The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-05-26
A Knight O.
The Garter
A Tale Of a Misogymist a n d a
Scotch Lad and Lassie Who
Fooled Him.


Fooled Him.
In Rosmoran, away p in the ex-
treme north of Scotland, stands Dun
bar Hall, known to the common peo-
pie as the Abbey, a medieval struc-
ture surrounded by trees of various
species, locked, bolted and barred
within palisade of iron, whose rusty
spikes penetrate the air to the height
of ten feet or more. Itpresents such
dreary manforsaken appearance
that one finds it difficult to believe
the stories of its former G ra n d u r.
Dunbar Hall is the property of Gil
bert St. John O'Niel, Count, Baron,
Knight of the Garter and Upholder
of the Faith. The family is the old
est in the X in g d o m, dating back
trough succession of warriors,
mounted banks, pirates and preservers
of the peace to the indomitable Shan
O'Niel, of many devices. SO much
for it's past history which is pano-
rama Of tournament and rapine and
those delightful pastimes of the tor
ture chamber, played between Jew
and Gentle, t he appurtenances of
which are today preserved as relics
of Ye Good Olde Tymes. The pres
ent owner of the Abbey, the afore-
said Gilbert st. John possesses few,
if any, of th e characteristics of his
bellicose, swashbuckling ancestors.
His tastes are in another direction.
Gilbert had never married. An
early disappointment had wounded
his vanity SO deeply that like sulky
child he hid his face and declared
that never more would the blessing
of his smile fall upon member of
the weaker sex. AS time went on
the loneliness and continuous brood
ing upon imaginary wrongs disar-
ranged his nervous system and Gill
bert became crank. His house was
large and owing to his habits, he
found it difficult to retain servant.
When his sister, Esther, died in COM
parative poverty, leaving daughter
aged Is, Gilbert gleefully extended
the hospitality of his abode, inwardly
congratulating himself upon the ex-
cellence of his finesse in securing a
cheap servant, bound to him by other
ties than wages. The daughter, leav-
ing her mothers name, came in due
course af time and proved to be all
that Gilbert had anticipated or hoped
for, shy, beautiful bred
young gentlewoman, oyerflo W n 9
with gratitude and sympathy for one
SO nearly related to her parent. Gil
bert received her with the gracious
courtesy of a bear, which Esther at
tributing to sorrow for the death OF
her mother, kindly overlooked, mis-
taking the CLEAN of exultation that
lit his eyes, for beam of fatherly
sympathy.
The melancholy dreariness of the
Abbey struck chill to the heart OF
the poor girl, racked as she was by
the loss of a mother whose confidence
she had shared. Sympathy she need
ed and instead received the penetrat-
ing comments of a hypochondriacal
misogymist. Something of the ancient
chivalry was in the soul of Esther.
She was thoroughbred. Never a
word of complaint escaped her lips.
| During the day she busted herself
with the household duties, and at
night cried herself to sleep. And SO
went by two long, dreary years OF
hopeless, unrecompensed labor to the
interest of an egotist whose lexicon
contained no word of praise.
| One morning during breakfast a
telegram arrived, thing so very un-
usual that it inspired Esther with a
ray of hope. Gilbert took the tele-
gram, turned it over suspiciously a
| few times, then opened a n d read it
j A glance was sufficient 10 apprise
him of it's purport. Then he arose
crumpled it into ball and with a
ldrop kick sent it flying into the cor