The Holly chieftain., 1897-12-03


be in tcrms of praise. In his most self
reliant moods he Ind always been mora
or less dependent upon a sympathetic
atmosphere; and under the circum-
stances which nude him an inmnte of
the Duncan home, this dependence be.
came morbid craving. And Of pity and
sympathy Mrs. Duncan and Elsie gave
him unstintingiy. out of the over1owing
kindness of good hearts.
For few days after his removal from
town, Philip spent much time on the
mountain. Then there came . week OF
rainy weather, and by the time tls
skies cleared he found It singulurly ensy
TO stay In the house. During the indoor
week he Ind stumbled upon an occura-
ton which was both pleasant and dam
gerous. This was the fact, though he
recognized only the pleasure and shut
his eyes TO the danger. Elsie's lessons
had stopped at the end Of her fathers
requirements, and she was ambitious
and eager to go ON. Thorndykc found
this out, and turned pedagogue with the
idea that he would repay kindness with
kindness. The lessons, begun during
the week OF rainy weather, were con
tinued without interruption, until one
day. when Philip was more languid than
usual, Elsie's conscience awolse with n
start.
wrong!" she said, looking up in self
reproachful dismAy. "You haven't
been on the mountain for two weeks!"
"It's much pleasnnter here" Philip
replied.
'sI,ut that isn't It, Didn't your doctor
cay you must stay out Of doors? ?-antl
hero I've been keeping you in the house
when every hour of sunshine is pre-
cious."
Don't blame yourself; I stny in be-
cause 1 like it better. It's WEAKNESS
to the flesh to go tramping about
alone"
Elsie put her book away and took up
her sewing. Tim not going to encour.
age you to stay in, anyway" she said
with pretty affectation Of inflexibil-
ity; "and you ought to be ashamed to
call my mountain tiresome. used to
almost envy your long walks"
"Why do you call 1t your mountain?''
because it's been my playmate ever
since I can remember. When / was q
little girl used to sit on TINT big rocl,
behind the garden and rend dear old
Sir Walter till imagined could hear
the galloping Of the dragons in the
lower valley, and the skirling Of the
pipes up by the Pocket. And I've never
quite lost the hope that some day shall
meet bonnie chieftain with his tail
Of clansmen picking his way down
over the stones in the gulch."
"And you the daughter of Low
lander. I'm shocked! Why, the very
first thing vich Ian vohr would dc
would be to harry your fathers farm
But II you know the mountain so well
what's to prevent your showing me how
to become interested in it? Why cant
you take tramp with me this after.
noon?"
al don't think ought to take the
time; mother'll be wanting me to help
about the house."
She bent lower over the sewing, and
Philip saw fnint tinge of color Greer
up to hide itself under the waves oi
bright hair on her forehead.
.'rhen won't go nlone," he protest
ed. obstinately, md as Mrs. Duncan
came In he appealed to her. MRS. Dun
can. can't you spare Elsie to go up OF
the mountain with me this afternoon? r
"What for nor was the ready an
swer. "Yc'll bath be the better for q
bit walk in the open. I'm thinking the
bulk is keeping ye over close to the
chimney neuk, Mr.. Thorndyke."
The appeal settled the question fol
Elsie. but her evident embarrassment
puzzled Thorndyke. For swift In
st;.nt possible explanation thrust II
self upon him, but he. put the thought
AWAY with twInge Of shame that he
had given it room. Doubtless Elsie
had her own reasons for her apparent
confusion, but they concerned him only
so far us to make It advisable that he
should do nothing to place himself in
a false light before her. The afternoon
ramble would give him chance to tell
her more about himself, and II the
vngrunt suggestion which he had made
-uNt iiuotC " ulrOn II tiuA aAy
kinship to fact, the bare mention oi
lIelen,s name would set the matter
right, and there would be no room fo1
future Misunderstanding. It was
clearly the just and honorable thing to
do. and now that he thought of it, he
rcproached himself for not having
done it sooner. With different up.
bringing. Philip might have seen the
unInalleable seif-conceit in all this, and
having recognized 1t he would have
been honestly and frankly ashamed OF
it. Since he was not aware of it's cx-
istence, his resolve to make n conf.
dante Of Elsie took the comforting
form Of an net OF delicate and chivalric
thoughtfuIncss, and he looked forward
with magnnnimous impatiencc to this
time when he could give It speech.
After dinner, however, when they
were climbing the steep path leading to
the summit OF Johns mountain, tho
good resolution began to part with its
urgency. Elsie's embarrassment haxl
disappeared, and in such irrelevant
talk us the scramble up the rocky trail
permitted, there was no opening for
anything like condolences. With the de,
lay Philip began TO doubt the necessity.
IT he were not under sentence of death
itwould be different. but in the light OF
that tremendous fact, why should he
go about to observe the unwritten lawr
Of convcntionnlity? It could surely be
no disloyalty to Helen II he allowed him
self to take what Of sympathy and pity
this other young girl chose to give him
out of the abundance Of life and health.