The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-08-26

Mills.
"What about Jim ?" asked.
"Oh Jim will forgive me-"
You will break his heart and ruin
his life"
"No. no; he will forgive me-"
HE will murder De Lapp. Oh,
Ediel how could you bring such dis
grace and misery upon us2"
"Ah, now you are scoldingl" she
cried. and down came the window.
/ waited some little time and tap
ped, for l had much still to ask her !;
but she would return no answer. and
thought that 1 could hear her SOB
bing.> At last I gave it up, and was
about to go into the house, for 1t was
nearly dark now, when l heard the
click of the garden gate. 1t was De
Lapp himself.
But as he came up the path he SEEM
ed to be either mad or drunk. He
danced as he walked, cracked his
fingers in the air, and his eyes blazed
like the will-o'the-wisps. "Voltigeurs |"
he shouted-"voltigeurs de la garde !"
just as he had done when he was
off his head, and then suddenly "En
avant en- avant" and up he came,
waving his walking-cane over his head.
He stopped short when he saw me
looking at him, and / dare say he felt
a bit ashamed of himself.
"Halloo. Jackl" he cried, II didn't
thought anybody was there. I am in
what you call the high spirits tonight"
$50 1t seems |" said I, in my blunt
fashion, "You may not feel so merry
when my friend, Jim Horscroft, comes
back tomorrow"
''Ta. ia, tai" cried De Lapp II see
that you know of our marriage. Edie
has told you. Jim may do what he
likes"
"You have given US a nice return
for having taken you In"
MY good fellow" said he, II have,
as you say. given you a very nice re-
turn. have taken Edie from life
which is unworthy of her. and have
connected you by marriage with a
noble family. However, have some
letters which 1 must write tonight,
row when your friend Jim is here to
help u.s." He stepped toward the
door.
''And this was whom you were
awaiting at the peel-tower I cried,
seeing light suddenly.
"Why, Jack. you are becoming quite
sharp" said he, in a mocking tone.
and an instant later heard the door
of his room close and the key turn
H., cbo
see him no more that night, but few
miutes later he came into the kitchen
where was sitting with the old folk.
Madame" said he. bowling down
with his hand to his heart in his own
queer fashion, II have Iuet with much
kindness In your hands, and 1t shall
always be in my heart. You will ac-
cept this small souvenir, and you, al
so, sir, you will take this little gift
you" He put two paper packets
down upon the table at their elbows,
and then. with three more bows to
my mother, he walked from the room.
His present was brooch with
green stone set In the middle and
dozen little shining white ones all
round 1t. We had never seen such
things before and did not know how
to set a name to them but they told
us afterward at Berwick that the big
one was an emerald and that the
others were diamonds and that they
were worth more than all the lambs
we had that spring. My dear. old
mother has been gone now this many
a year but that bonny brooch sparkles
at the neck Of my eldest daughter
when she goes out into company. and
/ never look at 1t that l do not see
the keen eyes. and the long, thin nose,
and the cats whiskers of our lodger
at West Inch. AS to my father. he
had fine gold watch with double
case, and a proud man was he as he
sat with 1t In the palm of his hand,
his ear STOPPING to hearken to the
tick. 1 do not know which was best
pleased, and they would talk of noths
ing but what De Lapp had given them.
Hes given you something more"
said I. at last.
"What then, Jockr
"A husband for Cousin Edie'" said
L
They thought was daffing when l
said that, but when they came to rn-
derstand that 1t was the real truth,
they were as pleased as II had told
them that she had married the laird.
De Lapp was for all we knew, steady
and quiet and well-to-dO; and as TO
the secrecy Of 1t, secret marriages were
very common In Scotland at that time.
and were setting out to night against
the French. 1t was all like dream.
until l tramped of to the coach that
evening. and looked back at the gray
farmsteading and at the two little
dark fgures-my mother. with her
face sunk In. her Shetland shawl, and