The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-12

as soon as she saw the girl. and loved her as her own daughter
 But 1t was not to be supposed that the Doones would let themselves be thus flouted. They suspected where Lorna had been spirited to, and one night came riding up in force to burn the house. murder the Ridds and get back their Queen.
 In preparation for some such attack Jeremy Stickles had ordered up four troopers under his command from Dull wich and John had gathered some of his more valiant neighbors and armed such of his farm hands as were not afraid. So the Doones drew off from the assault with the worst of 1t, and Ridd had killed with his own hands and a stout cudgel.
 Now, among the things which Lorna had brought with her from Glen Doone was a necklace which Sld Sir Ensor had handed her just as he was dying, telling her to hide 1t from the other Doones. She thought it to be a string of glass beads; but Johns cousin, Tom Faggus, upon seeing 1t, declared 1t to be composed of the rarest diamonds and worth 100000
 Tom Faggus was likely to know. seeing that he had been a most pros porous and admired highwayman. until he had sued out a Kings pardon and retired to private life on a most com fortable competence. Being well to do now and highly respected, he had become engaged to Johns sister Annie, for even honest, straight minded John could not maintain the same forbidding attitude toward Squire Faggus of the gentry that he had held toward Tom Faggus of the night road.
 The Ridds laughed at his estimate of the value of the necklace at first but finally thought there might be some truth in what he said, and Lorna hid the necklace in a little pocket al the head of her bed.
 The excitement caused by the attack of the Doones and the discovery or the value of the necklace had scarcely subsided when Plover's Barrows was agitated again by the appearance of the counselor That white bearded old sinner came with his smooth talk and his glib tongue to see, as he said. if there could not be some plan hit upon of peace between the Doones and the Ridds Much he and all his tribe longed to have their little queen back again, but, after all wno should con trol the course of true love?
 The result was that he made himself so very agreeable that the whole family thought they had misjudged him. and he took so kindly to the yeoman hospi- tality that, though only a baronet. he was as drunk as a lord by 10 o'clock, and John put him to bed in the best bedroom.
 Sir Counselor was up betimes next morning, looking fresh. and rosy in spite of his previous nights potations, and he went to see how Annie managed the dairy. Have you ever heard" :" said he to Annie, that if you pass across the top of a milk pan three times a string of bright glass beads. the cream will be three times thick and solid?"
 "No. sir replied the maiden, staring with all her simple eyes. But l would like to try it. if. perchance, 1t would not be wrong"
 "No wrong in the least" laughed Sir Counselor. But have you such a string of bright glass beads?"
 "oh. yes, SIT replied Annie. Lorna had such one. Our cousin. Tom Faggus. calls the beads by another name. which l forget. know where Lorna keeps it. Let us try the charm And off the foolish girl went and fetched back the diamond necklace.
 Sir Counselor's eyes twinkled and he laughed with a suppressed glee as he took the glittering string, and, pass ing 1t three times over a milk pan. said: "Crinkleum. cranklelum, grass and clover" Then he added in deep. stern whisper. Not a word of this to a living soul; neither must you enter this room again for three hours We will place the glass beads under panikin-so!"