Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-13

beauteous head slancing SO near his
shoulder. to watch at his will the sun
crimsoning the red lips, sparkling in the
eyes bright as sunshine slanting through
green leaves on a waterbreak, and to mark
as he fell o pace behind how every hair Of
that luxuriant chevalure rippled golden and
separate. like the halo Of a Florentine work
about the head Of q saint.
The Lady sybilla de Thouars was merry
also, and with what q different mirth to
that Of Mistress Maud Lindsay, thought
Captain Sholto MacKim, with a conscious
glow Of pride In his sweetheart.
True, Sholto was scarce a fair Judge, in
that he loved one and did not love the
other. He owned that there might be some
thing In that. But az the gay tones Of the
lady's laughter noated back on the air as
his master and she rode forward by the
edge OF Dee toward the Lochar .forde, the
first fear with which he had seen her in
the greenwood returned upon the captain
Of the guard.
Earl William and the Lady Sybilla talked
together that which no one else could hear.
80 after all you have not become a
churchman and gone of to drone masses
with the monks Of your good uncle" she
said, looking up at him with one Of her
lingering, drawing glances.
NAY" Earl william replied, surely one
Douglas at a time is gift enough to holy
church. At least l can choose my own
way in that, though in most I am as
straightly constrained as the king himself"
Speaking Of the king" she said, my
uncle, the marshal, must perforce ride to
Edinburgh to deliver his credentials. Would
it not be a most mirthful Jest to ride with
eQuippage such as this to that mongrel,
poverty stricken court, and let the poor lit
tie king and his starved guardian see what
greatness and splendor mean?"
." have sworn never again to enter
Edinburgh town." said the earl, slowly.
ut was prophesied that there one Of my
race should meet a Black Bull which
should trample the house OF Douglas into
ruins"
"Ot course, IL you are afraid" unused the
lady. The earl started as II he had been
stung.
Madam he said, with a sudden chill
h~auteur, "you come from far and do not
know. No Douglas has ever been afraid
throughout all their generations"
The lady turned upon him with a sweet
| and moving smile. She held out her fair
hand.
Pardon. nay a thousand pardons! !
| knew not what I said. !! am not acquainted
| with your Scottish speech nor your Scot
| fish customs. Do not be angry with me.
I am a stranger, young. far from
my own people and my W land. Think
| me foolish for speaking thus freely II you
like, but not unkind."'
And when the earl looked at her there
were tears glittering in her beautiful eyes.
II will 60 to Edinburgh he cried. Il
am the Douglas. The tutor and the chan.
| cellor are but as two straws in my hand.
a longer and a shorter. l fling them from
me-thus!"
The Lady Sybilla clapped her hands joy
| ously, and turned toward the young man,
"Will you indeed 90 with me?" she cried,
twill you truly? I could kiss your hand,
my Lord Douglas, you make me so glad"
"Your kiss will keep" said the earl, with
a quiet passion quivering in his voice.
may. l meant it not thus-not as you
mean it. I knew not what I said. But 1t
will indeed change all things II you will but
come. Then I shall have some one to speak
! to, some one with whom to laugh at their
court rumlnery, their iasco Of dignity. You
are not like these other beggarly Scots. my
lord duke Of Touraine!"
'They are brave men and loyal gentle
men," said the generous young earl. They
would die for me-"
"Noy, but so / declare would l." gayly
cried the lady, glancing at his handsome
head with a quick admiring regard. $50
would lit 1 were a man. Besides, there
Is SO little worth living for in a country
such as this"
The earl was silent and she proceeded:
"Bu how joyous we shall be at Edin-
burgh! Know you that at the court OF
Charles that was my name-La Joyeuse they
called me. We will keep solemn counte-
| nances while We enter the presence Of the
king. We will bow. We will make obeisance.
| Then when all is over we will laugh to-
gether at the fatted calf Of a tutor. the
| cunning chancellor with his quirks OF law
| and the poor schoolboy, scarce breeched. whom
they call king Of Scotland. But all the
| while shall be thinking Of the true king of
| Scots-who alone shall ever be king to
| me-"
La Joyeuse broke off short, as IL her feel
ings were hurrying her to say more than
she had intended.
IT did wrong to iout their messengers
Yesterday" said William Douglas, his boyish
heart misgiving him at dispraise OF others,
perhaps they meant me we'll. But I am
naturally quick and easily fretted and the
men annoyed me with their parchments
royal, their heralds Of the Lion and King
of Scots at every other word"
"Who is the youth who rides ut the head
of your company" said the Lady sybilla.
"His name is Sholto MacKim, and 1t was
but yesterday that l made him captain OF
my guard"
IT like him mott" said Lady Sybilla. HE
is full Of ignorance and obstinacy and pride.
Besides which, 1 am sure he likes not me-"
Save tina last, l am not sure that a
Douglas has a right to dislike him for any
such faults. Ignorance, obstinacy and pride
are, indeed, good Galloway virtues of ancien,
descent, and not to be despised In the cap
tain of an archer guard"
"And pray, what may be the Ill qualities
which in Captain Sholto make up for these
excellent Scottish vlrtues?" asked the lad!
disdainfully.
"He Is faithful" began the earl.
$50 Is every dog" interjected Sybilla d.
Thouars.
The earl laughed a little gay laugh.
There is one dog somewhere about thu
castle, licking an unhealed sword thrust
that wishes our Sholto had been a trlfe les
faithful"
The Lady Sybilla sat silent on her saddle