The Jennings daily record., 1902-07-02
I'm no great things. maybe. but I'm


O a the neighbors. It's not as if we
We're strangers; YOU ken me lang |
enough
"Ay. fine I ken you, Robert" she
said drily. II woul maybe be a hap !
pier woman this day if didna."
I'm hanged if / can make out wha
you're drivin' at" he retorted in an
ger. will ye speak straight, an tell
me why you're thorwin' me over?
You're mair' glib wi the speech than
me-
Il have nothing to say if you have
not. l cannot help what the neighbors
think. l do not mean to marry you"
80 be it. then. You'll be flashed wi
me nae mair. Ye can spier me when
We want me back" he said. t1inging
out She watched him mounting his
spring cart. and unwilling tears cloud
ed her sight.
! Snow fell late that year. checking
! the promise of spring, and the hedges,
| instead of whitening with hawthorn
buds, We're weighted with a pallfd
| burden. There was much gossip over
| the cessation of Robert Jardine's WOO
| ing. for every one was Interested in
! the love story OF the mistress of the
Black Bull
Esther's heart was heavy, and as the
snow began to thaw she turned her
| thoughts to the garden she meant to
! lay out to the edge OF the pine trees.
She killed up her skirts and made her
walk over the heaps Of last years
| leaves. In Il hollow something red
| caught her eye. STOPPING over it she
| saw that it was a scarlet jacket with
gay brass buttons. She took Il branch
and cleared the snow away. Some
| bulky thing lay beneath. \ shudder
| seized her: it looked like a human
| body. Had some poor creature per-
ished in the snow? There was a heap
| of bones under the scarlet cloth. Again
! shudder seized her. though she was
! not a nervous woman. She swept
away the last remnant of snow. and
there lay bare a ghastly object-the
gigantic skeleton Of the lost ape.
She was turning away to make
known her discovery. when something
stopped her This time it was the
| glitter of gold. Under the tleshlesS
| fingers was Il leather bag. Some of it's
| contents lay on the earth. ConQuering
her repulsion, she withdrew the bag
and gathered up the coins. 1t was her
lost property.
A sudden faintness seized her; she
remembered in 4 flash the open Win
dow. The overturned workable. To
think that she had held Robert Jar
dine for thief and lost him.
hn
cloak. No one had known OF her loss;
none need know Of it's recovery. She
went i'll by the back Kitchen: the SER
wants We're whispering together in a
group
''Haud Yer tongue. she'll hear ye.
| Wha S gaun tae tell her, some one
said.
what is it:' she asked sharply
, She turned to her old Irish cook. whose
, ruddy face had grown pale. Speak,
Betty; what is wrong:'
They're sayin'. mistress. that Mr.
Jardine has broke his neck or some.
thin" Biddy blurted out. But l
wudn't be afthHr heedin' thin. if I was
you. lt'll not be Il word av thruth'll
be int ut all. at all"
But she did not hear the attempt at
: comfort: it seemed to her she had al
. ways known how the story would end.
The servants looked in silent pity at
, her white. set face as she passed out
of the kitchen. She locked the bag in
the safe. and set out for The Willows.
1t was a long walk, but she felt the
| need of action. As she aScendcd the
hill she could hear the bleating of the
sheep IN the fields of The Willows.
She had never guessed till now how
strong Il hold this place had on her
affections as her future home. A sal
:, low, dark browed woman opened the
door.
Eth. it's no yersel, Miss Morrison ~
she drily asked ':Ay. the MASTERS s
he'd sair come down. The doctor says
he's no to be disturbed by naebody,"
Then he is hot"
Ma. na, he's no deid. though there's
them that hasna been carin' muckle
what cam tae him.
, Sle stood blocking up the door, but
Esther pushed past her.
I'm going to him. Molly she said.
"Weel. he's in the auld mistress S
-, chaumber. but I'll no tax the respon-
sibility-'
Esther went softly along the corridor,
, and opened the door. y sunbeam
, struck through corner of the blind,
but the room looked bare and chilly.
| His bandaged head rested ON the pill
, low; his face was ghastly. but his
eyes turned on her with a look of glad
. surprise.
$ why, Esther.' he said
y Hush, don't speak, Robert. l heard