The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-28

church and bridge of kasnakyle, the peas
ant pet and favorite at Guesachan, until
she had become his almost inseparable
companion; but ever true and strong, and
free of heart until art had come with love
to grand Strathglass.
All this he remem bered, and with il his
own often half-formed conviction that,
could the truth be known, somewhere be-
hind this wild-hOwer crofter life was a
strain of blood which. as these things are
counted in the heredity of beast and
human would make her the equal of any
for intellect, pride and true nobility were
/ in every movement OF her graceful form,
in every quiet, well considered act of her
life, every tone and thought she uttered,
| and shOne forth almost majestic in the
luminous calm of her splendid eyes of
I gray.
Come here, Joan" he said at last,
leading her to the messy rock from which
the hundreds of valley sketches had been
| made in all the pleasant summer days, 81
have something curious to tell you about
myself.
''Well, you see, am an orphan, too,
Just like yourself, Joan"
"Guidl' said Joan, complacently.
II neevr had a half-crowh of my own
in all my life"
"Guid, guild! !" was the quiet response
Il Just 'growed up like Topsy You
never heard of darby Topsy, Joanl"
ma, ma; bit gang on Wi tn tale"
| 81 was a 'minder, put out to be cared
for in London Joan. My father, a Ross
shire barrister, had been driven out of
the north here, for his lingering love of
| Prince Charlie He went to London and
| starved and died. Then the mothers life
light was soon dimmed, and she followed
! him Then the parish beadle tossed Hugh
| Richie into an orphan asylum"
"Guid, guild, guidp' interrupted Joan,
ioyously.
And why so very good when all so
| very sad, Joanl"
/ cabins, ilka guild mon that rises cot o.
sair hecklin' an fiotter, maun dow an
thrivew
We'll" continued the artist. smiling
at the happy prophecy, ''there l learned
to draw a little, and by and by the curate
| of the asylum took me into his own
scanty home and helped me along very
kindly. Some one saw my poor little
sketches and sent me TO Rugby; and
there got on so well with the lads that
one fine, lazy fellow took me with him to
/ London; put me into a little studio in
High Holborn, with three years rent
| paid; clapped me on the shoulder,
bravely with, Now win or staryeH and
went away"
"An' We did ma starvel" Joan insisted,
rapturously
/ N6lli nOb 6AdCJlN. buJ dill dIEdlu
would have starved, Joan, only for the
queerest old lady you ever saw in all
1 your life-Lady Mac Tavitt, whom we
| expect at the lodge this very day
| The dear old lady is an odd picture,
Joan. She is taller than your foster
father, Davy Saunders uglier than Sandy
Nichols, your fighting, stone-mason
neighbor, across the way; scraggier than
| this fir; and her nose Is as big as a turnip
and crimson as that dogwood copse,
Her little eyes snap an glitter in their
deep hollows like fiery diamonds. Her
furrowed face, notified with rich streak
ings of snuff, is a perfect lichen-nest OF
moles and warts, each with its own tuft
Of bristles, like a clump of alder branches
in winter, while her polished head is as
bare OF locks as are Lord Glebemoth' s
polled Angus cattle of horns"
"Hech !" exclaimed Joan in amaZement,
bit its q grye-carling frowdie for ID
leddyw
"1'rue, Joan; but hard as are her face
and heart to others, she has been very
good to me. / would not have seen
a rich and grand lady, besides, and owns
half of Aberdeenshlre, with many London
houses.
Her brother was Lord Mac Tavitt
Duke of F'yvie, whe died in India His
only son, young Lord Barlstork, a sad
scrapegrace, married woman far below
his station, but as far above his deserts
whom Lady Mac Tavitt always calls the
brat, and the two died, after one child
was born and was spirited away"
"Puir lassiel" murmered Joan, sym
pathetically.
The old lady is a little soft on three
subjects which are of endless Importance
to herself and of as endless torment tC
others" continued Hugh, as if kindline
with mirthful reflections. The first is
her mission to find the brat's BARN
which she is certain must be boy who is
to restore the family line. The second i.
her wonderful wig This she is con
tinually losing, often to the distraction Of
whole communities, and which, during
her travels, while swathing her head il
shawls and plads, she carries in precious
casket of curious Indian workmanship
The other frenzy of her strange old life is
TO recover the mate of this Indian wis
casket; gift from the duke to the younl
lord at the same time the one was sent C
her from India, and which disappeared
fully twenty years ago from the family
possessions
''Puir, puir dottled auld bobyl I ker
We fettle her weelu'
"Oh, yes. Joan; l always comfort hel
when she will let me. But that's moi
often. Why, she's not yet so years Of
age, She's far too spirited for much oil
that.
Il fell into her favor entirely by acct
dent. She had learned that some Lon
doc artist had painted a miniature of the
lass Lord Barlsford married. With this
as a possible clue, she rummaged every
studio in London, becoming quite an ogre
to the arts is, and occasionally having
regular set-tos with few, because they
treated her slightingly and failed to ad
dress her as the Mac Tavitt'
Il was ready for the old lady when she
came to my studio. AS she entered ]
bowed nearly to the floor Fat CARS the
gimpled-faced havereel wi his
murgeons? Is it gang deeft!
she skirled to her man behind her in pur
est Aberdonian. l bowed again. She
gave start and bound backward, and
myself another scoring. Your ladyship,
l began with the greatest humility, how
can an humble artist like myself serve
the Mac Tavitt ~
''She burst into tears and fairly smoth
cred me with embraces; said / was the
only true nobleman in all England who
knew enough to know that the could only
be used to designate the Lord, the pope
and the Mac Tavitt; at once lifted Inc
from poverty TO comfort; buys everything
l paint at unreasonable prices; compel,
the great folk to invite me wherever she
is to be a guest; and there in my studio
gave oath that l should become the sole
heir to all the possessions of the Mac
N TTffa Ia