The times., 1897-12-26
PART IL.


That night the wind had a dreadfu
KoughGg in IT'S voice-a lamentable eoic
that came along the Tain-wet face of the
hills, With a prolonged moaning and sob
bing
Down i'm The big room that was kitchen
and sitting-room in one, where zorro
malt sat for he had risen from ms led
for all that he was 50 weak anu gludE-
there was sctni-dafSness. His WIFE had
pleaded for the oil lamp, because the
shadows within and tie wild wind with
out though, ! am thinking, most OF the
shadows within her bram-tilled her VIII
dread; but he would not have it-no, not
q candle, even. The peats gloWed, red
hot; above them the small, narrow pine
logs cracked in scarlet and yellow
blaze
Hour after hour went by in silence
There were lust the three of rs. Morag
All, did GorromaIt think she woGld sta,
at Teeuabrae and Mureall near by, ant
in the clutch of the ueath frost, anG she
heE sister dear, not go TO her? III had pu'
the ban upon US, soon as the blood WAS
out of his brain, and he could hali rise
from his pillow. No one was TO 20 to see
her: no one was TO send word to Ter, no
one was to speak TO her.
At that Aunt Elspeth had fallen on
her knees beside tie bed, and prayed
to him to stow pity. The tears rained
upon the relentless, heavy hand she held
and kiss cd.
"Atthe least" she moaned, lat the least
let some one go T. he-, Archibald; at least a
word, only one word!'
Not word, woman; not word. Let
her he. The wind'll blow f"r soul against
God 5 hea Wy hand" ="
ButthoughGerrumalt's swor 1was law there
there was one who had the tide coming
in at one ear and going out at the other. AS
soon as the rainy gloom deepened into DARK
she slipped from the house. i wanted 10 go
with her, but she whispered to me TO stay.
IL was well | did. l was able To keep
back from him all ni eht the stOryof Morag
going. lie thought she was In ped. -
pitter on the ma wa his wrath, that, III as
he was, lie would have risen and ridden or
driven over to Eilhrennan had he known
Mora had gone there
Angus McCallum, GorrumaIs chief man,
was with the horse in the stable. He tried
TO prevent Morag taking out Geaicas'
the mare site Went faster and surer thah
auy there. tie even put uanu upon The lass
and said a rough word but S tie laughed,
ana told: and I tlinK that whoever heard
Murag Laugh, when she was strange
for all that ste was 50 soft and Nhite'
she with her hair % sunlight, ana the
bue. blue ewes O her whoever heard
that. would not Toe standing III heT way.
So Angus mad stood back, suilenly Gtv-
ing her help. but no longer during 70 IN
LerIcre She mounted GcalCas, ana fUue
AWAY into the DARK, rainy night, where lhe
wind went iouping To and fru among tie
crags on the braeS as though ii were
mad with fear or pain nandComplain ming Wild
wild the laneutable cry of the hills.
Hour after hour We sat there. We could
hear the roaring sound OF Gorronat water
as il whirled itself over the linn. he
stream was IL spate, ana would lie Duh-
IN" black. with iivid cl0ts of foam lung
every here aud there on the dripping
heather overhanging the torrent 1he
wiud'S endless sough canie into the house
and walled in the keyholes nd the Chinks.
Rory, the bind collie, lay ON mat near
the door, and the long hair of his fell was
blown upward ana this way and that way
10y the grouEd-draUght.
Once or twice Aunt Elspeth rose and
stirred the poTridge that seethed and
dubbed IA the pot. Her husband took 80
notice. Ec was in a daze, ana sat in his
thanked Ieathern armchair with his arms
iaiu aiurlg the sides, ana his uOr.n-clasp-
ing hands catching the red giean of the
peats, ssu,! ais lace wniue ana sci, Ike that
OF q dead man looking out OF grated
prison.
Once or twice, an hour or 80 before,
when she had begun 10 Groom some hymn,
he had harStlN checked Ger. But LON5
when she nunliuea and at last openly sang
The Gaelic version OF The LORDS My
Shephcru,~ he paid 10 heed. He was
not hearing that or anything She did.
He hruodcd- I doubt not, upon doom for
The mau and The son Of the luan who had
wrought him this evil
His wife n " this, and so had her VIII at
last. She took down the great Gaelic
Bible. and read Christ : words about little
children. The rain slaShed against the
window ranes: outside the wind muaned
and suughed. From the Kennel behind
the hyre a mUunruI howl rose and fell.
Bat Go-r1Halt did not stir.
Aunt EiSpeth looked al me desparingly.
Poor old wuman-ah, the misery and pain
oft. the weaTinssS and long painof starving
hearts and barren hope!
suddenly an idea came to her She rose
again ard went over TO the fire. Twice
she fasseei i'm frontof her husband. He made
no sign.
He hates those things she muttered
to nae, her eyes wet with pain nd with
something Of shame, too, for admitting
that she believed in inca ntatiuns and
why not, poor old womani-sure there
are stranger things than sean or rosad,
charm cr spell; ana who can 81 y that the
secret old wisdom is mere thought o
lie hates those things, hut / am for