The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-16
CHAPTER II.
MY FAIR LADY.

The strong man of Carlinwark made
no long job of the horseshoeing, for as
he hammered and filed, he marked the
eye of the young earl reStleSSly stray
ing this way, and that along the green
riverside ways, and his fingers nervous
ly tapping the ashen casing OF the
smithy windowsill. Malise MacKim
said to himself that he had not served
a Douglas for 80 years without knowing
by these signs that there was the swing
of a kirtle in the case.
Presently the last nail was made
firm, and Black DarnaWay was led,
passaging ana tossing, out upon the
green sward. Malise stood at his head
until the Douglas swung himself into
the saddle with a motion light as the
first upward flight of a bird.
He put his hand into a pocket in the
lining of his "soubreveste" and took
out a golden lion of the kings recent
mintage. He spun it in the air off his
thumb, and then looked at it as he
caught it.
81 think you and 1 could send out a
better coinage than that with the old
Groat press over there at Thrievep' he
said.
Malise smiled his quiet smile.
IF the Earl of Douglas deigns to
make me the master of his mint, /
promise him good, sound, broad pieces
of a noble design-that is, till Chancel-
Tor Crichton hangs me for coming in
the Grassmarket of Edinburgh"
THAT would be never, with the Doug
las lances to prick you a way out and
the Douglas gold to buy the good will
of his traitorous judgesi"
Half unconsciously, the earl sighed
as he looked at the fair lake growing
rosy in the light of the sunset. His
boyish face was oyerspread with care,
and for the moment he seemed over
young to have inherited to great a bur-
den. But the next moment he was HIM
self again.
81 know, Malise,'' he said, that l
cannot offer you gold in return for your
admirable handicraft. But tbs nigh to
Keltonhill fair: do you divide this gold
lion betwixt those two brave boys of
yours. Faith. right glad was l to be
Earl of Douglas and not a son of his
master armorer when l saw you disci-
plining Measures Sholto and Laurencel"
The smith smiled grimly.
''They are good enough lads, Sholto
and Laurence both. but they will be
forever gnurring and graphing at each
other like messan dogs about a kirk
door"
They will not make the worse SOL
diers for that, Malise. I pray you for
give them for my sake"
The master armorer took the hand Of
his young lord on which he was about
to draw a riding glove of Spanish
leather. Very reverently he kissed the
signet ring upon it.
my dear lord" he said, Il can re-
fuse naught to any of your gracious
house, and most of all to you, the light
and pleasure of it-aye, and the light
of a surly old mans heart, more even
than the duty he owes to his own mar
ried wife, 0, be careful, my lord, for
you are the desire of many hearts and
the hope of all the land"
He hesitated a moment. and then adj
ded with a kind of curious bashful-
ness:
But I am concerned about We this
nicht, William Douglas-I fear that We
could not-could not permit me"
Gould not permit what-out with it,
old grumblepate?
That l should saddle my Flanders
mare and ride after you. Malise Mac
Kim would not be in the way even if
We went a-trysting. He kens brawly
when he turns his head and look upon