Dogs)
for better view of the valley. She will
full wig in Sandy's cottage; and then she
will proceed in state to our friends at
Guesachan."
His words were all but true. In few
moments more the carriage was again at
Sandy's door, Sandy himself humbly back
ing into the cottage, followed by Lady Mac
Tavitt, who was already divesting herself
of her bonnet, the old footman with divers
hastily snatched bundles and wraps bring
ing up the rear.
''The Mac Tavitt is now DOMINIC her
wiQ," remarked the artist dryly.
Up to this point Hugh's predictions had
been correct. Here they failed. There
was commetion in the cottage The old
carriage. Not finding the object of his
search, he threw his arms wildly in the air
as If completely distraueht. In thrice
Lady Mac Tavitt appeared, bonnetless, her
wraps and belongings in her arms, her
baldhead glittering strangely in the sun
light, and her shrill objurgstion outrivsl-
ing the crofters' of few moments before.
She flung the parcels into the carriage and
pounced in after them, screaming dozen
orders at once at her poor old servant who
ran helplessly up and down the road.
Then she clspped her bonnet on askew,
drove the old footman upon the box with
threats and sobs, and despairipgly snvel-
oping her head, gorgeous bonnet and all
in mighty plaid, set out at furious speed
to Lord Glebemoth's lodge.
''By all the Grsces!' cried the artist In
unfeigned alarm, 'Lady MscTavitt has lost
| her wfel"
How ludicrously swift was the echo of
Hugh's grewsoms sentence. swept from
valley end to end, and even tossed porten-
| tously among the misty heights:
"Lady Mac Tavitt has lost her wig!"
It flew on before the noble Aberdonian's
hasty welcome at the lodge. 1t preceded
her in her own scrambling flight to her
chamber. It sped from lip to lip with
| smothered pesls of laughter among lords
and ladies fine. It scattered among Wallets
and maids like q mirthful psstilence:
/ 'LaQV MAC IaVltG mas 1OeI ueI WY
1t circled the great house as In merry
eddies and gusts. It woke the lazy keep
ers of the black herds upon the billie;
swept into the diaries and set the maids
| and milk shaking there; whisked among
the brown-faced kinds rakiug the after
math hay upon the Tomach fields; whistled
| ogreishly about the far game-keepers'bu butts,
and hunted out the gigling gtllies in the
glsns:
sLady Mac Tavitt has lost her wial"
It hastened swift couriers of discovery
to Eas-na-conn, to Strury, to Erchless
castle, to Beauty and to Inverness. It
stirred all wide Stratbglass like mad and
merry tusale of the elements. And 1t
tumbled Hugh Ritchie's wits about In such
grand activity a. they had never known or
BONE before, as he heard his dire sentence
through the keyhole of Lady Mac Tavitt's
door, whittier he had repaired to prefer
sympathy and aid: ,,,
"Hueh Richie, its nae cnddlins I'll hse
moo. Bring tn weez or ye an me are
dinl"
He Joined in the hunt the only distract
ed one of all. Yhe coachmau and footman
took oath that they had seen the casket
under Lady MacTAyitt's arm, between