The Washington times., 1913-01-26

Inn. my mind was full of
Bordeaux's story. Was
there a word of truth in It? There was
about II the same air of fantasy which
was characteristic of Bordeaux him.
self. Yet, / knew Mariposa was the
daughter of Don John. and he had been
the first to utter the name. And had
/ not met the man on a barren islet,
and had he not spoken of La Trinidad,
and of Mr.. Macmurtrie, who had been
our own family adviser for thirty
years?
l was glad that 1 had not spoken OF
our intimacy with Macmurtrie, for there
lay my chance to testing the truth of
the strange narrative. II 1t should be
true, and IL Mariposa was indeed. a
lady of high degree, would she forget
Rorie of the kilt? Would she forget
the cows and the miIk-paths and the
bannocks under her plaid, and all that
we suffered together? Something told
me, no-her cold, little fingers smuggling
In the palm of my hand as helped her
to the lowland shore. II was in doubt
OF anybody 1t was of Rorie Maclean.
for l am come of proud, dour people,
and the thought that might have moth
ing to match with her station stirred a
stupid feeling Of jealous resentment.
But the Joy of being free and having
Martposa safe once more soon chased
away my gloom. although from that
hour Mariposa became something OF a
stranger to me-a woman with whom L
was not very long acquainted and was
beginning to love In a distant way. Bor-
deaux. too. behaved toward her in a
h4-
very wide and. on one occasion, laugh
outright.
When he addressed her, his bonnet ay
swept his feet no longer with that
mocking air of his, but with a grave
smile. And by and by Mariposa fell IN
with his manner quite naturally and
accepted his courteous attention with
the same calm possession of herself. 1
noticed this with deepening awe, be-
cause neither Bordeaux nor I had as
much as limited about Mr.. Macmurtrie
and the quest.
The Lowland shore of the Firth of
Clyde Is very different to the Highland
side. On the south the hills are lower,
softer In contour and more wooded The
people are different, too. and just about
ming to stir
After SO many religious and regal
troubles the sort Of union of the two
countries under King Jamie was bring
Ing about fine commercial activity
Twice day the carriers passed the
Cloch Ferry Inn on the road. to and
from the Ayr ports. among which Ir-
vine was the big towns trade mart
The Cloch Ferry, too. was doing a fine
business with the western Highlands.
although old Galgleish, whose ancestors
had run II for two centuries, declared
that Scotland and all therein had been
sold to the cursed Sassenach
But this man was gloomy coward,
as We presently found. He helped us
beach the argosy, with his dirty white
apron tucked around his waist and his
face perspiring with excitement, de-
spite the cold.
1T was praw day. whatever he
cried. But ye hae cam name over
fearful storrum. Ia snaw has been
clootin' over Penmore sim yesterday
an TO moon las NIGHT was gey un-
canny. Come ava pen to hoose, ma
freens. Ia doors ay on ia sneck for
ia honest peoples from Ia Hielans.
added with silly grin.
He led US to the kitchen of the inn
a great clean chamber, with a crack
ling fire roaring under an enormous
across the firth at this other side" and
imagined that II was that part of the
world which was peopled with all the
creatures that did not exist In Cowal.
MarfpOSa ana i mad Otten fancied IL as
the land of milk and honey, and the
firth as the Red sea which the Israelites
crossed.
Although we had grown out Of such
childish beliefs. ] am sure both OF us
felt a little OF the old enchantment of
youth at finding ourselves there.
looked across the table at Mariposa
and by tho pleasure and excitement In
her face. ! am sure she thought with
me that the food tasted better. and the
milk had honey in IL; and presently
there would be a shower of magic
This is a childish thing to set down.
perhaps, but those who, as children,
have gazed and speculated on a dis
tant shore and at last set foot on II,
will enter into the spirit of II.
The host helped enliven the place with
a certain romance. There was a great
door between the kitchen and ben the
house and when he drew our attention
To II we could see daylight through II
IN a dozen places where 1t was bored
with bullets, or cracked with batterinS.
Here old Dalgleish told us. Ronald
Macdonald, chieftaln Of the Kyles. who
was afterward "fowe'ly murthered by
heather hlackamoor." fought with six
men at his back and only the door be-
tween him and seventeen of Earl Muir
rays men. That was after Langside.
when the Macdonald. who had fought
with Mary. was hving to the mountains
with the mack at his heels
"Ta poat was retty'' cried the host.
wringing hia hands and Drancing around
the table. demonstrating every action