The Washington times., 1913-01-07
TIMES DAILY SERIAL STORY
A DAUGHTER OF THE ARMADA

\ My mother, who was just pouring out
| the broth, told her 1t was Don John.
and began to relate his history, as far
as we knew IL. But Daft Leexie gave
skreigh and lift Of her hand-still
| with her eyes shut.
II ken. i ken fne. she cried.
| Yon's her lad. / can see II in her eyes,
r-murder-blood-and war! Hear the
| slxirl of the pibroch. They're feasting,
and there's candles-candles everywhere
corpse candles! Skirl. pibroch! See!
They're drawing the sword Roriew
lean! Ye betrayed the. Campbells for a
| heather Iassie!"
With that, Daft Leezie looked around
her as IL she had just awakened.
TITS bonny day, Mistress Maclean,"
she said, curtsying and taking a stool.
''Leezie," said my mother. and I could
see she was frightened. 'tye must not
be talking such havers"
''Havers. Havers?" cried Daft Lee
sie. II will not have said a word sim
| a set down." She suddenly peered up
| the chimney. and added, in a queer
frightened way: Mistress MacIean, are
We no feared of the chimneyr'
"And why should / be feared NJ q
| chimney, Leezfe?" said my mother, With
! smile. for she knew the poor woman's
| crazy idea
"A chimney's fearful thing. Mistress
Maclain," said the woman in that pa-
thetic monotone which have noticed in
daft people, "a fearful thing to them
that hears the voices. A chirnneyss f,IIi
| of wraiths; and Of cold winter niei1t.
they come fighting one another to get
In where it's warm. Have ye never
heard them girning and scheishing?
And then the SCOT comes tumbIins, and
spatters in the fire."
But 1t is just the wind, Leezie," said
nv mother nervously.
''Havers!" snorted Daft Ieezie.
, Wind Wind Is what they ride on.
is man that comes on the north wind.
and his face Is the face Of the dead and
his breath falls down the chimney in
Jumps Of snow. and his hairs wet and
out of the west-a jealous wench. girn-
ing and greetin' and battering the doors
and window panes.
But it's mad wench that comes out
Of the east the crazy creature contin-
ued. her voice taking on kind of
chanting tone; "and her hair is blown
wild. and she yammers in the woods
and beats the loch till it's white as her
self. poor wraith-over crazed to have a
tear to. shed. A dry sorrow-a gray
And what will she be that comes out
of the south ?" I asked.
"S-s-s-s-hv' warned my mother. But
Daft Leezie suddenly closed her eyes
| dediu
THE SOUTH" she cried. "A bonny
wrath, burning with love. but tricky
TRICKY. Forgiving-aye, but here one
day and there the morrow-bonny smil-
ing; weeping; and hurting She, she sud I'd
stan In the air. That's herr! she
yelled. ''The heather lassie-oh. blood.
murder-war!
She ran through the door into the sun
shine and along the road toward the
zoo cf rvnndg CRYING.
Badly Macnab! Badly Macnab!"
At that time / did not know who
Badly Macnab was, but l have since
learned that he was Daft Leezie's lover.
and that he was hanged by the Mac
donalds in a cattle raid. Leezie was
never quite right in her head after IT:
In the meantime Don John, having
taken long time to say good-by to
Mistress Mary, came In for his broth.
And what was the old bag crying
about Rorie?" he asked.
/ could not very well tell him. seeing
that / did not understand Daft Leezie's
raving But I said:
'She is feared o. chimneyg."
Don, John laughed until his face was
red.
shes feared O. chimneys." he MINI
licked, the tears running down his face.
But 1 meant this chapter to deal with
Mistress Mary's love affair, which was
becoming common gossip. i wondered
how soon it would be before the lain
heard OF 1t, and what would happen
then.
1t turned out that a more important
parsonage in the business heard about
it first. This was the chieftain Of the
Kyles, to whom Mistress Mary was
promised. And here again a chimney
comes in.
A few days after Daft Leezie's visit.
Don John was finishing his porridge
when he looked across the table at me
and winked. Presently he whispered
that l must meet him in the booth.
The booth, / must tell you, was the
big house where the corn was thrash
ed and stored. 1t stood off at right
angles to the farmhouse. Joining
the other end of the booth were the
sta bles and the byre, running par
allel with the house. so that our
farm buildings formed three sides of
a square. with a big tree and a dung
heap IN the middle. Behind the booth
were the water-mill and the burn.
After porridge I found Don John in
the booth. He was standing over a
dead cat, and the mischievous light