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

tdge' anu tnen sne 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
backing into the cottage, flowed by
Lady Mac Tavitt, who was already di-
vesting herself of her bonnet. the old
footman with divers hastily snatched
bundles and wraps bringing up the rear.
The Mac Tavitt is now DOMINIC her
wig" remarked the artist dryly.
Up to this point Hugh's prediction had
been correct. Here they failed. There
was a commotion in the cottage. The
old fOotman scurried out and ransacked
the carriage. Not finding the object of
his search, he threw his arms wildly IN
the air as if completely distraught. In a
trlce Lady Mac Iavitt appeared. bonnet
less, her wraps and belonging IN her arms
her bald head glittering strangely in
the sunlight, and her shrill objurgations
out riYaling the crofters of a few mo-
ments before. She flung the parcels in
to the carriage and pOunced in after
them, screaming dozen orders at once
at her poor old servant who ran helpless
~ up and down the road. Then he clapped
her bonnet on askew; drove the old foot
man upon the box with threats and sobs;
aud despairingly envelOping her head COR
geous bonnet and all in a mighty plaid,
sat out at furious speed to Lord Glebe-
moths lodge.
by all the Gracesl ~ cried the artist
in unfeigned alarm, Lady Mac Tavitt
has lost her wig!p
How ludicrously swift was the echo of
Hugh's grewsome sentence, swept from
valley end to end, and even tossed porten-
tlously among the misty nights:
Lady Mac Tavitt has lost her wig!"
1t flew on before the noble Aberdon-
ian's hasty welcome at the lodge. 1t
preceded her in her own scrambling
/ tlOhf In her cha in
to lip with smothered peals of laughter
among lords and ladies fine. 1t scattered
among Wallets and maids like a mirthful
pestilence:
Lady Mac Tavitt has lost her wigr'
1t circled the great house as in merry
eddies and gusts 1t woke the lazy
keepers of the black herds upon the hills:
swept into the dairies and set the maids
and milk shaking there; whisked
among the brown-faced binds raking the
aftermath hay upon the Tomach fields;
whistled ogreishly about the far game
keepers huts, and hunted out the giggling
gillies in the glens:
Lady Mac Tavitt has lost her wig!''
1t fastened swift couriers of discovery
10 EaS-na-c0nn. to Strury, to ErchleSS
castle, to Beauty and to Inverness. It
stirred all vide Strathglass like a mad
and merry tussle of the elements. And it
tumbled Hugh Ritchie's wits about in
such grand activity as they had never
known or borne before, as he heard his
dire sentence through the keyhole of
Lady Mac Tavitts door, whittier he had
repaired to proffer sympathy and aid:
Hugh Richie, its nae 'cuddlins I'll haze
moo Bring tn weeg or We an me are din :"
He joined irf. the hunt. the only dis
tracted one OF all. The coachman and
footmau took oath they had never seen
the casket under Lady Mac Tavitt's arm,
between Strury and Fasnakyle and the
old footman, now reduced under the
clamor and haddering to complete imbe-
cility, could only gasp that he had surely
seen the casket safely on a little table be-
side SandY's lngle-neuk
The next morning Hugh questioned old
Sandy and his wife mercilessly. They
knew nothing about the casket, but he
could not understand their extreme per-
turbation solely on the ground of their
general disturbance, which brought only
mirth and smiles to every to every face
but his or theirs. The auldwlfe simply
rocked and moaned and was voicelessa
Sandy, standing with his back against a
little cupboard of the ingle, PloweFed at
him dehantly with, Il ma ma ain kist
here - Il ha' ma ain kist here! but the
congictioni powerfully upon him that
oldA SANDY N teholSs 2lot only, knew the
wherea bouts of the casket, but.of much
more of the greatest concern to the few
principals of the strange little drama set
in action by the loss of Lady Mac Tavitt's
wig,
Discouraged but still determined, he
left the couple Joan Joined him at her
own door, and in a little while the two
were at the falls Of Eas-na-conn. Above
these the stone highway bridge crosses
the stumbling waters which descend mel
odiously from the shadowy burn above.
Joan, you take one side, and l will
search the other The coachman tells
I ari 7fA l,,ff l,y,
the bridge moment and wandered up
the burn"
They searched along the lovely banks,
peered into leafy coverts. broke down the
tender ferns, even CROPPED upon their
hands and knees and sharply scanned
every hollow and quivering shallow Of
of the stream, Suddenly Joan gave an
exclamation of delight, as her hand
clutched some flashing object in the
water. With their splendid strength
both hands went at it then, and in an
other instant she had sent spinning to the
opposite bonk, not Lady Mac Tavitt's
casket but small Undiscovered image of
stone.
THE corp-creadh the corp-creadh!
she screamed as she recoiled from the
hideous object.
BY Jupiter! so it is; and turned to
stone. Quick, now, Joan run home. Find
Davy. Have him and yourself ready at
cali DuL say no wOrd OF tnlS TO no one.
I'll just give this queer highlander a bath
and then take him with me for an inter
view with Sandy. Run now! Do as
bid, and I'll make this body worth to US
to YOU and I, Joan-its weight in gold. >"
Without word Joan sped down the
hillside, while Hugh, in sort of rumina-
tive glee, addressed the image as he
soused it in the stream with quite pre-
adamite, aren't you9 Must have been in
the water long time. Turned to stone,
didn't your Upon my honor, you look
like Davy, too. What clever old wretch
your maker was, to be sure;' and much
more of this CHEEKY sort, until the image
was bright and clean, and wiped dry with
ferns, when he wrapped it lovingly be-
meath his coat with, WARN upa bit, auld
beikie!" in a few moments more had
passed Joan s door with a finger pressed
meaningly to his lips, and, entering Sandy
Nichols cottage without a knock, found
the old man and woman just as he had
eft them.
SANDY" he began sternly, II wish
Lady Mac Tavitt's casl1et Immediately"
The aud wife moaned and rocked in
greater emotion than before; but Sandy
merely glared and doggedly answered
back: Il ha' ma ain kist here!"
Sandy, this old friend of yours, who
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