The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-08-22

H. Mackenzie in Manchester Guardian,
The gray mist lifted and rolled away IN
ragged cloudIets; mountain and moor
glowed purple. brown. and gold. with cool
blue shadows where the level rays failed
TO reach some deep glen. Already the
breeze had the chill Of evening, sky and
sea were Opalescent and snake-Iike lines
OF fire darted sideways from our prov
with every stroke of the car.
NO. the young people are not caring
for the old stories said the boatman
mournfully. swaying as he rowed And
the stories Will dwindle and disappear, as
the dewdrops grow less when the sun
rises. Whose tongue shall tell them when
I am gomez"
The more reason 70 let me hear them
now" urged eagerly.
lie hesitated. How shall you tell them
again in English?'' he demanded They
we're born in Gaelic-the language clothed
them, and as they grew older their dress
became richer with each telling. They
are Ike the music Of the harp OF Conan:
few are the ears TO which they speak,
And who was Conan I asked insin-
uatingly
Conan Of the Harp" the boatman cor
rected me. Men called him that because
wherever he went he carried his harp
with him-a harp on which he never
played He lived on the shore Of loch
at the mouth OF a long, winding glen:
his fathers house faced eastward so
that the sun looked on it first when il
rose over the mountains. His father and
his brothers would often be disputing
with Conan because OF his leaving his
work 20 wander alone on the hillside.
and no man the gamer from his roam
ings. But his mother pleaded for him.
and said, BE kindly TO him, he has the
gitt and one day he will bring honor TO
his fathers name
Comm Goes TO Tnrn.
ZIP the glen there was a tarn: # was
called the Tarn Of Darkness. because its
waters were never clear. and the rocks
around It were black. IN the brightest
sunlight men shivered as they passed II.
and those who lost their way and came
upon the tGrn at night would hear
strange meanings. and see a woman IN
black, with black hair and white face.
There Il was that Conan would go. and
folks thought Il strange that he should
be spending his time neas the Tarn OF
Darkness
Not far from the house OF Conan's
father lived an old man with a daughter
/ black-haired Sheila. with the sloW-movlrg
1 eyelids. and skin so white that her feet
I cleaned ike snow when she came stem
/ ping over the heather. She il was that
I Conan wished 10 take for his wife: but
she would not think OF him. because OF.
Connachar. young man who lived
across the l0ch.
once there came a great storm: the
/ wind drove all the clouds down fren the
mountain tops. the ram Gid rot cease. by
night or day, and the streams were all
OVERLOOKING The loch was tossing Ike
the pool beneath a waterfall and tear
ing al the trees along the shore as a dog
snatehes at a bone. Then out in the
! darkness they saw hoat-just one man
was in It. and all were saying that he
must drown. But Sheila saw clearer than
all with the eyes OF her soul. and she
cried: It is Connacharr and threw her
self on the ground, swaying with grief.
Saves Him with His Harp.
The others looked and waited. and as
the boat drove closer they saw that Con
nachar it was. VIII no one try TO save
him? asked SheiIa. If -Four strong arms
should be in the boat instead OF two he
/ might yet be saved. When the waters
have taken him. he viii not be standing
( in my way any more said Conan: but
Sheila begged for his help with the tears
! undried on her face. Then Conan said:
4 It may be that ] can save COnnachar at
I the cost Of my own life If the boat
/ comes safe with one. II will also come
safe with two. answered Sheua. Conan's
! face grew gray as the face Of a dead
man. 1t is 81 speaking to ears that viii
not understand said he But DO not
/ forget that II was my fathers son who
I put Connachars life before his own
I And he took his harp. and for the first
time he played on t.
When he began they could hear moth
/ Ing, the music was so low; bit after
/ ward there we're some who seemed 70
/ hear the drops falling from the heather
when the mist hangs thick. and the rus
/ tie OF the little leaves when the butter
I cup bud opens. The storm stayed 10
listen. and the lOch Quoted down 10 hear:
! the sedgegrass stood straight and silent.
and the streams flowed on with never
| sound Connachar's boat came over the
smooth water and touched the shore
and Conan fell dead at that instant
They took him up and mourned for
\ him. Shelia sOrest of all: but when they
went 10 take his harp there came a white
/ faced woman in black dresS-the black
( haired woman from the Tarn OF Dark
ness. She took up the harp. There IS
none left worthy 70 hold the Harp OF
Conan she said. Let it bide with me
until the man comes who can play it.
and she went back to the tarn, weeping
/ for Conan"
The sun had dipped; the afterglow was
/ beginning 70 fade. Ny old boatnan gave
/ a little shiver. we had best get back
/ the quickest we can" said he. for the
wind is rising and the white-armed
/ Daughters OF the Sea"-pointing to the
foam-capped waves-''are coming forth 20
| hound the doomed 20 their fate"