The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-03-15
CHAPTER ".
CONTINUED.

tf the ladies tell you I gave them the
scolding they deserved this morning,
Icive YOU leave to talk as they talk.
You may say I am perfect Bluebeard,
If it will help you to win Katherine
Janfarie. And mind, you are to fight
for the wedding in September. Prom
ise all things impossible, the moon and
The stars if she wants them. I did
that way with her mother. I had to.
And sometimes wonder at the cour-
age showed in those days. But I
feel it now. I lost my sleep last night,
and nothing touched my palate this
morning, and my heart beats too fast,
lam very sure, and all this trouble
for that conceited, meddlesome Eng
lishman! If it was not sinfulto swear,
I have mouthful of bad words wait
ing for him." :,
As the morning went on they visited
the stock and walked into the fields,
and looked at the grass now ready for
the moving, and at the growing wheat
and barley. Then they had good
lunch, and the laird supplemented it
by long comfortable sleep. He was
in hopes that his absence would cause
some uneasiness to his wife-that she
might perhaps fear something had
happened" and send to Wintoun
House to inquire after him. He
awoke about three o'clock, and asked
if she had done so, and jamie an
swered, "No," with the utmost indif-
ference. This want of interest rather
troubled him, but there was no COM
Portable course open but that of re-
turning home in the most ordinary
manner.
He asked jamie to go with him, and
Jamie said he had been waiting to do
so. This ride was rather silent one.
When all was said and done, Wintoun
felt very like a puppet in his unc!e's
hands; and he resented the position.
There had been moments that day
when he had longed to tell the laird
that he "did not wonder Katherine
had resolved to choose lover whom
he could not order or interfere with. "
They found Mrs. Brathous and
Jessy Telfair on little lawn near the
rose garden. It was furnished with
sheltered seats and table, and on
afternoons Mrs. Brathous frequently
had tea served there. She smiled at
her husband, and made room for him
on the rustic couch by removing her
work basket. He was not able to re-
sist this charming advance, and seeing
that Wintouu was talking to Jessy, he
kissed the white hand that had pre-
pared his place, and said:
"Oh, Helen! How could you be so
cross this morning? I have had
most wretched day. And you never
cared to find out whether I was dead
or alive"
ST knew pretty well what you were
doing, Alexander. How are Wintoun
fields looking? And what kind of a
lunch did you have?"
IT had no appetite. When you are
cross I never can eat morsel. Where
is Katherine?"
"Somewhere in the garden. dare
say Jessy and jamie have gone to look
for her."
He let his eyes follow the couple
moment and saw that Jessie was talk
ing very earnestly to her companion.
She was, in fact, telling him that
Mowbray was with Katherine in the
Hazel Walk, and that they all looked
TO him to prevent any disagreeable
scene between Mowbray and the laird.
''You do ask such hard things of
me, Jessy," he said, plaintively. "Do
you think I like to be civil to this
man?"
81 am sure you do not, jamie; but
then we ask hard things of you, be-
cause we know you have heart capa-
BILE of them"
"He is handsome and captivating;
what chance have against him? I
have nothing to put beside his per-
sonal advantages"
"Oh, jamie Wintoun! You have q
heart of gold! You are the most un-
selfish soul that ever lived, and at the
last Katherine must find out how cap
tivating this noble nature makes you"
Before he could answer they saw
the lovers standing under the green
roof of the meeting hazel boughs. A
blackbird was futing above them, re-
capturing again and again his few de-
liciously imploring notes. Mowbrav,
with uplifted face, was trying to imi-
tate them, his arm was around Rather
inc, her head was against his shoul-
der, aud the bright sunshine sitting
through the green trees fell all over her
fair, brown hair and snow-white dress.
''Ter-a-tene! Ter-a-tene! Terra
tener" he whistled soft and clear; but
Katherine said:
"You have not quite understood.
I know what he says"
t'Then tell me, dearestr'
''I learnt the secret from the shep-
herds, and the angels have told them.
For shepherds out Oh the hills all
night do hear AMI see wonderful
things. And they have known for
hundreds of years what is the sweet
entreaty the blackbird makes every
night and 1orning."
"And low, will you tell me?"
'Listen, them" and in low, mellow
thirds she chanted the blackbird's s
mass.
"Magdalen at Michael's gate
Tried at the pin,
The blackbird sank On Joseph's thorn,
Let her in! Let her inn'
The tender little prayer with its
mournful cadence blended with the
,,ons;va notas of the bird and when il