Evening star., 1902-03-22
CHAPTER IX-Continued.

no man has a right 10 arrange the LIE OK
his fellow, she and have long ago decided
mutually that We will never fulfill the con-
tract
Then there is nae purpose o marriage
between you and Veronica Caesar said
the old man, eagerly.
Nor ever has BEEN" said John clearly
and definitely. Veronica herself will tell
You the same gladly. l never meant to
marry any born of woman save little Fair
lie that is il she would have fellow like
me"
"Ye speak greatly like an honest man,
admit" said David. looking obviously at
him from Il .,er his shaggy gray eyebrows,
but / am mair than ever perplexed; nay,
even dumbfounGed and put to confusion. 1
ken not what to think, my pui-, innocent
1asScS"
John sat down and put his hands affec-
tionately on the knees of David's black
trousers.
"T,I me all there is to tell" said John.
81 viii go straight back to Cover with you,
and will find Kate and Fairlie-never
fear. l know their hearts, believe me- for
have watched thcm-at least Fairlie, ever
since as child of eight she rode my pony
10 school while | ran coutentedly by her
side
The father shook his head sadly
"Ah. would that | could think sac, he
said the tears for the first time trickling
down his furrowed cheeks
WAS there no mesSage?' said John. Can
you tell me how it happened?
Tell ye. laddie?' said David. There is
no mUckle To tell Mair is the peety, Ge see
It was this way: Fairie was lang in comm
hame frae the Schule ncht. and Kate
said to me that she wad pit on her cloak
and gang and meet her alang the road.
"'What need? says | Il was planin the
lid o Sanders Dows stepmither's coffin at
the time, and that's the way | mind).
But she answered that she was anxious
and Wad gang herself. So [ didna debar
her-indeed, when did | say her nay? And
In anither meenit she was back wi her bon
net on and the muCkle dark-blue serge
cloak that | cnft at Drumfern at Michael
mas aboot her Shooders
'Guid ncht, father, she says, stand
in on her tiptaeS to gle me kiss as was
aye her heartsome way.
.Havers. lassie,' says I. yin wad think
We war gaun to the mune or to London toOn
at the least, Ye will meet Fairlie afore ye
get to the Brig-end."
But she only gied kind o queer LAUGH
I mind it noo. 1t comes back to me as
clear as clear 1t was like the way she
LAUGHED when she mad the scarlet fever an
was LIGHT i the hied! But (me no mindin'
wi haein' SandereS DOWS coffin to finish
that nicht l bade her be back to max the
tea for the laddies, and she gaed oot
through the door. An frae that hour to
this | hae never set cen on either o my
BARNS
Had you no letter or news of any kind?'
"Aye-this," said David Glendinning, put
ting his hand in his breast pocket. He
drew out a note folded small Fairlie
was in the habit of doing with her cOrre-
spoudence. John knew the fashion of it at
the first glance. The sight of that little
oblong of blush paper on his table had Of
ten made his heart leap as he entered his
room at nights.
David Glendinning was regarding him
fXedly.
Il Gamma help trustin' ye. laddie," he
said. in spite o your ain father-aye in
spite o myself. l Gamma believe ye hae had
cognizance o any hurt dune to my BARNS.
Haze
And he stretched out the letter
You are quite sure that you wish me to
read it?" said John.
With groan the old man cast his hands
out from him. laying his arms abroad the
table. ..
Read, 1addie. read!" he said David
Giendinning, the Lord hath forgotten to be
graciousr
Johns hand was shaking and his eyes
were dim he unfolded the note
This 1t said in clear, unmistakable char
acters:
Our dear, very dear father
This at the first will make you sad but
1t Is for the best and there is no other way
Trust your Fairle and the time will come
when We shall creep happily home TO your
hearth and heart. All is not well, but this
seems the only way to make Ill things bet
ter. Meantime, God keep you and the
boys and all who truly love us. Do not cast
us off, for We love you-and that Is why We
go,''
There was no signature, but the letter
was Enthusiastically in Fairlie's hand the
characters vivid and distinct written with
out haste and without tremulousness The
girl might have been setting one of her
copy heads, for all the signs of emotion
which the manuscript betrayed
One thing struck John Glendonwyn as
curious. There direct mention of
Kate. and save in the pronounce 1--WE" and
us no reference to her. Yet hitherto it
had always been Kate who had taken the
lead in everything and her sister who ac-
Guiesced In her decisions, made In many
cases without her knowledge. Why so sud
denly should the elder sister have abdicat-
ed her position and permitted Fairlie to
take the lead?"
David had lifted his head and now sat
earnestly regarding the young man. his
eyes fixed In his head as If he desired to
read into his very soul.
"Well?" he said, grayely and sternly
what think ye?"
''On my soul,'' said John. earnestly, II
think that the matter may not be so serious
as it appears at present. am glad to have
read Fairlie's letter. 1t eases my heart to
Some extent. She speaks as il a return
Were not only possible. but certain. She
looks forward 70 peace and happiness.
Would she write in that strain. If any great
or fatal peril were hanging over them?
Have you ever known Fairlie to tell a lie
VI w any tHlDk lFOIIl you InaC she ought
to have revealed to your"
she did not exactly reveal these to me"
said David, drily, laying his hand upon the
little packet of schoolgirl letters to John
Glendonwyn- But you forget-there is an
other thing. Be good enough to explain
that upon any comfortable and harmless
supposition,'
And once more he laid before him the
crumpled scrap Of paper which in his first
anger he had snatched from Johns hand
and thrown upon the floor.
carriages and coachmen and secret
trystings-to carry them frae ava their
fathers hoose. wha's heart never yearned
but To do them guild! They leave him alone
and shamed in his old age-see the words
trust him to care for all'-him-him-,
Who is 'him?" God. who set his mark on
Cain gle me this van thing on earth-grant
to thine unworthy servant that while in
the flesh these hands may meet about the
throat of him-him-who-will-
aN.''
He said the last words with q concentra-
tion OF bitter hatred which made John shud.
der, thinking as he did Of the evening
prayer that first night when Rupert had
sat by David Glendinning's hearth with his
black eyes glittering and his languidly gra-
cious smile
There Is much that is mysterious In this
disappearance" said John manfully. but
on my soul nothing at all that Is hopeless.
Vne solution escapes US that ja all Tell