The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-04-25

oDelsance, being quite gone in drink,
and said:
"By George Master Gillicuddy, it'll
be fine for the laird, the nicht, and
he'll be like to max guild nicht O. II
in the glen amang the warlocks there,
but deed saw name O. them the nicht
myser, for the Dalquharran yill is a
grand drink to gar them hud back"
What ken ye o my laird?' | asked
"Did he no tell ye, Master Gillcud
dy? Then belike he's no gotten bach
frac the glen"
What mean yc, man, O. my masters
being in the glen? The laird wad be
mad to wander j. the glen at sic time
o nicht."
'Mad, say yc," he replied, and what
with drink and his uncanny fancies
there was wild, horrible earnestness
in his lone, and his watery eyes stared
at me, and his long nose seemed to
wrinkle and sharpcn-"mad, say ye!
And wasna that what said to ye lang
syne when met ye at the gate?"
"IIow ken ye my master is at the
glen" said l.
Il kenna that he be at the glen the
nicht, but at the glen he has been,
Master Gillcuddy, n wheen NIGHTS ere
this, for these cen O. mine hae seen
him." he replied. with hiccough al
the last word.
"And was he there last nicht?" /
asked.
"Ayc. was he. and the nicht before
that, and yet the uicht before that and
mair fOrcby, by George, and it's
fact"
lie came close to me with unsteady
gait and, drawing his hand across his
slavcring mouth, balanced himself be-
fore me and raised his unsteady fore
finger TO be impressive. lie had drink
enough soughng in his head to make
MS speech thick and husky, but yet his
brains were kccncr now than when he
was sober and his speech was quite as
terse and int"iligiblc. "And let me saw
TO We, Master Gillicuddy," he said.
that the laird and auld Tibbic hae
some fcarSOme business on hand, and
the auld witch has cast her spell o.
evil over him."
his watcry eyes blinkcd, and he cast
upon me look of maudln wisdom. as
though he had laid before me the re.
suits of some deep cogitation and de-
served well Of me for his service.
stood in silence watching him ne bo
turned away, with Il hiccough. and left
me- beginning again to tune up to the
words.
When my guid laird cam hame Mt e.en
lnquirinS for his lady
Some did cry and some made rcnlv
Shes s ava wi the gypsy laddic'"
AT the close Of every line he gave n
drunken hiccough and his quavering
voice was far out Of tune. But as he
leit me standing alone there was the
echo of that old rhyme he sang still
running In my mind, and I found nv
self unconsciously repeating the words
ana remembering other lines that [
scarcely knew had knowledge OF.
passed ont into the great hall md
looked up the lonely, dark stair. How
often had seen my laird and his lady
coming down that same stair i'm han
pier days! The words came TO me as
the song had them:
She cam tripping doom the stair.
Her fair maids ull aroun' her:
q AS soon as they saw her wCel faured faco
They cast their glamoury over her"
iiad some glamour been cast DER my
iady' indeed, and were my laird and
all OF us bcwitchcd with some cruel
spell? Old Tibbie's fcarsome presence
seemed to come before me at tho
thought, and the clock. heavily meas
uring off the minutes in the dead still
ness around me, l could almost fancy
to be the sound Of her step upon the
stair and that her bent and twisted
figure might emerge out Of the shad-