The herald., 1896-04-26


unconscious arts of tenderness the two
women were enshrined together in his
memory. Tears in that hour of sensibili-
ty, came into his eyes indiTerently at the
thought of either. and the girl. from be-
ing something merely bright and shapeiy,
was caught up into tho zone of things seri-
Gus as life and death and his dead mother.
So that in all ways and on either side,
Fate played his game artfully with this
poor pair of children. The generations
were prepared, the pangs were made ready,
before the curtain rose on the dark drama.
In the same moment of time that she
disappeared from Archie, there opened be-
fore Kirstie's eyes the cup-like hollow in
which the farm lay. She saw, some five
h, ndred feet below her. the house making
itself bright with candles, and this was a
broad hint to her to hurry. For they were
only kindled on a Sabbath night with a
view to that family worship which round
ed in the incompatible tedium of the day
and brought on the relaxation of supper.
Already she knew that Robert must he
within-sides at the head of the table,
waiting the portions; for it was Rob-
ert in his quality of family priest and
Judge, not the gifted Robert, who ofIiciat-
ed. She made good time accordingly down
the steep ascent, and came up to the door
painting as the three younger brothers, all
reused at last from slumber, stood togeth-
er in the cool and the dark of the evening
with a fry of nephews and nieces about
them, chatting and awaiting the expected
signal. She stood back; she had no mind
to direct attention to her late arrival or
to her laboring breath.
"Kirstie, We have shaved it this time,
my lass." said Glen. "Whaur were ye?"
90, Just taking a dander by myself"
said Kirstie.
And the talk continued on the subject
of the American War. without further ref
erence to the truant who stood by them
in the covert of the dusk, thrilling with
happiness and the sense of guilt.
The signal was given, and the brothers
began to 90 in one after another amid the
iostle and throng Of Hobs children.
Only Dandie, waiting till the last, caught
Kirstie by the arm when did ye begin
to dander in pink hosen, Mistress Elliott?"
he whispered slyly.
She looked down; she was one blush. 81
maun have forgotten to change them"
said she; and went into prayers in her turn
with a troubled mind. between anxiety as
to whether Dand should have observed
her yellow stockings at church, and should
thus detect her in a palpable falsehood. and
shame that she had already made good his
prophecy. She remembered the words of it,
how it was to be when she had gotten
10, and that that would be for good and
evil "Will have gotten my jo now?" she
thought with secret rapture.
And all through prayers, where it was
her principal business to conceal the pink
stockings from the eyes of the Indifferent
Mrs. Holland all through supper, as she
made feint of eating and sat at the table
radiant and constrained-and again when
she had left them and come into her cham
ber, and was alone with her sleeping niece,
and could at last lay aside the armor Of
society-the same words sounded within
her the same profound note of happiness,
Of a world all changed and renewed, of a
day that had been passed in Paradise, and
of a night that was to be heaven opened.
All night she seemed to be conveyed
smoothly upon shallow stream of sleep
and waking. and through the bowers of
Beulah; all night she cherished to her
heart that exquisite hope; and if, towards
morning. she forgot 1t awhile in more pro-
found Inconsistencies, it was to catch
again the rainbow thought with her first
moment of awaking. -''r