Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-18

their enemies; cruelty and treaoherously
SLANT"
Then the keening cry smote the air as
Barbara MacKim sank on her knees and
lifted up her hands to heaven.
90, the bonny laddies-the two bonny.
bonny ladies! MAR than my ain BARNS 1
loved them. When their ain mother wasna
able for mortal weakness to rear him, Will
liam Douglas drew his life frae me. What
for, sholto. are ye standin' there to tell the
tale? What for couldna We haze died WI
him? Ae mither's milk slockened We bath.
The same arms credled we. 1 babe We keen
your lord safe wi your body and your soul.
And there we daur to stand, skin hale and
bane unbroken before your mither. Get
hence-ye are nae son o Barbara MacKim.
Let me never look on your face again, Kin
We bringna back the pride O. the warld, the
gladness o the auld withered heart O her
ye ca your mither!"
Mother" said Sholto, my lord was not
dead when l left him-he sent me to raise
the country to his rescue"
And what for are We standin' there
clavering, and your lord in danger among
his foes?" cried his mother. angrily.
Dear mother, l have something more to
tell ye-"
"Aye, I ken. We medina break the news.
1t Is that Balise my man is dead-that
Laurence wha ran frae the Abbey to kans
wi him to the wars Is nae mair. Aweel,
they are worthily spent, since they died for
their chief! Ye say that ye were sent to
raise the clan-then What seek ye at the
Carllnwark? To Thrieve. man.. to Thrievs,
as hard as ye can ride!"
Mother" said Shorto. still more gently,
"hearken but a moment. Thirty thousand
men are on thafr NM IN EH{ph,ruk rL.>.
days and nights have I ridden without sleep.
Douglasdale is awake. The Upper Ward is
already at the gates Of the city. To a man,
Galloway is on the march. The border is
all ahame. But It is ali too late, I have had
news OF the end. Before ever q man could
reach within miles the fatal ak had fallen.
and my lords, for whom each one of US
would gladly have died with smiles upon our
faces, lay headless in the courtyard OF Edin-
bursh CASTLE"
And II the ladies were alive when We
rode ava, wha brocht the news afore my
sholto could ride-tell me that?"
II came not directly to Galloway, mother.
First / raised the west from Strathaven to
Ayr. Then l carried the news to Dumfries
and tho borderside. But today I have seen
the Lady sybilla on her way to take ship for
France. From her l heard the new that all
/ had done was too late"
That foreigneerin' randy! wad We be-
lieve the like O. her? Yon woman that they
named queen O. beauty at the tourney by
the Fords O. Lachar-Certes, wadna be-
lieve her on oath, no II she swore on the
blessed banes O. Sanct andre himself. To
the castle, man, or I'll kilt my coats and be
there afore We to shame YET"
Il 60, mother" said Sholto, trying vainly
to stem the torrent of denunciation which
poured upon him. II came only to see that
all was well with YOU"
And what for should a be weel WI me?
What can be Ill wi me IL 1t he not to gang
on levin when the noblest young men in
the warld-the lads that was sucked at my
cauld in the clay. Ava WI ye
sholto Mackim. and come ma back till We
hae rowed every traitor in the same bloody
windin' Sheet"
The foster mother of the Douglases sank
on the ground In the dusk. leaning against
the wall Of her house. She held her face
In her hands and sobbed aloud. 80, Willie,
Willie Douglas, mair than ony o. my ain
loed We. Bonny were ye as a BARN. Bonnie
were ye as a laddie. Bonny abune a. as a
noble young man and the desire o. maiden's
But name O. them a loed ye like poor
aud Barbara, that wad hae glen her life to
pleasure We. And moo she Gamma even steek
thae black black cen. nor wind the CORPS
ABBOTT you comely limbs-sae straight
and bonny as they were. ! hae straikit and