The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-28

>-a-sSA ~
Hes" "The be.
the strangers sat at luncheon with Allan
and his mother But strangers" is a
word / ought not in this case to use, for
all felt as If they had been acquainted
with each other for many long, long
year.
Let the truth be told at once, it was
love at first sight with poor Allan
As he and Etheldene stroiled together
that evening in the great old-fashioned
garden, he was impelled to exclaim.
4 do not know how it is, Miss Talbot,
but you seem to have been part and par
eel Of my life for ages. Surely you are a
wards you"
Etheldene looked at him for a moment
with her frank and beautiful face upturn-
ed, then burst into bright and silvery
laugh.
innocent, too, and I like you for that.
Continue to be so If we are to know each
other for some time. Englishmen are sell
dom natural DO not be like them. And
But if speak the truth, it will not be
flattery?'
Then do. pray. tell hbs. And" she
added, do not make love to me. English
men all did. 1 do not want TO hate you
Besides -"
Besides what?"
Besides, 1 am destined to marry
wealthy friend of my fathers"
And you love hm?"
Again the clear silvery laugh.
20, no, not at all. / do not desire to.
But then shall always be able to do as /
please, and go where please-alone, If
please"
ITO me you are an enigma" said AL
"Am II" she sighed, and smoothed the
dog with a riding whip which she carried
We'll, you are bewitchingly beautiful
enigma.
Have a care sir; you are bold"
II am a Highlander"
90" she exclaimed, enthusiastically, "I
love Scotland, its grandeur of scenery, its
beauty of forest and stream, its warlke
history, and its romance. could say with
your immortal Scott-that is, If 1 were
Scotch:
Land of green heath and shaggy wood,
Land OF the mountain and the flood,
Land of my sires, what mortal hand
Can e'er unite the filial band
That knits me to thy rugged stand2"
Ethel dear, where on earth are your
That Is fathers voice. Here, papa. Close
at hand, though you cannot see me-"
CHAPTER TI.-"THAT CAUSED THE
VERY HEATHER TO WEEP
BLOOD"
Long before the sad shooting of Allan
on the Kelpie Cliff, a bond of friendship
and mutual union had sprung up between
the Talbots and O'Dells, that 1t seemed the
hand of Time itself-though edax rerum-
would never be strong enough to sever.
Mr.. Talbot was in the happy-or unhappy
position of a man who has nothing to do,
and plenty of time to do 1t in. He possessed
however, the gift of being able to do moth
ing well. He was quite enamored of Green
Caledonia in spring time. He had visited
the Highlands before, but that was in au-
tumn, when the heather was all in bloom,
and when he had been kept so busy, tramp
Ing after the grouse, that he had but little
time to think of scenery. and found that
a good dinner in the evening produced lazy
contentment, with healthy sleep to follow.
Now it was all so different. and this
oh afracr arla.v a-ff@
~ with the green already on the birch
selled larch.
They walked, and rode and rowed almost
daily, the trio, not quartette, for Mrs
O'Del was not over strong. 1t NAV be
said that two are company and three
are none; but really Mr. Talbot was very
little in the way, and as he was passion
ately fond of botany, Allan frequently
found himself alone with Etheldene. amid
scenes and in situations which the very
birds might have told them were made for
lovers only.
Lovers? Well, Allan was the lover.
Etheldene did not permit herself to fall
in love Well-bred and cultured Ameri-
can girls, such as she, are in reality wo-
men of the world at an age when our
Scotch or English girls are stil content
I said in the last chapter that Allan
ODell himself was a man of the world
But 1 must qualify that statement. He
was so in our insular sense of the word
But his intercourse with this beautiful
girl had opened up before his mental
vision a world, of the very existence OF
which he had hitherto been ignorant and
his was now in reality q dream of fair
women"
Hitherto he had somehow associated in
sufferable pride bombast and semi-barba-
rsSm with his American ideal A yankee
according to the preconceived idea of this
Scottish Briton, was an individual who
rode all his life on the hobby-horse "biz-
ness" who talked more or less with a
nasal drawl, and had no notion of chiv-
airy and romance that did not center in
the "god-almighty dollar" His eyes were
opened. Talbot could argue we'll and dis
passionately on any subject under the
sun. Though strictly business man in
some senses of the word, and very rich
although not a millionaire, as people gave
purse proud. He possessed that rare Gift.
too, called common sense. This Il was
that had led him to accept the kind in
vitation of the O'Dells to stay with them
for six weeks a least. And he did so
heartily and Internationally Yet, it was
were not wealthy, albeit they belonged
to noble Scottish families, who had gain
ed their titles in the true Scottish YER
sus English fashion-by the sword not
the yard stick; all honor to the latter
nevertheless.
lovely wonder He thought he should new
er tire studying her, despite the fact that
every time he did so he fell still more deem
" in love. He had never before met a girl
who was so completely self-possessed so
free from shyness-and to be shy really is
after all, to be awkward. Above All
things she was natural, with a natural
ness that we seldom see in girls of this
country beyond the age of seven Ethel
dene was slender in form, petite rather as