The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-06-06


but I'm not through with my story.
My lady agreed to Courtray's tryst
and even as she did Il down she sat
anu wrote the story Of her wretched
life to the laird. She confessed all and
hid nothing. She put all her love and
her truth In the letter, and, leaving
that confession for the laird, off she
posted to France"
Sir Gilbert stopped Mt this point and
knit his brows rs though he had come
to difficulty, and as he paused was
trembling with the excitement of my
feelings. Neither Of us spoke for a
space till at last Sir Gilbert put forth
| question.
"Tell me, Gillicuddy," said he, "what
took the laird to France2"
| what took the laird to Francew
said 1. "If We tell me, Sir Gilbert, I'll
tell you. 1 kenna what took him to
| France, but l hae sometimes thought
that In his search for the packet-and
he was like mailman WI his eager
ness at 1.-THE must hae found a clew O.
| some kind that told him the secret O.
his wlfe's journey, for it could hardly
| hae been chance that brought them to-
| gether. Foreby it was after tearing and
| scattering a things in his quest for the
| packet that he got me out o. my bed
and before daybreak had set sail frae
the pier O. Abbeyfont."
mi hit it not have been the French
packe he found, GillcuddyT asked
| Sir bert
"Would the lady hae left it, think
| ye" asked.
| 20 n1Nln 10 ,f,>1- L.
| answered, "but what could have eXcit-
ed him to the pitch Of frenzy and
| taken him to France in such haste,
| and not only 10 France, but to the
| place Of Courtray's tryst? Aye, it was
| Courtray's letter, and cunningly it was
worded and like to madden q man
| with jealous rage. Think of it COM
| Ing TO him in his frame of mind at the
loss Of his lady and after the anxiety
| Of the search! a letter cunningly
| planned, with vows of love and insin-
uations of 4 compact both illicit and
villainous! I'll swear it was the packet
| Like two edged sword Gillcuddy,
| that packet struck the twain and cut
them apart--aye, and brought them
| together again. Aye, it was the packet
I'll be sworn, that took the laird to
France, as it took my lady to France"
| "And If what YOU say be true" said
| /, "what reason can ye find for the
| lady's leaving the packet O. Courtray's?
| It's no. like she would leave sic
thing for her husband to see. What
would she leave Courtray's packet
| forY'
"Ah, Gillicuddy," said he, "you puz-
|
| zle, the whole crooked matter, and if
| 1 feared not to bring more trouble
| upon Glcnhaugh it's the laird himself
l would seek to get an answer from"
| "Sir Gilbert, for the love O. heaven,
! l charge yc no. to speak to the laird.
Better to let the matter drop than to
| bring mair evil to pass. It's sair
| subject to him"
"Well," he replied, "let us begin to
grope In the dark again. Let us say
| that the lady, in the excitement and
| distress of that evil time, with the fear
| Of Courtray and the fear Of the laird
| and the lcavetaking of her wee lass
| and the terrible hurly burly and ankle
| ty of it all, just mislaid Courtray's let
ter or hid it OF lost it, for it must have
been left behind, and l think it was
but an accident that left it. Let us
| say 1t was by one Of these chances
| that 1T came about to fall into tho
| laird's hands, for of q very truth it was
no other thing that sent the laird to
France-aye, sent him, mad with dis
appointment and jealous rage, to the
very spot Of meeting named by Cour-
tray"
I intnrrI1ntnI nj In.
Gilbert, We speak WI some reason, but
yell no. forget that the lady left Glen
haugh weeks before the laird. There's
the matter O time to be accounted for
How cam they together at the set
timer
"And that is puzzle to me, Gillicud-
dy," he said, "but let us say that the
lady's Imprisonment ut Boulogne is to
be considered and that the laird, post
Ing TO Versailles came strangely
enough upon the pair in the nick Of
time, but that's 4 speculation we must
accept as but whim Of fate"
II dinna like the whim O. fate" said
mo more do l." said he. "but it's not
a matter essential in itself, for you see
Gillicuddy, the meeting Of the three
was fact"
81 see no way but to accept your rea-
soning," said /, "but wish there were
less speculation and mar fact in 1t a..
But let it stand as We say, and hear me,
Sir Gilbert, for I hae another puzzling
question for yc. What hae we to say O.
the letter the lady wrote to the laird
explaining her story? I'm wondering
| to hear o it,"