The Washington times., 1913-01-13
CHAPTER vI.-(Continued)


CHAPTER vI.-(Continued)
-HE BARNS caught the tune and the
words at once, and soon every
body in the clachan could hear
them as they danced around the
sand-castIe, singing in merry chorus:
This was the tune
When she laid her doom,
And deed for a heather laddle-
And deed for a heather laddle.
fhey could not have sung it more
than thrice before there was a great
todo in the clachan. The guldwives ap-
peared in the doorWays. shTieking their
horror and calling their children. The
BARNS broke the magic circle and ran to
their mothers aprons Then there was
a great clatter; and presently the
BARNS, unhindered-aye, even encour-
aged-by their mothers, began mocking
Mariposa and throwing stones. She
looked amazed for a moment; then
tossing her chin in the air, she spun
on her heel and marched off, without
looking at me or waiting 10 see if l
followed.
Straight to the farm she went with
me trailing behind like vassal. As she
entered the kitchen her eyes were
dropped, but her head was erect. My
father looked up from the fireside with
a doubtful expression Mariposa re-
turned the look defiantly, and re-
manned standing in the middle of the
kitchen-a lonely little figure-seemingly
carved out of stone
And what will this be-" asked my
mother coming in from the dairy.
At the sight OF one of her sex Mari
posa's eyes fell, her face softcned, her
mouth corners drooped, and in another
moment her head was In my mother s
her heart Even my father took pity
when / told him what had happened,
and he patted the little waits head
Poor lassie!'' he said. Poor wee
lassi''
After that incident Mariposa took her
old place at the farm and drove me
cows with Inc, and MIXED them with
my mother. Indeed, she helped IN many
ways. It was many a year before sne
entered the clachan again, and as time
vent on she became more and more OF
an untamed creature of the open AIR.
When my father died she was as one
OF us, and slept in old Leezies cottage,
cnlv that she might mind the old body
"A her 6oddering years
Soon enough she was no longer a
child. Into her eyes came the wistfui
Eoaming Of % young rn gomsnnooq; anne Il ane' ane
sue was the living reincarnation OF
Don John and Mistress Mary Proud,
Vet whimsical, and as full of sunshine
as her feather. beneath her bosom peat
the great heart OF her mother. In ner
veins ran the blood of Scotland and OF
Spafn-fearless, fierce and passionate
But she was yet child in knowleoge.
Womanhood brought her, i think, only
A sense of tenderness and wonder. Tne
two graves beneath the hollow OAK
seemed TO exercise strange fascina-
ton in her mind. No more would she
ask me thither, but often she went
alone and remained for hours IN revere.
But as quickly would her mood turn
10 one of irrepressible gayety. Then
= she would talk at great speed ana "llI
certain cleverness for nnolng 0u,
ones weak spot and playing on II. @ pu,
her arrows of wit fell lightly, for they
were shot In some wonderful way tha'
left you touched but unhurt- And sht
would sing-never that Ilt-but queer
songs of her own making, words anc
frIne full of the melancholy of our owl
Highland songs; but with trick ol
ending that left you wondering wheth'
er she was not making fun OF herseiI
Between her and me there was now
sense of equality When / saw heI
for the first time with her hair ued,
feather In her bonnet and an END oi
her plaid falling straight from mel
rfpen,nR bosom to her feet-t was
hand 10 remember that she was fifteer
and L twenty-three- Yet between u:
there was nothing but that anectloI
of custom which one must staho idi
of to probe.
II would be hitting and pleasant to love
this girl, and often l wondered why
did not. The idea grew In my heac
onIv right that l should. My fathel
was dead, and my mother was grow
ing old. And i was a man. and mere
was a woman. Yes, there was no room
for doubt 1 should, By all rights, pro
this GIRL 40 QaN
said to her in. the hsy-loft: -,
.Mariposa, do ye love me-?
Aye Rorie! What for do ye ask
sohs ave! was Just thinklng-that
And / got no further, for she turnet
and looked at me Next moment We
were both laughing till the tears raj
ON our cheeks. 1t seemed so foolish.
But one summer evening, after ~
had driven the cows among the daisies
Of the long pasture. Mariposa and
sat on the stlle which had been bull
listening to the cry OF corn-crake n
the meadow. BY and by somebody
came sauntering along the road.
made out Il was young Jamie, conc
home from Edinburgh. He was dressed
in grand fashion and dangling a prett,
stick, which was tied to his wrist HI
was a brave-looking lad, but the sign
of him hurt me a littie. 1t may have
Dfen Inat, dS Ulg COuSilr uS StOuN bS
tween me and the acres around Kilel
Ian Castle. And then, with my fairN
knees, frowsy head. and clumsy dress
/ must have cut a figure TO his ed
vantage.
looked at Mariposa, and she Wal
looking at young Jamie. Here Wa:
the living image OF the hero in IN
"John-John" story. and saw the
thought in her eyes. Young Jami
stopped before US and nearly swept VI
the dust with his plumed bonnet. Mari
posa. seemed 10 think suddenly tina
sitting on site was not worthy .
the occas sion, for she climbed down
made a pretty curtsy, smoothed ou
plaid and blusbed.
Young Jamie had nearly quite for
gotten me and he had never seen Mar
iposa before, so he did not stop long
He asked about the COWS, like on
whose mind dwells far from cows. Thel
he wished us a very good-eyen'. H<ri
posa climbed back on the stile, and, a
Young jamie ssuntered along, sh
whispered I'm my ear:
"Rorie, was Don John like thatZ
A feeling not unlike hunger tool
hold of me. / looked at Mariposa-
meant to speak, but not word coul
I think of to say. She looked at m
with bright, merry eyes Then, as
cid not speak, a glow alarm crept int
them and the blood glowed in her face
The vel was parted. A silence fel
between U.s. The cry OF the corn-crak
jarred the dusk. The feeling of huEge
gnawed at my vitals. But ] ate n