The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-01-18
CHAPTER T.

The distant music lulls and stills,
And moves to quiet tears.
ga mist Of memory broods and floats;
The Border Waters flow;
The air Is full OF ballad notes,
Born out Of long ago."
s'I have a friend. Her name is
Katherine Janfarie." In these words
Jessy Telfair usually answered any re-
mark about the solitude of her home.
It was only an apparent solitude, for
Jessy knew the laird's fine house was
just over. the nearest hill, and that
there the sweetest maid of Tweedside
dwelt-her friend, Katherine Janfarie.
She was talking this morning to a
stranger who was waiting to see her
father. But many strangers called
upon the minister of Kirtle-hope, for
he was afamous angler, and the lonely
manse among the hills by Gala Water
was we'll known to the brothers of the
rod and reel. Such visitors. however,
had usually been of middle age, dressed
for their intentions in rough-gray
tweed and well-greased boots, with a
long, light waterproof and creel slung
across their shoulders. But this caller
was fashionably clad in the nattiest of
travelling suits; moreover be was
young, and had the air of o high-bred
and thoroughly assured gentleman.
Standing by the window of the manse
parlor, he looked up the winding
valley that led to the sources of tho
river in the heart of the hills. The
slopes were covered with sheep and
iambs-hundreds of hidden hollows
were full of them-and their bleating,
and the murmur of Gala Water, hur-
rying down through archipelagoes of
powders, and flashing over tiny water
falls, were all the sounds that broke
the stiffness of the lonely place. So
he turned to Jessy then, and made
some remark about the solitude, and
she answered him:
IT have friend. Her name is
Katherine Janfarie."
There was childlike abruptness
and confidence, a sense of suficiency
in this assertion, which was very at
tractive. It was evident also that she
wished to be entertaining, and that
she could think of no subject MOI de-
iightful than her friend. Yet far as
the eyes could see in every direction,
the hills and valleys were set to song
and story. Names that lilt through
the noblest ballads in the world-that
sanctify the most desperate struggles
for religious liberty-that are foremost
in the chronicles OF valor and science
are its familiar namcs. But Jessy
thought of none of them; she said
only, when the stranger spoke of the
loneliness of the famous land:
81 have q friend. Her name is
Katherine Janfarie."
Then he looked into the pleasant
face of the speaker. He had been ex-
pecting to hear of the Douglass and
Buccleugh-of the Elliots and Arm
strongs-"Crackspear" and "Out-
with-the-Sword;" or, at least, of the Gov
enanters and Ersk;ne and Chalmers,
preaching on the heathery heights to
vast unbonneted reverent congrega-
tions; but Miss Telfair did not men
ton any of these heroes. Her heart
was with her friend, and she smiled
as her lips made the music of her
name. Perhaps if she had considered
the matter she could not have been
more entertaining, for the young man
waiting for the minister knew all
about the romance of the past; it was
the romance of the present he desired;
and katherine Janfarie" fell upon
his ears like the preluding of music.
"Is your friend pretty enough to
deserve her pretty name?" he asked.
"Pretty? Katherine is beautiful
Katherine is the Flower of Gala
Waterp On all Tweedside there is
none like her."
'Then 1 hope she lives near to
you"
"She lives just over the hill. can
sit here and watch her come into sight.
If she does not see me, when she
gets to the little burn by the garden
gate she begins to sing and then I run
to meet her."
"Some one is coming over the hill
now-but it is not Miss Janfarie."
Jessy looked up and smiled.
"That is the minister; Rab Hays is
with him. Rab is one Of the dukes
men, and is worth the knowing. Rab
went 'out' with the -kirkers, and
when father asked him what the
duke would say to that, he answered:
Indeed, mister, I dinna ken; but
must think O. the Day O. Judgment.
The duke wilma answer for me on that
day If Rab gees the minister going
to the hills, he is sure to 'daunder up
the water to meet him. Now I must
go and welcome father home. He
would think it strange if I did not. "
The minister entered the front door
rs Jessy stepped into the hall. He
called to her cheerfully, and patting
his creel, said:
Inc Durns are perfect Plccadllly
with anglers, Jessy, bus I have got g
few fine fellows"
Then Jessy peeped into his creel
and answered:
'"There are dozen fine fellows, al
least, father"
maybe so; but oh, lassie, for the
days when a man could fish down
stream, and yet fill his creel, and his
cap, and his pouches with speckled
trout"
"There is gentleman in the parlor
He is waiting to see you. Here is the
card with his name printed on it. ]
never heard of The man BEFORE"
The miniSter waoted his dinner anf