Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-02-09
CHAPTER VIII.

GOOD with her back to the sunset, her
hand, held behind her waist, and every
Emo of her splendid figure cut sharp
aeainSt the splendor of the west. There
were few more beautiful sights in Scot
land that June evening, Archibald Grier-
.on fresh from his college training, knew
,bnr there was none. He had been sit
rin~ on the shaggy island of heather and
ray bent which formed the crown of
the long. level ascent of the moor. The
dpen hays made by the peat cutting of
former years islanded him about. 1t had
hppD his favorlte haunt as student,
l.pg before any such splendid vision as
This came towards him like the embodied
Goddess of the twilight walking beside
the gloomy borders of the Dullarg FlOwe.
Many n day had he lain prone on the
heather and listened TO the moorbirdS.
the iackSnipe whirEng high in the lift
and crossing the brightness of the sky
with its STOPPING swirlS, uttering at the
same time that wailing whimper which
* like the cry of lost soul But the
moorland solitudes spoke to him Row as
they had never done before, for first love
brings out the meaning of nature. Each
sound and color speaks with meanings
20 fresh and strange that new eyes seem
10 he given to the lover, and ne wonders
an the contempt of newiy-acQuiped in
sight what blindness can have held hina
20 long.
Archibald Grierson, late student of
Edinburgh college, looked at the woman
who had walked carelessly .aleng the
winding track from the farm. He mad
seen her come from afar off with the
lovers second sight, for an the interval
of his reading he had noted every move
ment of human creature and beaStial
about the farm of Drumqnhat that day.
The peace of the life of a farm, when it
is looked down upon from above, seems
the quietest and most desirable on the
face of the earth. So when a tlutter of
white appeared among the beech trees
and a figure moved out of the beech
crowned quadrangle into the open, the
heart of the watcher on the F'lowe went
like a triphammer. and a keen and sting
ing sensation akin to pain thrilled
through his veins. The figure, which not
even the eye of Saunders MPQuhirr could
have made out at that distance, was
plainly apparent to the eye that had
watched all the day, and many days,
for just that CLEAN of white, and that
easy, unconscious sway of limbs in per-
feet movement. Nel Anderson was in
hmtely handsomer as n woman of n
than ever she had been as girl The
old hunted, post-tO-pilAar life was, to her
mind past and done with, buried out of
sight and largely out of remembrance.
Something seemed to have cut it off
quickly-an illness or Something-5he WAS
not sure what, and she did not wish to
know; and the haven of peace which the
farm among the Galloway moors had
been to her had brought out all the beau
lies of perfect physical wOm@nh0Od, while
the repoSefulnesS of her soul spoke from
her eyes. Archie Grierson had made
many comparisons for those eyes; but
he had never confded amy of them to her
There was certain dignity, or perhaps
Lack of comprehension, about Nell An
derSdn' $ manner when any rural swain
made her clumsy compliment which
prevented its repetition. Archie Grier-
son was far too reverent of his ideal to
FISK such rebuff. Enough that he was
permitted to talk to her and look at her
Well was he aware that his observance
was no more than the gaze of the red
ahd-Whlte Ayrshire cows among which
she loved to wander. He would have
gwen. twenty years of his young life
mad he been able TO tell himself that
even possibly the feet of his goddess had
been turned towards the moss ON his ac-
count. But he knew better
lie rose to his feet, a tan, square-shoul-
dered Scot of the blonde Norwegian type
so common in Galloway, and with the
easy strides of the hillman came towards
her over the moor. Nell Anderson did
not see him coming till he was within
hIty, yards. When she caught sight
u him, he thought that there was
4 ShSht contraction of her smooth
2roWs under her broad hat as
she turned to greet him. He came for
ward gently, with worlds of expression in
me blue eyes that had more of Ireland
man Norway in their depths. The young
WIDOW, who was still girl smiled faint
~, and held out her hand with a move
Hleht spontaneous and frank but she did
not speak. Indeed. she spoke but sell
Ian though she had that strange quality
winch is often possessed by women with
history, that her silence said unutter-
able things.
They stood together looking ever the
solemn moors and the peaceful strath
where the smoke of the evening sumner
fres was beginning to shoot up into the
Ntlh AIR. The sun showed just rim
over the rounded topof Cairnsmore hill.
Iar up near the sources of the Black
" ater. There was so strong a likeness
t,Stween these two that they might have
cen brother and sister. though she whom
She parish knew as Nelly Anderson had
London
Do you often come here. Mrs. Andor-
son asked Archibald Grierson. break
ing the silence with the cunning of a dip
iiplnat' Tor as matter of fact no one
hheW 30 well as himself that she had not
zen on the moor for at least nine
months
We'll, no. Archie" replied the girl.
Ifahkiy., turning her eyes, gray with
NduSAl ItDut lut SUNSET
within them, full upon him. Generally
f,i So to the water-side or through the
ueIdS with Walter" Archie Grierson
started. He had forgotten that there
We're more than two people in the world.
and with the natural jealousy of the ex-
.trmely youthful lover, he did not care to
.HHihk that there had been any past TO
ms woman whom he loved before he
knew her.
And where is Walter tonight?" he
a;SsNed' glad to interest her by any means
- -,n she would only look at him while she
- He's not back yet from the fields with
.ue, boys. she said a little sadly.
Week said that he put him over the wa
..r to see Miss Fraser before dinner
"4le' and he has stayed with her
II was strange fashion in which she
"'td her boy, for she showed no jeal-
i.>y when his active habits kept him
,.Hg away from her, or when he seemed
q" EFefer his gran or the boys
., ou've got the finest sunset tonight
.Aat has been seen this year from the
moor, said Archie. You know. do
-.-Nt part OF my work I'M heren he odd