The times., 1897-12-26

Rory crouched silent, his nostrils CULVER
ing, his curled snout showing his fangs.
Gorromalt stood listening intentIy,
by the living God.' lie exclaimed, his
eyes like a goaded bulls, Il know that
horse. Only one horse runs like that at
tue gallop. lis the gray stallion l sold
three months a go to the man at Dramdoon-
away, for the son of the manat Drumdoon!
A horse to ride for the shooting-a good
horse for the hills that was what he
wanted. Ayi ay, by God, horse for the
son OF the man at Drumdoon! It's the
gra sta II ion: no other horse In the Straths
runs like that-d'ye hear? dye hear?
Elspeth woman, is there hearing upon
you FOR that Hey, tlot-a -tlot, tlot-a
tIor, tIot-tloCtlot-tlot- tlot! l tell you,
woman, it's the gray stallion | SOLD 10
Drumdoon; it's that, and no other! Az,
by the sorrows, it's Drumuool's son that
viii be riding therei"
By this time the horse was close by.
We heard his hoofs clang above the flag
stones round the well at the side OF the
house. Then there was noise q s o ( scat
tered stones, ana long straping sound;
then silence.
oorroin;,it turned and put his hand to
the door. There was murder in his eyes,
for all the smile, grim, terrible smile,
that had come u his lips.
Aunt t3lspetn rose ana ran % him, holding
him back. The door shook. Rory, the
hound, tore at the splintprs at the base OF
the door; his fell again brstling; his Snarl-
ing savagery horrible u hear. 1ne pine logs
had fallen into smuuldering ash. The
room was full of gloom, though the red,
sulen eye OF the peat glow stared through
the semi-daTkness.
',Dont be opening the door! Don't be
opening the door, she cried, In thin,
screaming voice.
\ Of Ont
o the way, Rory-get back! Down wi
ye!''
No, no, Arcmbaid Wait. Watt
Then strange thing happened.
Rory ceased, Sullenly listened, and then
retreated, but no longer snarling ana brist-
ling.
Gorromalt suddenly staggered.
~ no touched me Just now! he asked,
in a hoarse whisper.
No one answered.
Who touched me just now? Who passed?
Who slid past me?' His voice rose almost
TO scream.
Then. shaking off his wife, he swung
the door open.
There was no one there. Outside could
he hea ri a strange shifting and whinnying.
II was the gray stallion.
Gurromalt strode across the threshold.
] had time only to prevent Aunt Elspeth
from falling against the Intel in corner,
but in a moments interval / saw that
the sta Hon was riderlesS.
''Arcnibald.'' walled his wife family,
out of her wea kness. archibald, come
hack! Come back
but there was no need to call. Archi-
bald Campbell was not the man to fly i'll
the face of God. He knew that no
mortal rider could ride that horse to
its death that night. Even before he
closed the door we heard the rapid,
sliding. catching gallop. The horse had
gone; rideIed or riderless, knew not.
My uncle was ashy gray. Suddenly he
had grown quite still. He lifted his
wife ami helped her TO her own big
leathern armchair a t the other side OF the
inyie.
Light the Ia mp, Mary he said to me in
a husned, strange voice. Ihen lie stopped
and threw some small pine logs on the
peatS aud stirred the blaze till it caught
the dry, srlintere de1gei.
Rory, poor blind beast, came wearily aud
with a low W hine TO mis- side. Then it lay
down before the warm blaze.
Bring the book, he said to me.
] brought the great, lea tner bound Ga elic
Bible and laid on his knees.
He placed his hand in IL and opened at
random-
with Himself be the word" he said.
lis it Peace?'' asked Aunt Elspetti, In a
trcmulous whisper.
1T is Peace he answered, his voice
gentle, his face stern as a craven rock.
And what he read was this, where his
eye chanCed upon as he opened at the place
in the Book of the Vision OF Nashum the
Els ushite.
what do YOU ina gine against the Lord?
He viii make full end"
After that there was a Sils sice--Thrn ne
rose, anu told me TO 20 and lie down and
sleep, for on the morrow, after dawn,
was TO 20 with him to where Muireall was.
/ saw 4 unit Elspeth rise and put her arms
about him. They had peace. l went to nay
room, but after brief while returned and
sat in the quietness there by the glowing
pPats til dawn.
The grayness- came at lass. With Ii the
rain ceased. The wind still soughed and
W allied among the cOrries and upon the
rocky bTa"s, with low moans signing along
the flanAs uf the near hills. ana above the
stony watercOurSe where the Gorromait
Surged with swirling foam and loud and
louder tumult.
My eyes nad clos ed in my WEAKNESS when
heard Rory give a low growl, followed
by Il cuutentcd whimper. Almost at the
same moment the door opened. ! looked |
up. startled.
IL was Murag.
she was so wlite. it is scarce to he
wondered at that / took her at first for
al NTditu. j utl L SdN now NFcUtHt'l !
she was, chilled 60 the bone, too. She !
lid not speak as | led her in and made
her stand before the fire, while | took
off her soaked dress and Shoes. In silence |
she made ali the necessary changes, and |
I'm silence drank the tea | had brewed for |
her.
Come to my room with me- Sue |
as with quiet feet we crossed |
The stone liagS and went up the wooden |
stairs that led to her room.
When she was in bed she bade me put |
out the light and lie down beside her. |
Still silent. we lay there in tue darkness, |
for at the side of the house the hill |
gloom prevailed, and moreover the blind |
was duwn-drawn l thought the weary |
moaning of the wind would make my |
very heart sob
Then, suddenly, Morag put her arms |
about me, ana the tears streamed warm
about my neck.
Hush, MoraG- Ghray, hush mo-run, l |
whispered in her ear. Tell me what it |
s, dear! Tell me what ii isl
90, Mary, and l loved him so! ] loved |
lim. "
Il know 1t, dear; / knew it all along"
| thought her sobs would never cease
i'll her heart was broken, so questioned her
gain.
Yes" she said gaspingly, "yes, I loved
iin when MuireaIl and were in the South
together, j met him a month or more
,efore ever She saw him. He loved me and
promised TO marry him. But l would not
% away with him as he wished; for he
aid his father would never agree. And
hen he was angry, and we quarreled. And
%, was glad, too, for / did not wish to
marry an Englishman-or to live in a
ireary city; but--but and then he and
iuireall met, and he gave all his thoughts
o her. aud she her love to him.
And now?''
.'Nou9-No,, Nuiroau is 1eaJ