The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-04-26
CHAPTER VII.
CONTINUED.

oence in them. She glanced at her
confederates and then took her mother
aside.
Darling mamma, kiss me! Bless
me! 1 am going, mamma; oh, bless
me. mamma, and kiss me again! And,
mamma dear, if you can play some
thing. and get jamie to sing-Jamle
makes everybody listen to him"
A tight, clinging clasp of her childs
hand, q gaze full of mother-love and
blessing, and then Mrs. Brathous'
trembling, almost fainting, put aside,
with strong heart, her own sorrow,
and called, eheerily:
"Come here, jamie Wintoun, and
sing us song"
Without purport or intention, she
opened the book at "Jock O. Hazel
dean and Jamie, smiling at the apro-
DOS sentiment, sang with charming
spirit how the lovely BRIDE of the chief
of Errington wept for "Jock o Hazel
dean"
Some one was looking for Katherine
as the first words of the song rane
through the parlors. Some one said
they had seen her 60 into the green
house. She was called, but answered
not. Then Jessy was missed.
"They are doubtless together" said
Mrs. Brathous, between verses.
The little sough of wonder grew,
and, finally, dancing stopped in the
hall, and the fiddles were quiet, and
every one was asking:
"Where is Katherine Janfarie and
Jessy Telfair?"
Mrs. Brathous prolonged the
cadences and intervals, and jamie
sang the third verse twice over, and
the sense OF something wrong
flashed like thought from mind to
mind. The music began to sound
strange; jamie sang as if he had to
sing, and Mrs. Brathous played with
hysterical restlessness. But the tire
some song went droning on, while
guests wondered, and the uneasy feel
ing spread to the smoking-room and
brought the laird out in fuss and in
furry. And when he entered the
parlor, Jamie's voice had a telling
fatefulness in it, for, rs he caught his
uncle's glance, he involuntarily sent
to his ears and consciousness the
last singularly prophetic words of the
song:
"They sought her both in bower and ha
The lady was not seen;
She's DER the border and AVA
VII Jock o'Hazeldean!'
Brathous went angrily to his wife.
"Where is Katherine?" he asked.
"She is not to be found, l hear.
What nonsense is this, ma'sm?"
'sShe is with Jessy, / suppose.
Both are missing for a while. They
have good reason, no doubt"
'I don't believe it."
Then he sent the servants flying
through every room Of the house. He
searched the garden himself, the hazel
walk and the greenhouses. The two
girls were not to be found. Wintoun
was questioned and cross-questioned.
He knew nothing. He had been sing
ing. Katherine was present when he
began: that was all he knew. Mrs.
Brathous fed to her room to avoid the
sympathy and questions of the curious.
At length Brathous said, passionately:
"My ward has evidently run away,
gentlemen, and I make no doubt it is
with the Enrlishman, Mowbray. I
must reach the railway lines as soon
as possible. Wintoun will take the
south bound stations, I will take the
north. Harribee, Canfer, Scott,
Hays, you all have daughters of your
own; as you ride homewards I will
ask you to look out for the wicked
iasses."
Then there was mounting and rid
ing and racing in every direction from
Levens- hope, and the ball was ut an
end, and the girls and youths went
home in delightful state of excite
meut, and no one had the least expec-
tation or even the least desire that
Katherine should be overtaken. In
deed, it was but a half race
with every one but the laird. Grad.
ually his companions left him as they
reached roads leading them to their
own homes. For all were sure that
Katherine had taken a train either
north or sonth, and what use was
there in running after steam engine?
At the railroad stations no one
would acknowledge that they had
seen the young ladies, and though
the strange minister was in the very
act of marrying katherine and Now
bray as the laird and his friends
passed Wintoun House, no one had a
suspicion of what was going on with
in it, for the windows of the lighted
parlor were suffered and draped,
and the whole haildinS had a dark
and deserted appearance.
Then he went to the manse, and
was told that DR.. Telfair was in Stir
ling. He would not believe it. Win
toun said: "You are unreasonable,
uncle" and was called in answer, "a
poor, miserable laggard of lover" a
few words which gave the young man
the excuse he desired for retiring to
his own house.
By midnight the search had been
practically abandoned. The laird was
raging at every one. He had seen
smiles that were an insult to him.
None sf his friends had shown the
least interest in the recovery of the
runaway bride. Hays and Canfer had
. sneaked off at the first turning Har-
ribee had laughed at the lasses' pluck
and Scott had plainly told him that
''the day for giving women away in
,oorr;otrc' bod zone far by Brathous