The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-25
THB BLACK DOUGLAS.
By s. II. CROCKETT.
Copyright. 1898. BY $. r. Crockett
CHAPTER K
THE GIFT OF THE COUNTESS.

Tor the lost maldens. But the lady forbade
him.
Inn the night. will do all that you could do
md better. Tomorrow we shall surely want
,ou. You have been three nights without
,,een. Take your rest. 1 order you In your
masters name"
And on the bare stone outside Maud Linde-
,,v's empty room Sholto threw himself down
and slept as sleep the dead.
Rut that night. save about the chamber
where abode the mother OF the Douglases. the
hmm OF life never ceased in the great castle of
Tbrleye. Whether she slept:or no, God knows.
For the door was closed and there was silence
within.
sholto awoke smiling in the early dawn.
he had been dreaming hat he and Maud
lindsay we're walking on the shore together.
II was a%,lonelv shore. with great driftwood
logs wherein they sat and rested ere they took
hands again and walked on their way. In his
dreams Maud was kind. her teasing. disdain-
Observation-Disclosures. 80 Sholto awoke smil-
Inc. but in q moment he wished that he had
silent on.
He lay n space. becoming conscious Of a
main in his heart-the overnight pain Of a
great disaster not yet realized. For a little he
knew not what it was. Then he saw himself
lying a. Maud's open door. and he remem-
hnTeu-HISl Jllt otttl VI AS ihdoNOlb. ihp
the loss Of the little maid and OF Maud. his
vinsome sweetheart Maud In another mo-
ment he had leaped 20 his feet. buokled his
svordhelt tighter. slunG his cloak into a cor
ner and run downstairs.
The house guard which had ridden to Crich-
ton and Edinburgh had been replaced from
the younger yeomen OF the Kelton and Bal
maghie levies. even as the Earl had arranged
before his departure. But of these only a
score remained on duty. All who could be
spared had gone to join the march on Edin-
burgh. for Galloway was set on having VEN
reance on the Chancellor and had sworn TO
lay the capital itself in ashes in revenge for
the black dinner of the castle banquetiug hall.
The rest of the guard were out searching for
the bonny maids of Thrieve. as throughout all
the countryside Margaret Douglas and Maud
Lindsay were named.
Eager as Sholto was to accompany the
Eearchers. and though: he :knew we'll that no
foe was south Of the Forth to assault such a
strong place as Thrieve. he did not leave the
castle till he had set all In order 80 far as he
could. He appointed andre the penman and
his brother John officers OF the garrison dur
Ing his absence.
Then. having seen to his accoutrement and
providing. for he did no. mean to return till
he had found the, maids. he went lastly to the
chamber door Of the lady OF Douglas to ask her
leave to depart.
At the first.knock he heard a foot come slow
" across the floor. 1t was my lady. who opened
the latch herself and stood before Sholto in
the habit she had worn the night before. Her
couch was impressed. Her window stood open
toward the south. A candle still glimmered
upon a little altar in an angle Of the wall. She
had been kneeling all night before the image
Of the Virgin. with her lipsnpon the feet OF her
who also was a woman and by treachery
had lost a son.
Il would have your permission to depart.
my Lady Countess" said Sholto. bowling
his head upon his breast. that he might not in
trude on her eyes Of grief. THE castle is safe
and | can be well spared. By Gods grace I
ehaIl not return till l bring either the maids
themselves or settled news of them. Have 1
your leave?"
The lady of Douglas looked at him a mo-
nent without speech.
You are not the same who rode away be-
hind my son william. You went out light and
gay as David. mysyoung son. There is now
alOok OF Earl William himself in your face-his
mother tells you so. Well. you were sucked
BY the same mothers milk as he. MAY a deu-
bic portion of his spirit rest on you. 1t Is the
Douglas mark. Follow on, and turn not back
till you find. Strike and cease not till all be
avenged. I have no son left to save or to
strike. Go. Sholto MacKim. He who is dead
loved you and made you knight. 1 said ut the
time that you were too young, and would have
dssuaded him. But when did a Douglas lis
len 10 woman's advice. his mothers. or his
wife's? Foster brother you are-brother you
shall be. By this kiss / make you as my son."
She bent and laid her lips on the young mans
brow. They were hot as iron uncooled from
the smithy anvil.
Come with me-" she added. and with a We
hemence strangely at odds with her calm Of
the night before. she took Sholto by the hand
and drew him after her into the room that
had been Earl Williams.
From the bundle OF keys at her side she took
q small one Of French design. With thiss she
unlocked a tall cabinet which stood in a cor
ner. She threw the folding doors open. and
there in the recess hung a wonderful suit OF
armor. Of the sort called secret
This" said the Lady OF Douglas. Il had &C.
signed for my son. Ten years was it In the
making. His father trysted It from n cum
ming a~rtilcer in Italy. All these years has it
been perfecting for him. 1t comes too late.
His eyes shall never see it nor his body wear
1t, But l give IT. to you. No Avondale shall
ever do it upon him. 1t, will 1T you. for you
and he were Of a biGness. No sword can cut
through these links. were it steel of Damas-
Gus forged for a Sultan. No spear thrust can
pierce it. though leave you to avenRe the
pTuise. Yet it will lie soft as silk. concealed
and unsupported, under the rags OF a begcar
or the robes of a king. The cap will turn the
edge OF nm axe. oven when swung by q giants
hand, yet it will fit in.the lining of n Spanish
hat or velvet bonnet. This. your present or
rand, may prove more dangerous than you
Imagine. Go and put it on"
Sholto knceled down and kissed the hand Of
MS lieGe lady. Then. when he had risen. she
gave him the armor piece by piece, busting
each with her kerchief with II sort of reyerent
acton. as one might touch the face of.the dead.
IN Sholto's hands 1t proved indeed light al
nost as woven cloth Of homespun from Dame
%bdrtara's loom and flexible as the spun silk Of
Lyons which the great wear next their bodies.
with it there went a light undersuit Of An
eSt and softest leather. that the skin should
not he chafed 10y the cunning links as they
worked smoothly over each other at each
movement of the body within.
Sholto buckled on his lady's gift with . swell