The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-02-01
"Oh, no, Katherine! Why should

"Oh, no, Katherine! Why should
we quarrel about Mr.. Mowbray? Be-
sides, he will never come here again. !"
"Never come here again?"
The words struck her on the heart.
The turned sick and faint with the
blow, but. instead of crying out to
Jessy, as she usually did when any
thing hurt her, she summoned all the
strength of her own nature for help.
In few minutes she said:
"He may possibly find more fash
ionable places, but where will he find
a country so interesting as Tweedside?
Our hills and dales and trout streams
are not mere earth and water; they
have kind of humanity-they have
so many heroes and events linked with
them, that they are like story books.
A good angler likes living land to
fish in"
ga good angler thinks of nothing at
oil but fish. Father would catch trout
in canal; and father said Mr.. Mowbray
had no proper respect for fishing. If
Mr.. Mowbray ever does come back to
Gala Water it will not be for fish ofany
kind; he will come seeking the Flower
of Gala Water; and I for one do not
want any Englishman to carry her
over the border. Are you going to
read to me to-day Katherine?"
Then Katherine lifted book and
Jessy took up the long, heavy fishing
stocking she was knitting, and while
her nimble fingers flew in and out be-
tween the bright steel and the gray
wool, Katherine read aloud the sweet
poetic rhapsodies of "Lalla Rookh."
The rain beat upon the windows, and
the wind shrieked around the house,
but these two maidens sat smiling in
that
Bower OF roses by Bendemeer's stream"
listening with soft sighs and sympathy
to the poets praise of love, and quite
sure that they, too, could:
"Love on through all ills, and love on till
they died."
contented to believe that if there was
can Elysium on earth,
1t was this, it was this"
About four o'clock the minister
came back from Galashiels and the
scents of Araby the Blest and the love
dreams behind Persian lattices van
ished before his homely wants and
complainings.
Reading 'Lalla Rookh!' Roses
and water! Love and water! Perfect
nonsense!" he cried with that touch
of dialect he fell into when events
troubled him. "a cup of hot lea and
a bit of mountain mutton will be more
wiselike at this hour of the day,
Jessy. What do you say, Mr.. Bull?"
and he stopped and stroked the dog
which had been his companion through
the storm, and which was now
stretched on the rug before the blaz-
ing fire. "We are both wet and hun
cry, Bull, and these girls are reading
about Love and Roses. What do you
think of such foolishness?"
Then Katherine broke into hearty
laughter, as all4must do who take the:
trouble to notice the irony in the
lifted eyelids of dog when it hears
any person reproyed.
"Look at the creature" she said.
eff he could only talk, minister, what
O lecture poets and young women who
read poetry would get. But he is like
NON air and prefers mutton"
"Bull is not an exacting dog, but
he does expect his little personal
comforts to be attended to. Have a
drink of tea, dearie-and then gallop
home as quickly as you can. 1t is an
east-windy, west-windy storm; the
east wind has about done its worst,
and when the sun sets the wests wind
will show us what it con do"
GAS long as it is light I like the
storm, -. she answered. "The rain is
full of life, and the wind is full of
life, and the spirit of the armament
thrills my spirit, and there is nothing
better than gallop through wind and
rain, except it be plunge into the
summer sea"
'sBut the laird will be home before
YOU, and then he will fret himself and
your mother, and hurry and worry
the whole household"
"The laird will 90 straight to his
bed. he will call for blankets and
herb teas, and watch for twinges of
and send for mamma
every ten minutes. Minister, what of
your guest?"
"He went away last night, Rather
inc. Here is your pony; now finish
your tea, and loiter no longer"
TTO BE CONTINUED.