Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-02-01

of luggage behind, and gaunt old
| woman, with her head swathet in
| plaids in turn surmonted by Il huge
bonnet from which in every direction
waved forests OF plumes and flowers,
! sitting comp,acently within, while one
Land rested upon acknowledgements
| caskst, at that moment stopped in front
of Sandy Nichols dcDr.
Tho storm oil the kail-stumps ceased
| at once, and the fierce combatants had
| already disappeared, when Sandy's auid
wife, casting furtive glances behind her,
| came d0dier.rg aud trembling TO the
| gate. The coachman gestured towards
1 Lord Glnbcmoth's lodge, and the aud
w.tc smiled and fiuttered, and nodded
| reply. Thea the Indy in the ,plads AMI
bonnet pointed toward Glen Afrricb
pass; as If she would go, return and halt
again, on her way to the lodge.
"lts Lady Mac Tayitt at last, Joan !"
said Hugh ruefully; for they both knew
it was the beginning of their parting
then. "She is great lover of fine
scenery. She has ordered her carriage
driven up there q moment to Eas-na-
conn (the Falls of the Dogs for better
view of the valley. She will return;
change her bonnet for her wonderful
wig in Sandy's cottage; and then she
will proceed in state to our friends at
Guesachan.n
His words were all but true. In a
few moments more the carriage was
again ut Sandys door, Sandy himself
| humbly backing into the cottage, fol-
lowed by Lady Mac Tavitt, who was
| already divesting herself of her bonnet,
/ ,hlH fNA mi Il L.,
snatched bundles and wraps bringing
up tho rear.
The Mac Tavitt is now donning her
wig" remarked the artist dryly.
UP to this point Hugh's predictions
had been correct. Here they failed.
There was Commotion in the cottage.
| The old footmah scurried out and ran.
sacked the carriage. Not finding tho
object Of his search, he threw his arms
wildly in the air as if completely dis
traught In q trice Lady Mac Tavitt
appeared, bonnetless, her wraps and be-
longings in her arms, her bald head
glittering strangely in the sunlight, and
her shrlll objurgations outriyaling the
crofters of few moments before. She
hung the parcels into the carriage and
| bounced in utter them, screaming u
dozen orders at once at her poor old ser
wants who ran helplessly up and down
the road. Then she clapped her bonnet on
askew; drove the old foot-man upon the
box with threats and sobs; and despair
ingly enveioping her head, gorgeous
bonnets and all in mighty plaid, sat
out at furious speed to Lord Glebe.
moths lodge.
by all the Graces ~ cIed the artist
in unIcigned alarm, Lady Mac Taylt
has lost her wigw
How ludicrously swift was the echo
OF Hugh's grewsomG sentence, swept
from valley end to end, and even tossed
portentiously among the misty heights I.
Lady Mac Tayitt has lost her wig r.
1t flew on before the noble Aber-
DOMAINS hasty welcome at the lodge.
1t preceded her in her own scrambling
flight to her chamber. 1t sped from lip
to lip with smothered peals of laughter
among lords and ladies fine. 1t scat
tered among Wallets and maids like u
nirthful pestllence: IL
Lady Mac Tavitt has lost her wig ~
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 diaries and set the
maids and milk shaking there; whisked
among the brown-faced kinds raling
the aftermath hay upon the Tomacll
fields; whistled ogrelshly about the far
gamekeepers' huts, and hunted out the
giggling gillies in the glens: wi
Lady Mac Tavitt has lost her wig ~
1t hastened swift couriers of discovery
to Eas'na-conn, to Strury, to Erchless
castle, to Beauty and to Inverness. 1t
stirred all wide Strathglass like mad
and merry tussle OF the elements. And
it tumbled Hugh Ritche's wits about in
such grand activity as they had never
known or borne before, as he heard his
dire sentence through the kcyhole of
Lady Mac Tavitts door, whittier he had
repaired to proifer sympathy and aid:
Hugh Richie, lis nae cuddins I'll
hae moo. Bring tn weeg or ye an me
are din !" ~. Il
He joined in the hunt the only dis.
tracted one of all. The coachman and
footman took oath they had seen the
casket under Lady Mac Tavitt's arm,
between Strury and Fasnakylc; and the
old footman, now reduced under the
clamor and haddering to complete i'm
becility, could only gasp that he had
surely seen the casket safely on little
table beside Sandys ingle-neuk.
The next morning Hugh questioned
old Sandy and his wife mercilessly
They knew nothing of the casket but
he could not understand their extreme
perturbation solely on the ground Of
the general disturbance, which brought
only mirth and smiles to every face but
his and theirs. The aud wife simply
rocked and moaned and was voiceless.
sandy, standing with his back against
Il little corner cupboard of the lngle,
glowered at him deiiuntly with, II la
ma ain klst here; ha' ma ain lSist here p
but the conviction came powerfully
upon him that old Sandy Nichols not
only knew the whereabouts 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 little time the two
were at the falls of Eas-na-conn. Above
| these the stone highway bridge crosses
: the tumbling waters which descend
melodiously from the shadowy burr
above.
, Joan, you take one side, and will
i search the other. The coachman tells
me Lady Mac ravitt left the carriage al
, the bridge moment and wandered ur
the burn"
5 They searched along the lovely banks
, peered into leavy coverts, broke down
{ the tender ferns, even CROPPED upon theil
| hands and knees and sharply scanned
/ every hollow and quiver.ng shallow Of
} the stream. Suddenly Joan gave an ex-
q | clnmatiou of dplirht nc hos I,nns