The Holly chieftain., 1910-10-28


books and ancient records.
Celia went to her task of anding
Andrew MacPherson's lost ancestors
with enthusiasm. She liked tracing
genealogies. and there was an added
zest In tracing. under safe cover Of
P. o. box l72. the lineage OF some one
shA knew-and Andrew MacPherson
at that
With the information which Al
drew. unsuspicious, forwarded to her,
Celia managed to trace his ancestors
from the pioneer times in Michigan
back to . landing In Virginia. and
then over the seas and back to the
days of one Andrew. laird OF the Mac
Pherson ancestral hall In the Scotch
Highlands. 1t was really = very in.
teresting line of ancestors that she
arranged in neat typewriter array
over several sheets Of foolscap.
But the end of her search Celia
came upon trouble. At first she
thought she had made a great md.
for in an old record she came across
a verse Of many stanzas about q bold
Scotch knight named Andrew. Of the
house OF MACPHERSON. and q fair lady
whose name and history nobody knew,
but who captivated the bold knight
They were about to be married whe8
-one moonlight night at the edge of .
lake the knight asked the lady who
she was.
"The lady's eyes were ocean blue: her
brow was lilies fair;
Her lips gave forth the roses hue.
and sunlight was her hair"
sang the ditty. But when she opened
her rosy lips and told the knight that
she was humble peasant maiden he
was 80 enraged that she should think
OF marrying . knight of his degree
that he clapped his hands and sum.
moned mystic boat, which carried
her over the lake into darkness and
oblivion.
! What an awful man to have for
an ancestor" thought Celia. "Ths
story would be good reading. but it's
only legend. suppose. l just won't
put 1t In" So without this romantic
addition Celia forwarded the genealo-
BY OF the proud house of Macpherson
and waited for summer.
In radiant expectancy Celia went
to the mountains, and took all her
aunt's advice and seedlings with
laughing good grace.
Andrew arrived as he had planned.
and the two weeks Of his vacation
were even happier than he had dared
hope. Celia welcomed him frankly.
and as the days passed their friend
| ship progressed 30 far that Andrew
took heart.
He had the modesty to, leave his
family tree ut home. for he realized
that 1t would seem like Idle bosstins
to show 1t to Celia. But he never
told her how poor he was.
Celia remembered her aunt's I'd.
vice. and guiltily kept still about her
work
The last day Of Andrews stay
came. and he and Celia spent the eve
ming canoeing ON the lake.
Celia" said Andrew, a. they stood
together at the waters edge, taking .
last look at the moonlit lake. II am
going back tomorrow. Before go
l must tell you what came up here
to tell you. / didnr suppose there
was any hope for . man like me-
you. with money. and friends. and
everything any one could have. But
you are SO different from every one
else up here; you're SO genuine and
honest. As you stand there In the
moonlight, Celia, you're like the sun.
! shine and the ocean and everything
that Is wholesome and true"
Celia stood rigid. A moment be-
fore she had known what she would
say when Andrew made his plea. The
fact that he did not know she was
poor and worked did not seem to
matter But the words sunshine and
ocean brought back the untimely fate
OF the poor little peasant girl. and
Celia seemed to see. not pleading
young American lover. but grim
Scotch knight before her. The lap
ping Of the waves seemed to be the
oars of the mystic boat which was to
bear her to oblivion once her identity
was known.
Don't" said Celia "Oh. please
take care Of me-" she whispered az
the wind blew the water splashing on
the shore. Don't you see. l cannot
listen to yours? I've been deceitful.
I'm dreadful poor. and I have to
work ITO take care Of myself. l do
genealogies. did yours. I'm P. o.
box 172. But I didn't want you to
know l was DOOR"