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

/ house OF the OudllGI With tiCy NOdii
look at him would turn aside and whisper
apart. While the youth was in this ag-
eravated state of mind he one night re-
ceived a secret message from Brenda APP
pointing a meeting at a secluded place
on the neighboring shore
| When they met Brenda, with many
tears and reproaches, told Mordaunt the
reason for his treatment at the house of
the IJdaller. 1t had been reported by
many, the peddler among them, that
Mordaunt had boosted that he could
marry either of the daughters of the
Magnus which he might choose-he was
only waiting to make up his mind. rms
report had sifted from the kitchen to the
parlor. and the Udaller's cousin, old lady
Gliowrowrun. had said La, Magnus,
that is an old story. OF course, the young
stranger has always boosted that way.
Another old woman with two marriage
able daughters who had been present had
said: "Why, Udaller. l thought you
knew that for long time. You are the
only person in the Orkneys or the Get
lands who has not heard of these I'M
pertinent boasts" Brenda, with tears,
reproached Mordaunt, and the irritate
young man holly denying that he had
said anything that could be at all con-
stituted as such language as had peen
imputed to him, flew in a rage and de-
clared that Cleveland was at the bottom
of the conspiracy and that he would
have his life.
But Mordaunt at the same time sud
denly and supposedly awoke to knowl-
edge of the fact that he loved Brenda
Troll! The same night that Mordaunt
and Brenda had their meeting Cleveland
and Minna met together upon another
part of the shore. Cleveland frankly
avowed his love for the dark-haired
daughter of the Udaller and told her his
lifes history. He had been born in the
West Indies. His fathers plantation had
been ravaged by the Spanish, and that.
in revenge, he had turned buccaneer. He
had been marooned ON desolate key
and was supposed to have persisted there.
Cleveland himself was no privateer, but
a pirate, following out the path of life
his father had started him in. So far
from shocking Minna, she gloried in the
love of this gentleman adventurer and
vowed that he was great and noble. Her
heart was his. 1t was a great and
mighty thing to sail the seas untram-
meled and to venture ones life against
the cruelty and pride of Spain. Cleveland
himself was appalled, at the little compre-
hension which the girl had of the mean
ing of the term pirate. Fed as she had
been with the stories of the old Vikings,
her ancestors, she imagined that a mod
ern pirate was much of the same sort of
a sea rover.
The peddler had brought word that the
long expected consort was now lying in
the harbor of Kirkwall in the Orkneys,
and Cleveland made a sudden resolve to
visit this island capital, there to see the
captain of the ship and to take a final
farewell of his pirate friends. He knew
from what Bryce Snailsfoot said that the
ship was lying there under sufferance and
that, while the good people of the town
were trading with her, they only awaited
the arrival of a Kings ship, which was
soon expected upon the coast to de-
nounce the captain, a rude sort of pirate,
who had let his men run loose about the
town until they had become obnoxious
to the inhabitants for their riotous ways
Mordaunt also had resolved to leave
Burgh- Westra at once. That night as
both he and Cleveland were taking a
last lingering look at the house which
contained the objects they held dearest
on earth the two men encountered. A few
words and two drawn swords resulted in
Mordaunt being severely wounded. Cleve-
land was scared at what he had DONE for
although he had a natural antipathy for
the boy he had also a regard for his
manly qualities. He took the body, dead,
as he thought, to the beach, and was
about to throw it into the water when
he heard a slight groan from Mordaunt.
and at once tried to revive him. Then
appeared upon the scene old Norma, wild
and disheveled. In strange, weird words
she pronounced her mailason upon Cleve-
land and took from his care the wounded
man. M t.5e.
Mertoun who had been having one of
his dark hours" noticed that his, house,
keeper had set a place at dinner for his
son and inquired: '1s Mordaunt to be here
tonight p Then the aged Swertha lost
all fear and opened her batteries upon her
astonished employer. "You," said she,
"of all the people on this island are in
different to the fate of your son. He has
disappeared. You should have known it.;
you should have searched for him. You
may drive me forth from this ancient
ruin this instant; but while ] am here 1
shall talk. You are a hard-hearted I'M
feeling father" Mertoun turned so pale
that Swertha became alarmed. and as he
reeled in his chair cried out what had she
done? Mertoun family commanded her
to go to his room and bring bottle of
brandy. The old woman found the bottle
there was dust and cobwebs on it-and
poured a trimming glass for her master.
He drank it off at draught; and after
ward Swertha was accustomed to say
that never had she seen drink do so
much good to any one. And she was an
adept at the brandy bottle. Mertoun' $
color returned and he asked where should
he look, whom should he consult as to
the whereabouts of his son? well, old
Norma of the Fitful Heads knows more
than any person ought to know" replied
swertha: seek her." That witch, that
has!' expostulated Mertoun. Yes, seek
her.' answered Swertha "she is even now
in the ruins of St. Ringan's Kirk, where
she holds communion with the dead" y
Mertoun was by this time SO much
shaken that he followed the advice OF
| IN tba r,,ins Norm