The times., 1897-11-07
XVIII
ANOTHER WAY OF LOVE.
Comment and addition by Hob Alat
Clelan.l

ANOTHER WAY Oh LDN =.
Comment and addition by Hob Aac
Clellan.l
Lordl Lord Was there ever a more
bungleu affair more Illuminating confess
sion? Our poor Quintin, great as he W a.
at the preaching, an apostle, indeed. none
to come within miles of him in the pulpit
with a lass. was simply fair useless. i
must cen Tell in a word, how mine own
woning Sped that l may prove there waH
some ART ana spunk left among the Mac
CleIans.
For, 5y his own showing, the girl had
no looPhoie lert, being wooed as if she
had neen - many sacks of corn. She was
fairly tied up to refuse 30 hopeless a slltor
Bat OF all this there was no suspicion
at the time; neither in the parish or Bal
maehic. ,r Yet even among ourselves q. .tr
darroch. FoR though nothing gets wind
So quickly in a parish as the news that Il
minister is seeking that is, going from
home CUurtinK yet such was my brother $
rcpute for piety within the bounds Of the
preSbytcry," suci the reverence III which
he was neld, that tue popular voice Consid-
cred hifn altogether trysted TO the ancient
and honorable Kirk OF Scotland as she had
been in the high days Of her pride and
purity.
So three years went by, and meantime
the parish Of Bainaghie nad grown to know
and love our Quintin I abode In the manse
with Qunuin, and every morning when
arose at break of day TO take The cattle
efield OF to set the plow in the siebe l
could s,r thai his blind was withdrawn ant
that he had already set him down with his
book. Or sometimes when the summer
evening ,iarkened TO dusk 1 would see him
wandering, his hands clasped behind his
back and his whole soul STEPPED in medita-
,ior, by the whispering rushes OF the water
side.
Yet what a simpleton he was! Ana may
hap tLat was what made me love him the
more.
For abont this tine there began the mat
eroflittle jean Gemmen, a soft-yoiced. die
away lass that l would not have troubled
my mead a moment about. She had, truth
TO tell, set herself to catch our foolish QuIn
tin, whose heart was fully given to another
And how she did it, let himself tell.
But between my brothers iIl-starred WOO
ingof the bOnny lass of Earlstoun, and Jean
Gemmell'S meek-eyed courtShip Of him,
also had been doing somewhat on mine
own account. For AIexander-Jonita was
q quest worthy OF some enterprlsing TO Oh
tain.
remember the first night that ever
spoke toher word beyond the commoa greet
ings and salutations.
ItwaS clear night in early June. / had
been over at ArdaTroch seeing my mother.
and now, having passed high up the Black
Water Of Dee, was ma kin . my way across
the rugged fells and dark heathery fast
nesses to the manse of Relmaghie.
Suddenly guH went off, as it seemed, in
my very ear. l sIrang a foot into the air
for who, Oh honorable business, would dis.
charer musketin that wild place at such
a time?
But ere 1 had time to think above me
on the ridge figure stood black against
tile sky-a girls shape 1t was, tail, slim,
erect. She carried som ething in one
hand which trailed on the heather and
a musket YVES over her shoulder, muzzle
down.
l had not get recovered my breath when
a voice came to me.
"Ah, oh Mac Clellan, the ill dell TAX
your courting-jaunts this nichtl For hac
the red foxes that have been killing oul
weakly lambs As it is, l gat but this "
And she held up a great dog fox by
the brush before throwing the body into
a convenient moss-hole.
1t WAS Alexander -Jonita, the lass whom
our colIeGe-bred QGintin had once called
the Diana Of Balnaghie.
Are you going home, Jonita?" cried I
for the direction in which she was goint
Led directly from the house of Drum.
glass.
No she answ cred, carelessly, Il an
biding ail night in the upper buchts. Ths
foxes have been very troublesome latelS
and ! am thinning them with the gun
l have most Of the lambs penned up here. ;
''But, lassie,'' I cried, '.ye surely do moi
sleep out or the hills like thisl"
And what for no." she ans wered,
SHARPLY what sweetel bed than trus.
OF heather? What safer than with two
rough tykes of dogs and good gun atene's
elbow, E!th the airs blowing over and the
sheep lying about the folds?,'
.'jonita,'' said 1, docs your sister never
come ni1her with you?"
''Who--our Jean?" she cried astonished
faith. Ho Jean takes better with the in.
side If a5cN hedand the warmthofthe peat
on the hearth. And indeed the lass is not
oyerstrcng. But as for me l love the chun
ncring or the wild fowl In the nests and the
bleat of the sheep. These are honey and
sweetness. to me-
AS stood there on tie rough stones OF