Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-01-10
THE SCOTCH
LASSIE
By ELIZABETH CHIARNIEY
Copyright BY American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

49, -~N sNNthtAg aAAhfSA haSAa WV
land. She had lived in affluence In her
native land. but shortly before her
| coming to America large bank failed
OF which her father was director.
The law in Scotland is very hard on
! men who directly or indirectly lose
money for others, and in this case all
the directors of the bank, though they
were entirely innocent. wing left ev-
erything pertaining to the bank to the
president, were all convicted of fraud
| and sent to prison. Our governess' ia
Their was among the number. She beg
ged to be allowed to go to prison In his
| place. but Of course was not permit
ted. He died long before the end OF
his term. and his daughter was left an
orphan.
In time my brother began to APP
pear conscious OF Grace MacAlister's
presence in the household. IL he came
home and found that she had gone out
on any errand for herself or the chill
dren could easily detect look Of dis
appointment In his face. But after his
wife's death he was very dependent in
| finding every one of us at home when
he returned from business. and 1t was
impossible for us to get away for any
length of time. Then. too, in the even
ing he would rely on US to play cards
with him. usually calling in neighbor
to make fourth hand. And so year
went by and all was going well when
| something happened.
A young man about Grace's age,
with q triie of the Scotch dialect
about him. came to the house and
| called for her. That evening Ed
gar was in very bad humor. He
was obliged TO give up his game of
| cards. Grace remained In the draw
| ing room with the stranger till late,
| while was trying to amuse Edgar in
the library. AT 10 Edgar went out
| to his club-something he had not
| done before since Miss MacAlister had
| become one of us--and at II returned
| In. II possible. worse humor than
| when he departed.
supposed Grace would say some
| thing about the yisitor-the only caller
| she had had since she came to us-but
| Impertinent for me to question her
/ about him Edgar fenced a good deal
| with me to find out who the man was
| without appearing anxious to know.
/ and when | told him that Miss Mae
| AHster had not said anything about
! him to me my brother seemed to be
! very Ill at ease.
no outfa1
( to see Grace frequently. When with
I him she usually closed the door of
! the room they were In. and. in any
| event. when COW ersing with him 1t was
| In such low tones that not word
| they said was even overheard Dur
| ing this period Edgar was positively
unbearable He fretted because he
must forego his cards and at one
| time went so far as to ask me to sug-
| gest TO the governess that the stran-
1 gers absorption of her time and at
| tention was interfering with her care
| of the children. | knew that he was
suffering from jealousy and that If
did what he proposed he would never
! forgive me.
| One evening when the young Scotch
man did not call Miss MacAlister came
to me and said:
1.-THE gentleman who has been to see
me frequently of late Is sutton or
| mine from the time | was a wee thing
| When my father was in trouble my
lover kept away from us. Now he
/ comes counting me, but | dinna love
| him, and. If did. that he once blamed
| my father would be barrier between
| u.s. | sent him hame yesterday. and
| he's now on the ocean on his way to
4 bonny Scotland I've known that his
presence here might excite curiosity,
| but | dldna like to tell ye who he
| was and what was his errand till he
| had gone"
| lost no time in imparting the conf
| dence to Edgar. telling him for the first
| time who was Miss MacAlister's visitor
and the reason of his presence in Amer
lea. shall never forget the sigh of
| relief he drew or the expression on his
| face while | gave the girls history.
| "You see. my dear" | added. Miss
MacAlister Is sensitive on the point OF
| neT IdtueT lnlslOIiuue VI AahuAe ~
watch those interests he was expected
TO watch"
| said this because had feared. as
| have already mentioned. that Edgar's
| feelings or treatment Of the girl would
| change II he knew the facts or that his
| sturdy honesty and discrimination be-
| tween right and wrong might lead him
| to say something that would turn
| Grace against him. He made no COM
ment whatever on what | had told
| him. but the next day Informed me
that he had proposed to Miss Mac
| Alister and been accepted.
And then / learned for the first time
that an affair had been in progress be-
| tween them ever since Grace had been
| a member of our family, though only
In feeling for not word of love had