Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-09-01
CHAPTER XI.

CHAPTER XI.
He could not rest somehow. He went
into the laboratory, and looked vacantly
around; the objects there seemed to have
no interest for him. Then he went back
to the house-into the room where he
had found her standing; and that had
more of a charm for him; the atmosphere
still seemed to bear the perfume of her
presence, the music of her voice still
seemed to hang in the air. She had left
on the table-she had forgotten, indeed
"a couple of boards inclOsing specimens
of. some flowers. These he turned over,
regarding with some attention; but still
his mind was absent; he was following in
Imagination the girl herself, going away
along the road there, alone, to meet the
revelation that was to alter her life. And
was he going to stand by, idle? Was he
going to limit himself to the part he had
been asked to play-that of mere mes
sage bearer? Could he not do something?
Was he to be dominated by the coward
fear of being called an intermeddler?
He snatched up his hat and went
quickly out and through the little front
garden into the road; there he paused.
Of course, he could not follow her; she
must needs see him coming up the wide
strath; and in that case what excuse
could he give? But what if the shooting
party had not yet come down from the
hill? Might he not intercept them some
where2 He held along by the hilltop,
until, far below him, he came in sight of
Lynn Towers, and the bridge, and the
stream, and the loch; and onward still
he kept his way, until the strath came
in view, with Allt-nam-ba, and a pale
blue smoke rising from the chimneys into
the still evening air. Probably Yolande
had got home by that time. So he kept
rather back from the edge of the hilltop
so that he should not be deserted; and in
due time arrived at a point overlooking
the junction of the three glens, down one
of which the shooting people We're almost
certain to come.
He looked and waited, however, il
vain; and he was coming to the conclusion
that they must have already passed ant
gone on to the lodge, when he fanciet
he saw something move behind some
birch bushes on the hillside beyond thu
glen. Presently he made II a pony
grazing, and gradually coming more ant
more into view. Then he reflected that
probably the attendant gillie and the
panniers were hidden from sight behinG
these birches; and that, if it were so
the shooting party had not returned
and were bound to come back that way
A very few minutes of further waiting
proved his conjectures to be right; a scat
tered group of people, with dogs in tt
heel, appearing on the crest of the hill
opposite. Then he had no further doubt
Down this slope he went at headlonl
speed; crossed the rushing burn b!
s~pringing from boulder to boulder, anC
very soon encountered the returning par
ty, who were now watching the p%annierl
being put on the pony's back.
Now that he had intercepted Mr.. Win
terbourne, there was nosneed for hurry
He could take time to recover his breath
and also to bethink himself as to how
he should approach this difficult matter
The conversation was all about the day
sport.
Then they set out for home; Duncan
and the gillies making away for a sor
Of ford by which they could get the pom!
across the Dunn Water; while the tire,
others took a nearer way to the lodge b!
getting down through a guile, wher,
there was a swing bridge across tn,
burn. When they had got to the bridge
Melville stopped them.
81 am not going on with you to tn,
lodge" said he. Mr.. Winterbourne,
have seen your daughter this afternoon
She is troubled and anxious; and
thought I'd come along and have a wort
with you. l hope you will forgive me TO
thrusting myself in where 1 may not b,
wanted; but-but-it is not always tn,
right thing to pass by on the othe
side / couldn't in this case"
81 am sure we are most thankful t.
you for what you have done already,
Yolande's father said, promptly; an,
then he added, with a weary look In hi
face, "and what is to be done now,
don't know. | cannot bring myself t,
this that Leslie demands. 1t is too terri
BILE. / look at the girl-well, it does no
bear speaking Of"
"Look here, Winterbourne," Johl
Shortlands said, 81 am going to leave 70,
two together. | will wait for you at tn
other side. But l would advise you t,
listen well to anything that Mr.. Melyill
has to say; l have my own guess"
With that he proceeded to make hi
way across the narrow and swayinl
bridge, leaving these two alone.
(To be continued.)