The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-08-30

as Gavin took her back to Nanny's
that ! saw them together for the first
time.
Love dawned in Babies heart that
night, and all the world looked new to
her, and she longed for Gavin to
come. Then she met Rob Dow's lit
tie son weeping bitterly, who told
her of what sorrow the woman
who'd bewitched the meenister" would
bring everyone, and Babbie, touched
to the heart, went away. Months
passed, and the little minister looked
in vain for her.
Then came the fourth of August, the
eve of Lord Rintoul's marriage, an old
earl staying at the Spittal, whose bride
was reported as young and bonny
But nearly all of Thrums were con-
cerned over the long drought that had
become calamity, and that night
| there was to be a special prayer
| meeting for rain.
Then suddenly, Babbie came to me
| in the school house, saying that Gavin
had been killed by drunken High
land piper. 1t was not true-a rumor,
but found Gavin, and told him where
he would find Babbie, though I felt l
was doing wrong.
, Babbie told Gavin her story then
that she was to be Lord Rintoul's
| bride on the morrow. He had found
her when a mite, fallen from gypsy
| wagon, and for her beauty had reared
and educated her. Babbie and Gavin
tried to give each other up, then Bah
bic heard Lord Rintouls voice, and in
terror chung to Gavin, and the two
ran off in the darkness to the gypsy
camp on the hill to be married over
the tongs by the gypsy king.
| That terrible night, with the storm
coming the earl seeking his lost bride,
the dour elders relentlessly following
their errant minister-and drunken
! Rob madly bound to save his friend.
Then came the flood, when the
heavens opened, and lochs seemed to
fall. Babbie, separated from Gavin
after the Gypsy marriage, fell into
Rob's hands, but mercifully escaped
and reached the manse. Gavin wan
dered all night through the storm af-
ter Babbie. and found him exhausted
near my house next morning. He told
me all that had passed. and my an
Xiety for Margaret at the consequent
ces of his rash act. led me to attempt
to reach Thrums But before I left.
it was necessary for me to tell Gavin
my story, that he was my son, and
Margaret was my wife. Margaret had
married Adam Dishart first, and he
! had gone to sea, and after two years
all thought him lost, and she married
me- Then when Gavin was three
years old, Adam suddenly returned,
and I passed out of Margaret's life
| forever.
Gavin sought to learn if Babbie had
been carried off by Lord Rinroul, and
found the earl on an island in the
midst of floods. Gavin jumped to his
aid, but nothing could be done. and
it was thought both must perish
! His congregation. gathered by the
precipice, forgot they had meant to
expel him, and listening with dim eyes
to his brave last words, knew only
that they loved him. Then Rob Dow
threw his life away to save his friend,
and the rope with which he sprang
into the flood withdrew minister and
earl to safety.
SO Gavin and Babbie were married,
and no one seeing Babbie going de-
murely to church on Gavin's arm
would guess her history. Yet some
times at night, Babbie slips into her
gypsy 1fOCk, WIN rowan DeTfleS III neT
hair, and Gavin always kisses her.
My little maid knows this story as
we'll as l do. She was named for
Margaret, and has been my dearest
comfort since my Margaret died; but
l have lived to rejoice in the happi-
ness of Gavin and Babbie and their
children.
Copyright, 1919, by the Post Publish
ing Company (The Boston Post). Copy =
right in the United Kingdom, the Do
minions. its Colonies and dependencies,
| under the copyright act, by the Post
Publishing Company. Boston, Mass.
| L. s. "A All rights reserved.
published by special arrangement
| with the Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
All rights reserved).
1.-THE White Company" by Sir Ar
thur Conan Doyle, will be printed to-
morrow.