New-York tribune., 1904-09-12
TIE Detachable Lar'~'
BY VIOLET JACOB.
N TWO PARTs-PART

OF the birth and origin Of Jessie-Msry no one In
the parish knew anything definite. Those VINO
passed up the unfreauented road by her grand
mothers thatched hoveI used 10 see the shock
headed child among the gocseberry bushes Of the
old womans garden peering al them. like an ami
NAL the fence.
Whether she were really the granddaughter OF
the old beldame inside the mud walls no one knew,
for that matter, did any one care. The hovel
the last remaining house of little settlement
which had disappeared from the side OF the burn.
Just where II stood. shallow stream ran across
the way and plunged into wood in which Jessie;
II was not until she was left alone IN the world
that much attention paid to her existence. and
she then presented herself to the parish as prob
fore the all powerful Board School arose 10 direct
and coerce rustic parents and guardians she had
Which the the sun l ~ fs6 bleached to dull yellow
6eayg oEer up az her se bTo 9Ses 9 She was rce oane
lass. with her hot gray eyes. The parish turned It's
ing. and ives SGSS presently Relieved When Mrs Muir
head who was looking for an ne1ied SsrTan,,
somewhat nieagre wage and her clothes. and was
mater wa. settled, she packed her few possessions
into bundle and saunered up the green ios Inlns
decent roof. marking whore one hrV''oa ended ana
Mrs Muirhead was the widow Of ioner. and
She irhabted cottage sta ndlng 1ust whete h NJ
high road that ran north 70 the hills sne was we
70 do for cottazeT. ana her lttle yard ofSiaes 5
sa wed and pIaned as hs father had done before
him, contained row ~ hencoops and sly in
closing pig. whose proportions waved as autumn
wsneo. In The Garden plot between her doorstep
and the road couple Of trimmed molly
bushes and the path WAS edged with white stones
when the laird rode by he cast fayorab bic eye on
the rfa viith neat il helited the last
hou-e mans property 70 be; when he nae
wood he was no longer on his ground, for the
green. whin-choked loaning was oebataole land'
lyiI bAtween himself and his neighbor-
the whins and opened the gate. Peter Muirhead;
who was in the yard. heard the latch click and
head by the holly bushes he laid down the spoke
shave he WAS using and came round TO the front
The girl was looking az MN with eyes whose oi-
derstand. Ho began TO smile
''Will Mistress Muirhead be benz" said Jessie
Mary. tentatively.
Peter did not answer but approached, his smile
taking meaning.
win Mistress Muirhead be ben the house7" she
II occurred to her that he might not be in his
right senses, for the mile or two OF debatable
future might well have been ten for all she
had OF the world at the other end of IT, She
knew very well that Muirhead the Joiner had lived
man but the shambling figure before her
entirely strange. Once. at the edge OF the wood.
she Rad listened 20 the whirr OF saving in the
vicinity OF the road and had gathered that the
work went on, though Muirhead himself had de-
parted:
said Peter jocosely. HIS mother was in the house
but ne saw no reason for divulging the fact
Jessle-Hary stood silent. scarcely knowing what
"Yon',e q fine lassie" observed Peter stiIi smii-
ing aiiuringly
She ey"d him with distrust ard her heavy brows
as.red over Aer cves: she began TO walk toward
the coifsEe iie sprang forward as though TO in
'ercepL ger and. as She knocked he laid hold of
the door just IN time to see him drop a. She was
snort n~fo featured woman. presenting an ex-