Evening star., 1898-10-15
'co'r~e1r ,ese q ss.easoxsE9

| up again at the young knight on horse
| back.
! My lord he said, after a. long nause
| IN which he waited for the youth to speak,
inns Is not wel1-you ride unattended and
All. Malise,' laughed THE young earl "a
Douglas has few privileges if he may not
sometimes on a summer eve lay aside his
heaVy imprisonment of armor and don such
suit as this! What think you eh? Is 1t
| not valiant apparel as might almost he
seem one who rode accounting" ?"
! The mighty master smith looked at the
young man with eyes In which reverence.
reouke and admiration strove together
But, he said, wagging his head with a
grave humorousness, "yCur lordshfp needs
not 10 ride accounting. You are to he mar
rled TO great dame who will bring you
wealth, alliance and the dover of prov
irCes"
The young man shrugged his shoulders
ana swung lightly eff his charger. which
turned to look at him as he stood and
patted its mock
Know you not, Malise" he said. that
the Earl of Douglas must needs marry
provinces and the Lord of Galloway wed
riches? But what is there in that to pre-
vent VIII Douglas going courting at seven
teen years or his age as young man
ouSnt But nave no fear. ! come not hither
seeking the favor of any save of that lily
Hover of yours, the only true May blossom
that blooms on the thorns of Carlinwark
would look upon the angel smile on the
here, l would toss her arm-high for a kiss
of her mouth. which I would rather touch
than II at of lady or 1eman. For 1 do ever
profess myself her vassal and slave Where
have You hidden her Malise?"
The smith lifted up his voice till it struck
on the walls of his cottage and echoed like
thunder along the shores of the lake.
Dame Barbara,' he cried, and again get
ting no answer. "Ho, Dame Barbara,
say,'
Then at the second hello a shrill and
somewhat peevish voice proceeded from
within the house opposite
Aye, coming. you not hear great
dolt, Deed and deed It's a pretty pass
when a woman with the cares of house
hold must come running liSht-toe and clat
ter-heel to every call of such lazy lout.
Husband indeed-nOt hOuse-band, but
hoUse-bond-I wot, hGuse-torment. house
thorn house-crOss-'
A sousy, we1l-favored head strangely at
variance with the words which came from
it peeped out, and instantly the scoldng
prattle was stilled. Back went the head
into the dark of the house as if shot from
a lombard.
Malise MacKim indulged in a low hoarse
chuchle as he caught the words ''Eh, it's
my Lord William, Save us. and me wanting
my Ryssil gown that cost me ten silver
shilings the ell and not even my white
peaked cap upon my head
Her husband glanced at the young earl
to see if he appreciated the SAVIOR of the
jest. Then he looked away. turning the
enjoyment over and over under his own
tongue, Gnd muttering: All well, It's not
his fault. No man hath sense of humor be
fore he is forty years OF his age-and tits
all the ripper at fifty
The young mans eyes were looking this
way and that, up and down the smooth
pathway that skirted like a green selvage
the shores of the loch.
'Nalise,' he said, as if he had already
forgotten his late eager quest for the lit
tie MaSdalen, "Darnaway here has a shoe
may also joust a bout in the tilt yard of
the afternoon. / would not ask you to
work on Whitsunday, but that there cOmeth
my Lord Fleming and Alan Lauder of the
Bass. bringing with them an embassy from
France, and | hear there may be fair ladies
Of their company
"Ah,' quoth Malise grimly. so 1 have
heard 1t said concerning the embassies of
Charles. King of France
But the young smiled and busted
enc o. two f1ecks of foam which had blown
backward from his horses bit upon the
rich crimson dOuhlet of finest velvet, which.
Cinctured closely at the waist, fell half
way to his knee in heavy double plaits
sewn with gold. A hunting horn of black
and gold was suspended about mis- neck by
a banCOlier of dark leather embroidered
With BOSSES Of gold; laced boots # soft,
Hack leather drawn together on the out
side from ankle to mid-calf with golden
cord net the scarlet 'chauseS which COW
cred his thigh and outlined the figure of
Eim who was the noblest youth and the
most gallant III all the realm of Scotland.
Earl William wore no sword; only a little
Go.d-aauuled pojgnard with a ladys finger
ring set upon the point of the hit was at
lis side, and he stood easily resting his
Eand Upon I he talked. drawing it an
inch Fl ON its sheath and smoking ii back
ncI chalantly with Il sound like the clicking
of a well-oiled lock.
'CIink the strokes strongly and featiy.
MaliSe. for tomorrow, when the Black
Douglas rides upon Black Darnaway under
lhe eyes of-Weli-of the ladies whom the
ambassadors are bringing to greet me,
there must be no stumbling and no mis-
takes. or on the head of Malise MacKim
the matter shall be- and let that wight re-
member that the Douglas does not keep
Gu}e Tree up there by the Gallows Slocb
for nothing"
The mighty smith was by this time ex-
2mining the hooves of the earls charger
cne by enc with such instructive de!icacy
Of touch that. Darnaway felt the kindly in
tent. ard bending his neck about blew ana
shuftfed into the armorer's tangled mat of
crisp gray hair.
Up there" exclaimed MacKtm a. .ba
warm breath tickled his neck and at the
burst of sound the steed shifted and clat-
tered upon the hard-beaten floor of the
smithy, tossing his head till the bride
chain rang amain. "Eh. my Lord VII
ham, an altered voice came from the
doorstep where Dame Barbara MacKim
stood Iouting low before the young earl,
but this is a blythe and calamitous day
for this poor bit Digging O. the Carlinwark
to think that your honor should visit mis-
servants. VIII you no come ben and sit
doom in the houseDlace? 'Tis far from fit
ting for your feet to pass thereupon But
gin ye will favor"
Nay, l thank yOu good Dame Barbara
SAID the earl. very courteously taking the
c.ose-htting black cap with the red feather
IN II on his head Il must bide but mo-
n'ent Tor your husband to set right certain
mans In the hooves of Darnaway here to
ready me for the morrow. Do YOU come TO
see the sport? So buxom dame as the
mistress of Carlinwark should not be ah
sent TO encourage the lads to do their hest
at the s~ ord-play and the rivalry OF the
butts" " ~
And as the dame came curtesyine and
lowing her delighted thanks, Earl William,
Setuns a forefnger under her triple chin
stopped and kissed her in his gayest and
{ st debonnair manner
Eh. TO think ont cried the dame clan
ping her hands together as She did at mass
'that |. Barbara Mackim, that am narriSt
20 a donn6rt auld care like Malise there
should hae the privilege O. a salute frae
The bonny mou' o Yerl William-Crhanlx
ye kindly. my lOrd) and be inveeted to the
Veapon-shawing to sit amang the Iedaies
ana view the sport. Malise. nv man. car,
ye no that an honor. a praevflage? Is tbat
no owlnS 10 me being the sister-on INV
fathers side Ninian Halliburton. mer-