Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-07-15
CHAPTER 7


underneath. and q film Of sleet falling
made the hills and valleys of beautiful
Westmoreland dreary and desolate Be
tween two ridges of bare and rocky hill
market cart was jogging slowly along the
whitening road. and the thud of the old
horses hoofs and the rattle of the wheels
were the only sounds that broke still
ness which was vault-like in the narrow
valley.
From under the rough canvas hood of
the little cart peered out two mems faces.
not clearly visible even to each other: as
the cart entered the valley it's occupants
had dropped into silence, which was not
broken until a light began to twinkle in
the dmness on the road ahead Of them.
AT sight of the little thread Of brightness
across the path one of the men started,
and the other laughed good-humorcdy.
This is solitary. there's no denying
that, spoke the younger Of the two men
in n deep. mellow voice that conveyed Il
volume of information, true or false. con-
corning the owners pedigree. disposition
and education; and all in his favor. I'm
as nervous as q cat tonight. and for my
life can't tell why, for I'm Il Yorkshire
man. and a Doctor"
"Eh. not from Lon'on." exclaimed the
old vil!ager, CHANGING back involuntarily
towards the place where the strangers
Gladstone bag lay in the bottom of the
cart.
II come from London just now. certain
~. as my luggage labels attest. But that
doesn't make me Londoner any more
than the fact of my being on my way to
Scotland makes me Il Scotchman. 1t is
an accident altogether, this going to
Branksome. l made q stupid mistake at
Haverholme Junction. where l got into
the wrong train. and found myself pres
emily at Conismere. and as there was no
train back to Haverholme before to-mor-
row morning. made up my mind to intiict
myself for the night upon an old acquaint-
ance of mine. DR.. Pecle. of Branksome."
'Dr. Peele! Oh. ay. know 'un. There's
been bit of bother about Il young part
ner DR.. Peele took. who got into little
difficulties with some o t doctors pa
tients, and had to go away bit sudden
like in consequence.
difficulties! What sort of difficu!ies:'
"Wcil. two of t patients under his care
poor men both. a laborer one was. and
t'othcr a man as kept Il small stationers
shop. were took i'll wi t same sort of
symptoms and one died. 1t was SO odd
that it got about. and people talked
"And what did they say
"Why. that t young fellow'd got bit
carelcsslillc. and was little too fond of
the same drug in his prescriptions"
"And what drug WAS that
''Laudanum, l think twas
''Pcople said something more than that,
l SUPPOSE"
''The gossps say this young spark had
had his head turned by Teddy. and Il fine
Teddy, too. but who had husband al
ready. and that his head was runnin' ON
her"
AZ local beauty. then!'
''She lives hercahou,s. sir. if that's what
you mean But she's a Lon'on beauty,
too. there isn't an eye. young or old. gentle
folk or village folk. that can look at her
bonny face once and not care to look
twice. She worth walking a good mile to
see. is Lady Killonan.'
Lady Ki!donan: oh she is the wife of
the principal land owner about here"
"Ay."
"'They are popular in tie district. Lord
and Lady kildonan:'
''She makes him popular. bless her He's
always porin' over 5 books. is his lord
ship, but she's all over t place like sun
beam. on her horse or in her carriage. or
Ler little sleigh. leavin' pound o tea
here. Il can o Jelly there. with q word for
every woman. and Il smile for every man.
and kiss for t children. She's Il sight
for sore eyes, she is
rs she young:"
LET me see: she was born t year my
girl Janet was married; that's twenty
fer- T;aT go ,,,,,. so.. :, ;,
age is he:'
"Wcll. there's matter Of thirty years
or more between him and is WIFE
'Surely she might have found better
mate than an old Scotch bookworm"
"Well. she was bit of Il madcap. as a
lass. and they say old Mr.. Dighton, her
father. was glad TO get her off his hands.
and married to an honest man. And she
don't f"ot Cor him and his books; she has
too mach T.ie III her fer that" the Old man
edded with evident admiration.
He was still speaking when the noise Of
slcighbels grew louder and louder behind
them, and the dull sound of horses quick
steps upon the snow: while the bright
notes of Il woman's laughter rang out
clearly. In moment more Il sleigh he'd
dashed by. with its twinkIing lights, its
jin.ling bells; and all that the doctor
could see through t'e darkness was that
It contained two people. sitting side by
| side. But as it passed with whir-r-r and
! a rush of cold air something. light and
| soft and scented, tlutterea up like curled
| white leaf, and fell on the young mans
knees like an unconscious challenge Of
| fascinating, warm-blooded coquetry: a
I lady's handkerchief. tilmy and lace-edged.
sweet with perfume that whispered
| through the senses to the imagination, and
brought up fancies Of delicate white fin
gers that had held the dainty toy. The
old vilager. however. was not troubled
| by superflnous poetry: on catching sight
| of the handkerchief, he began to call out
Justify:
"Hey! Whoa! Stop! You've dropped
summet. Your ladyship. hey!"
The sleigh was rapidly approaching a
dip in the road where. n group Of rough
stone cottages. one Of which was an inn
| of the humblest kind, broke the straight
line of the roadside, and threw little