The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-17

man.
ETLAND is Cor was at the end of the
seventeenth century, land where
Il people did not lock their doors at
night; where unbounded hospitality was
the rule and where Magnus Troll of
Burgh-Westra, descended from those an
cient Norwegian earls who once reigned
in semi-independent state over Orkney
and Zetland, was the biggest man in the
community. The Udaller as he was some
times called-the Freeholder-had never in
his life seen a greater man than HIM
self, and was proud of his blood, of his
possession of lands and ships and Stock
and especially of his two daughters, Min
ma and Brenda. Claud Halcro dried-up
little man, half poet and half scald, who
had little wild island of his own, had
been in London and known Dryden (the
immortal John he called him). denomi-
mated one of the daughters Night and the
other Day-for Minna was dark and of a
serious and thoughtful men, while Brenda
was fair and of a lightsome and gay dis
position. And both were as beautiful as
night and day can be.
Magnus, hearty man, was entertaining
at his spacious house of Burgh- Westra
one Mr.. Mertoun, stranger TO those
parts, but of whom no one knew anything
except that he seemed to have plenty of
money and had come over in Dutch fish
ing boat with his son, boy of about 13
Such was the hospitality of the people
who in Zetland that it was considered
most discourteous to ask stranger con-
corning himself, and Mr.. Mertoun, being a
man who spoke little and never of him
self, the Zetlanders knew as little of him
after he had been for some weeks on the
principal island which they call the
"Mainland"-as they did when he first
stepped ashore. Being of distinguished
bearing, evidently a man of wealth and
education, Magnus Troll had invited Mer-
toun to Burgh- Westra, where, however
he was but poor company for the jolly
Udaller, who ate hugely, and, though
boasting that he had never in his life
gone to bed drunk, could never have been
said to have gone to bed sober since he
arrived at mans estate. Mertoun ate SPAR
ingly and would drink only water, which
angered the good Udaller and as they sat
at board after dinner imposed upon him
the necessity of doing double duty by the
right Nantz," the prime jamaica and
the other good beverages which the trad
ers and vessels of a more doubtful char
aeter brought in quantities to these
shores.
Therefore when Mr.. Mertoun one night
tro hot ha 1T I,
cient and half-ruined house of Jarishof
for the jolly landlord frightened up at
the thought. inhospital though it was,
that he would soon be freed from the sour
looks and taciturn ways of his guest and
replied: why, no great matter. 1t is
pretty ruinous; the old earls, my ances-
tors, built it and lived there It is an
exposed place, wild and dreary. With it,
however, goes the rights of tacksman' D.
the little village below the cIiffs-you viii
be little feudal lord there. The tenants
will fish for you and you must have land
eight Iispunds of butter and shilling
a year Is not too much So it was
agreed.
The stranger established himself in
gloomy solitude at Jarlshof with his SON
Mordaunt, and an old housekeeper named
6wertha. recruited from the village below
the cliff. The walls of the old house
were thick amid strong and some repairs
of the interior made the place habitable
But it was a gloomy and forbidding habi-
tation. The sea birds screamed around
II, the barren, desolate looking land
stretched back from 1t and below the
waves cternally Numbered while. through
mist and driving clouds, glimpses could
be caught OF giant headlands and lonely
capes and Of the swift, tumultuous waters
of that pass known as the Roost of Sum
burgh running at the rate OF Is knots
m hour. Mr.. Mertoun not only preserved
his former gloomy taciturnity in his new
abode, but became subject to spells of
depression, when he would shut himself
ur in his room for days at time, only
coming forth when the others were asleep
to partake sparingly of the food which
ewertha took care TO leave in a conven-
tent place.
At first the thrifty people of the viii
lage, entering into an alliance with old
swertha, swlndled Mertoun frightfulIy-
was he not prey delivered into their hands
by that good sea when gave them food
and wrecks? And, besides, the poor man,
being foreigner, did not know the value
Of anything. AS Smartha and her friend,