Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-24
CHAPTER XIII.
JeZebel's Daughter.

little Anna Mark.
CHAPTER XIII.
Jezebel's Daughter.
Before her husbands return the lady had
time to tell US all her adventures, now
standing by Wills stool and playing with
his hair, anon gazing out at the window.
She spoke of Moreham. She queried con-
corning New Minis. Yet all the time she
continued to inform US in the common ac-
cent of the vulgar that she only knew these
places from having visited at the house of
a noble family in the neighborhood.
1T was in her leddyship's time that l
gaed maistly about Clay Pots she said.
with the careless hauteur born of high
breeding, AYE. aye, fell fond O. me was
her puir leddyship, an tried hard to get up
a match atween me an her auldest son
Hairy, that is moo my lord. But na-no for
Leddy Johanna Mackinstry-that was my
sell. My maiden name We maun ken. l
fairly scorned him. 1 just coudna bear TO
look at him. And then a thing gaed wrang
when the guild cause gaed to the wa; an at
the last, me that was sac prood, was stown
ava frae my native land"'
Anon she would relapse into a number
of Spanish proverbs. and the curious thing
was that soon as she ceased telling tales
of her own invention and began to moral
izc after the manner of her adopted coun-
try, she spoke good enough English, relin-
gushing completely the common Scots
manner Of speech.
But there-I have come to a country
where the slaves are the only free men,
where l must put up with fools and knaves
and sing Why Left l My Hame" Yet
God be thanked, can make them serve me.
If a dog banks at you, give him a bone;
and death is the only sickness for which
| there is no remedy. But what keeps my
husband? He has had time to have been
there and back a score of times. What IS
your name, young lad?'
Phillip" l said, without adding my sur
name.
"Ah-' she meditated. "once I kennel a
Philip-but he did not favor you, far other
wise indeed" She looked me over a little
disdainfully and l blushed q fear some
what foolishly), knowing of whom she
spoke. 1t was not vanity, God Wot. For l
know well l was never so tall or so we'll
favored as my father. But long An
ma thought otherwise l cared naught for
the opinion of any other.
Now. Philip. go and find my husband"
she said to me. Tell him to make haste,
for l am instant to see those who came
from the pirate isle with you
l started up and was at the door in a
moment, but Will was before me-
But this the lady would in no wise per-
nit She thought more of Wills bodily
presence than of mine, being older, sup
pose-a thing that made me glad, and l
resolved to vex Will afterward by casting
up to him the ladys preference.
"Bide, Englishman,' she said, "let young
Abercairn go!'
At which Will had perforce to return
tent. But 1 was none so well pleased with
the sight that met me outside of the town.
For mounted on mules and cantering po-
| MES. 1 met whole cavalcade. First came
my mother steady pacing beast of a
gray color. She had on a kind of nuns
dress with a white band across the fore
head. in which l hated to see her. brown
| rosary about her neck. and she looked
as if she had spent all her life within con-
vent walls, this owing not SO much to piety
as to the delicate purity of her complex
ion, of which she always took The greatest
care.
Next came the old witch woman, carried
in sort of rude litter by two stalwart
eroes, while Eborra ran beside her, ready
to render any assistance which might be
necessary.
But the ,ast pair caused me the greatest
astonishment Of all. For Anna rode boy
fashion on a fiery little steed with the COM
mandante beside her on his black. She was
still dressed in the man1er which some of
the Spaniards have learned from the In
dams, that is to say, in a yo,th's suit of
dressed deerskin, fringed and beaded.
short tanned skirt of fine doeskin same
little below her knee. Cross-gartered no.
sen, little peaked Indian shoes and a feath-
cred cap completed an attire pretty indeed
to look upon, but one which, appearing in
Moreham Kirk on a Sabbath morn. would
have raised a revolution in all the paro-
chin.
All the time the commandante was 'le-
vouring Anna with his eyes. while as for
out her broken Spanish with her eye
lashes.
mo puede, senor!" she was saying. mo
mas aqua"
What it was that the senior could not do,
or why Anna wanted more water, l can
not tell. Most likely the whole was but
excuse to make play with her darkly ro-
guish eyes. For it was about this time
that Anna began to show a consciousness
of her beauty wholly new, and I will adj
NIT that though I mislked 1t at the time
afterward it was pleasing to recall her lit
tie successes, and how she served this one
and that other, knowing all the time that
her heart was altogether mine.
Presently they all came within Inc in
closure Of the castle. 1 helped my mother
wall who, when she had disentangled her
SELF fell into my arms and wept over me.
The first question she asked was whether
Umphray spurway had yet arrived. And
murmured, "he is surely on his way!''
Over my mothers shoulder 1 could see
the red-faced conmandante, who had dis
mounted in putting haste holding out his
arms to catch Anna in the free island man
ner.
But of this Anna would have nothing for
with merry laugh the little witch Ieaped
nimbly down, resting only the tips of her
fingers lightly on Don Nicholas out
stretched arm Whereupon the gallant SOL
der of the most Catholic king bent him on
one knee in the dust of the exercising ward
and kissed the small brown hand which An
ma permitted him to retain.
why, what harm? thought I was d.
ing the best for all of usv' said INV lass
afterward, and gave not fig for any doc
trine or proof of mine. But all the same it
had been better If she had chosen another
spot for her ill-set tricks than irnmediatelv
beneath the window of Mistress Juanita
Silveda-
VIII Bowman told me of it afterward