The Washington times., 1913-01-12
CHAPTER vi.
Mariposa.

= N the year 1904 I was grown to a
strong man. My father. Angus
j MacIean, lay at rest in the rose
garden. Black Archibald-dour,
fierce, silent Black Archibald-lived
alone in the gloomy castle-for his son
Jamie was still schooling himself In
the world at Edinburgh. Two graves
in the cave in the woods marked the
tress Mary; and in the cottage Of Daft
Leezie lived q maiden whom they called
by a sweet, strange name-Mariposa!
have set down the memories of one
year of my childhood. A body might
well ask how I remember so finely the
happenings Of that period? But II Is
Rorie, grown up, who writes Of Rorie
Of the kilt and milk pals, and that
which bore small Significance at the
time became clearer as the growing
mind dweit upon set remembrance
The more 1 thought, for instance, Of
Don John and Mistress Mary, the more
I honored one and loved the other; AMI
the more I nursed a silent hatred Of
their murderer.
For Black Archibald killed them both.
After that night in the cave Mistress
Mary never returned to the castle; nor
did her brother invite her to his door
In the cottage where Daft Leezie lived,
the poor girl bided her time. And next
day-I mind 1t So,,-the old daft woman
came to the castle with little Mariposn
in her arms and set a curse upon the
laird's head.
Ave. the curse Is upon ye. Black!
the witch wife cried. "Ye murdered ner
sire and we have murdered her mother
and your sister. Would ye d iEok . UPON
Ha. ha! I held we to my bosom, Arcni-
bald. Why was the milk no poison in
your moo? But III 'stil- 1t in the
BARN for we yet. Her tongue VIII blast
your life. Her. eyes will blight your
sons Her bonny face will lie heavy
dead on we, Campbell Of Kilellan! Ha,
And away went the old woman, yam
mering and glggling. leaving BLACK
Archibald gripping the door-post OF the
castle. That night he began to drink
not as our men drink; but silently. sit
tinp over the bottle when he was not
walking up and down between the can
die and the window. He did not even
look upon the face Of Mistress Mary;
and she was laid, without protest, Pc
side Don John In the cave under the
hollow oak. And there these two lovers
still lie dreaming.
Between a boy Of ten years and a
baby of one there Is still the bond OF
childhood; and ! hardly ever came to
Daft Leezie's cottage on the way to
and from the castle, but 1 stopped q
while to play with the little one. When
she was able to walk she would stand
at the door to watch for Rorfe, and her
merry little laugh would come through
the woods long before she saw me, for
she learned to know the rattle of the
milk pals.
Sometimes Daft Leezie would bring
her to the farmhouse. My mother
would take Mariposa in her arms and
cry over her. while my father would
look on with a curious light In his
father, and he was sore troubled about
this child. He had heard my story.
and he had said that Don John was a
good man and Mistress Mary was a
good woman; but, for all that, he was
troubled. Daft Leezie would sit by the
and curses, and she would nearly al
ways end by saying something about
me.
IT ken it! I. ken. it,' she would gab-
BILE. 'Ye BETRAYED the Campbefls for
heather lassie."
and ask Leezie IL there was any evil In
the child. At which Leezie would usu-
ally chucLle and become silent, but
once or twice she burst out In fury.
ITS a Her she would shrek. Il
saw't in the fire. L heard every word
OF. Look on the ovid thing on he
neck. The face of his mother" Then
this poor old creature would snatch tn
BARN from my mother and press 1t to
her withered bosom, at the same time
about '.Baldy-Baldy Macnabr
Sometimes L would see the witch-wife
sitting at the door of her cottage in the
dusk. swinging the baby Mariposa in
her arms and humming Don Johns lit