Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-16

which John had wasted much valuable time.
was old David Glendenning.
John advanced with his hand outstretched
and a swift gladness Of welcome on his face,
which, however, was instantly dashed when
the old man, with one Of those tremendous
gestures to which only common folk can
attain in moments Of great mental distress,
threw down the poor little picture and
stamped on 1t. John stopped involuntarily
with his hand outstretched, thinking that
sudden madnes must have overtaken
Fairiie's father.
where are my two daughters? Give
them up to me, l charge you by God and
His Christi" cried David Glendenning, ad-
vancing upon John with a threatening air.
The young man stood sghast and speechless.
your daughters" he repeated after hin
In the blankest establishment. why, where
are they? Surely no Ill has come Toto
either Of them?"
The old man raised HIS clenched hand
high above his head as IL to strike job to
the ground, but instantly changing his in
~tention, dropped 1t again and spoke In an
altered voice, and In that bible English
which the Scottish peasant uses so natur-
ally In times OF strong excitement.
,"If you have hidden them way from me-,
4 DCoCCCh Ou w hCoNth NM w " -
salvation to let me see them. Ye have
broken my heart among you. but naebody
kens yet, and ] will TAX them hame again
WI me-"
John Glendonwyn's face had been grow
ing paler and paler during these words,
and he stood thinking. The old man ad-
vanced and caught his hand eagerly and
fretfully.
John" he cried hoarsely, 81 aye thocht
mair o. ye than ony o. your kind, and never
that ye desired I'll to me and mine. Let
the BARNS come back to the old man. their
father. And before God, name shall be the
wlser-nane shall cast word or look upon
them. A. shall be forgiven and forgotten!"
sir" said poor John, hanging his head.
"as God sees me l know nothing Of what
you say. / wish I did. l have heard moth
ing either of Fairlie or Kate. Till this
moment / was ignorant they had left home.
My thoughts and my prayers were with
them there-that is, with FairlIe-and-
and with Kate, too. l would have given
my life to serve either of them"
As he spoke the old mans face had been
putting on its grimmest Gray Wolf express
sion.
"Ah, ye deny, do ye?" he cried. Then
by the God you have invoked / will make
you confess. Look on that writing and
deny it II you dare"
He dashed a scrap of crumpled paper
into John Glendonwyn's hand. There came
a curious ~prickling mist, dry and tense,
into the young mans eyeballs as he tried
to read. and for a moment he could not
gather the sense. Concerning the hand
writing. however, be was in no doubt. II
was Rupert's. It read as follows:
"The carriage will be waiting at 4 o'clock.
wah out along the Drumfern road till you
meet t.. The coaehman will have a blue
ribband knot on his whip and the same
about his hat. He will stop when you hold
up your left hand It will be best not to
wait for F.'s return from school After that
trust me to care for all"
We'll" cried David G~lendenning in a
voice astonishingly loud and strident, do
you own your handiwork? II not. / will go
to the judges Of the land. az l have already
been to your own father, and see II they
Will right me-"
AN what said my father?" said John.
his o~oolness coming back to him quite sud
denly.
"say-what could he say. but that he had
bsgOtten q monster. a breaker-up Of homes
an evil beast that had brought him naught
but trouble and vexation all the days Of his
lifeG Then he told me where ] should ind
you and sent me on my way. He said that
he would not move 90 much as one Of his
little fingers to shield you In what you had
doneI"