The times., 1897-11-14

that Donny dance tune, The Broom o the
CowdenKnowes.n But even before look ed
up, / caught the trouble III her tones.
Sne whisIied more slfriliy than usual and
the liquid Ilutlng of her notes, mellow
mostly as tnose or the blackpru, nad
now an angry ring.
What Us the matter, AleXander-Jo-
mtag 1 crIed, ere haa set eyes on ler.
Why, our silly Jean has made eyes
at your brother and let the salt water
fail on the breast of his black minister's
coat. And the calf declares tnat he loves
herl"
1 stood upin sharp surprise.
lie no more loves ner tnaii-than-"
Than you love me- saia Alexander
Jonlta. - know; drive on
L did not notice her.
why, Jonita, he mas all his life been
in love with the Lady Mary-the Bull of
1 Earlstoun daughter
Alexander-JonIIa nodded pcnsively.
Even 50 l thought, snc said, but as
guess, size has sent him about his busi-
ness, and 50 lie mas been tasen with poor
je6as pulling pussydom God forgive me.
tnaJ 4 should say as mucn of dying
woman
"A dying womanr' cried /, there is
/ nothing the matter with Jean?"
Alexander Jonlta shook her head.
Jean Is not long for Unis world she
said, Diu you remember. Saw YOU ever
/ the red leap through the White like yon,
save when the life burned fast To the
ashes and the pulse beat even more light
ana weak
And now long hath thus thing been
about"
since the day OF your brothers first
preaching, when, TO save her shOon, she
must needs go barefoot and wash her feet
III the burn Unat slips down by the kirk
| yard wall"
tit.- n ,,;,,tf,, ....l-.
| with her, wnen she gave MIN her incoming
| piece OF bread to stay his hunger
Aye" said Alexander onIua, better
| had lie gone hungry ali sermontime than
eaten OF our Jeans piece
| For shame, Alexander Jonita,'' | cIied,
and double shame To speak thus 5f
| lassie that is, as you say, dying on l!er
feet and your sister forpye. believe
tnat ye are but jealous.''
Sne IIameu up IN sudden anger. Get
out OF our ewe-bucnts before 1 twist your
neck, Hob Mac Clellan!' she cried; Il
care not docken for any man alive
least OF all for you and your brother.
thought from What l heard of ms GOIugs
at the presbytery that he WAS more II q
man than any or You. But now / see he is
Ieckless ana Feeble like the rest
All, Jonita, you snooded folk tame
US all. From David the King 10 bob
| AacClellan, there is no man so wise
! Uul Il " Ditlhn may Tie nm IN Knots dtOlI
her little finger"
u thought better OF your BROTHER,
she said, ner anger dying away as suddenly
as it ha d risen, and 1 think she sighed.
Bat not better of me-" | said
She looked at me with contempt but
yet contempt nightly pleasant.
Good "a 10 ye,' she cried, u was
not SO far left TO myself as to think about
you at aHr'
And she took her Hight plaid oven her
| arm with saucyiSh swift, and whis-
ting on her dogs, she swung down the
! hill, carrying her shoulders saua red an,l
her mead III the air ike young cOnceitcd
birkie going to see his sweetheart
II was already upon the gray seIyage Of
the dark when [ strode up me manse- loan
ing, intent 10 have the matter out forth
with with my brother. II was not often
that took IL on me TO question him. For,
| alter all, was but a lout by eompari rison
with him. ! understood little OF the high
| aims and purposes tina I inspired him, being
but a plain country lad with my wits
little Sharpened by the Gifts gaff of the
peddlers trade. But when it came to
the push ] think that Quintin had some
| respect for my opinion-aIl the more that
l SO seldom troubled him with il.
! found my brother in the little gable
room, with the window open, that ne might
hear the sough OF the softflowing river
beneath, and perhaps also that the drowsy
hum of the bees and the sweet sour smell
OF the hives might drift into him on the
balmy air of night.
lie lad great black -lettered book propped
before him, which, from its upright thick
and thin letters like peasticks dibbled in
the ground, knew 10 be Hebrew. But l
90 not think he read ia, il, nor gathered
much lear for his Sabbath sermon.
lie looked up az / came ia.
'Quintn,r said /, directly, lest 10y wait
ing should iose courage, are you TO marry
Jean Gemmell?"
He kept his eyes straight upon me, as
indeed he did ever 10 any with whom he
spake.
Aye, Bob, he said quietly, have ye
any word To say 10 that?"
4 do not know that l have" l an
swered; but what viii Mary Gordon sayY"
| | could see him Vince like one that is
touched on an unhealed wound. But he re-
| covered himself at once and said caliul y,
: he viii say nothing, feet nothing, care
nothingi"
I am none 80 sure OF that" said I, look
ing az straightiy at him as even ne did at
me.
He started up, his one hand OH the table,
his long hair thrown back with a certain
jerk he had when he was touched, which
made him look ike a reused lion.
By That right DO ye say that, Hob Mac
| Clelan?"
by the right of that which l know,
said 1; but man who VIII pull up the
seed which he has just planted ami cast
| ii away because he fInas nos ripened ears,
deserves to starye on sprouUed and nasty
corn"
Riddle me no riddles" said my brother
knocking on the table with his palm till
the great Hebrew book slid from its prop
and fell heavily TO the floor; this is zoo
terribly venture. Speak plainly and
tell nes all you mean"
Well" said 1, 1.-THE matter is not all
mine To tell. But you are well aware that
can hold my peace and am no gossip
monger. ! tell you that when you went
from EaTlstoun the last tim, the Lady Mary
went TO the battlement tower to watch you,
and came down with her keTchief wiring.
ing with her tears"
1t is thing impossible, mad, Incredi
ble," said he, putting his elbow on the Ia
| ble and his hand TO his eyes as if he had
been looking into the glare of an overpow-
ing sun. Yet there was hardly enough light
in the little room for us TO see one ano ther
by. After q long silence Quintin turned To
me and said, Tell me how ye came to ken
this?"
That" said I, bluntly, lis not a matter
that can concern you. But know it 1 do
or l should not have troubled you with the
matter"
He gave wild kind of throat cry thai
/ never heard before. 1t was the driver
throttle cry of a mans agony-Once heard
never forgotten. Would that Mary GordoI
had heard it 1t is the one thing M
woman can stand. 1t either melts o.
terrifies her. But with another man il Il
different.
"Ah, you have troubled me-you hav
troubled me sorel' he cried. And, witt
no moro than that Ha laff r,aa ma xr-an