The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-02-13
CHAPTER v.
THE TWO WARNINGS.

Kenmore, I tell you there's some.
thing on your mind-you can't deceive
me. l read dissatisfaction In the very
back of your neck as you bend there
Btubbornly grubbing away among your
weeds What's the matter, Kenmore?"
"Ye hae eagle-eJn, Lady Oolava, an
they can gaze at the sun, but can they
see the pitfall that lies at your feet?"
Fair Ulva was in her fower-garden,
watching the old Highlander as he raked
Edgar Arden, lying in the stately guest
chamber above. with a square of the
lozenge-paned window aiar for the heal
Ing salt breeze, heard the colloquy, and
eagerly lent his ear to catch every sweet
infection Of the malden's voice.
For his fever was passed, he was con.
valescing finely, and his secret was yet
his own. He had begged them to fetch
his mate to his bedside in his first lucid
moment that next morning, and Lady
Dunraven having given orders that they
should be left alone, Edgar was able to
make such arrangements with the faith
ful, incurious fellow, that when he and
his mate left Sleat-na-V -Vrecken for the
mainland in the first fishing boat they
could hail, nobody had heard any other
name tor their young master than "Cap-
tain Edgar" as they were wont to call
him among themselves. AS Kenmore
had never deigned to make any en-
Quiries concerning his employer while on
board the Mergauser. and his saturnine
air checked freedom Of speech in his
presence, he had no knowledge OF
Arden's identity with his revered Lord
Inchcape's heir; SO that upon his re-
covery he was quite unable to answer
Director Sircombe's searching questions
concerning the too young and person
able stranger who had penetrated into
my lady's seclusion.
Edgar had not seen Ulva in his room
since the first night, but he had grown
very familiar with her lovely voice as she
talked or sung in the old tower garden,
and had fed his eyes many, many times
upon her maiden form as she fitted to
and fro among her flowers, or in the
broad stone balconies that ran under
the second-story windows across tho
c9urt from his own.
He rose now, hearing the voice he had
come to thrill at as the dearest music on
earth, and folding his invalid gown
about his rather attenuated frame, tot
tered over to the window and threw
himself upon the broad window-seat, to
see her, trembling with emotion as much
as with weakness.
Oh, Ulva, beautiful Princess of the
Sea! Each time he looks he deems her
grown fairer, and his heart is less his
ownl
She was standing on the top step Of
an ancient sun-disl, carelessly dressed
in a long, tilmy white role Of many
folds, with "angel Sleeves" from which
her exquisite arms stretched forth, offer
ing crumbs to cloud Of birds which
had followed her up from the shore;
whittier it was evident she bad gone for
her morning bath, for her hair streamed
over her dress in endless ripples, and her
upraiSed face was fresh and rosy, and
brin'iul Of animation.
Old Kenmore, standing below her on
the garden walk, leaning on his rake,
with his broad bonnet in his hand, eyed
her with a mixture OF proud Affection
and dogged resolution.
~ see no pitfall at my feet, Kenmore"
cried Ulva, looking at him wonderingly;
"but have noticed that ever since you
came home you have not been like your
own old self What is vexing you, Ken
more? Not I, hope?"
She tossed the last of her crumbs upon
the broad slab at her feet, and WAS in
stantly the center of flutterlng, hust-
ling, white.winged cloud Of birds, who
pecked and quarreled with each other
quite confidingly. Ulya crossed her
soft warm arms upon the gray lichened
stone, and leaning there, showered all
the gentle beauty of her eyes upon her
old servant.
at is not my Lady Oolava that could
vex Kenmore, said he solemnly; "but
the weird that is laid upon her-that
will break his heart"