Middletown transcript., 1920-09-04
!. CONAN DOYLE

And you q Presbyterian"
HE wished it to be in a Catholic
church."
~When was it7
~On Wednesday week"
I remembered. then, that on that
day she had driven over to Berwick,
while De Lapp had been away on
long walk. as be said, among the
hills.
"What about Jm3' asked.
"Oh! Jim will forgive me-"
"You will break his heart land ruin
his life."
mo, no; he win forgive me-"
"He will murder De Lapp. Oh,
Edie! how could you bring such dis
grace and misery upon us?"
"Ah, now you are scolding!" she
cried. and down came the window.
l waited some little time and tap
ped. for / had much still to ask her;
but she would return no answer, and
l thought that could hear her Sob
bing. At last l gave it up. and was
about to 60 into the house, for it was
nearly dark now, when 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 biazed
like the will-o'-the-wisps. ''Voltigeurs !"
he observation-disclosures 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, Jack!" he cried, II didn't
thought anybody was there. am in
what you call the high spirits tonight"
$50 /, 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 q nice return
for having taken you in
my good fellow" said he, "I have,
as you say. given you very nice re-
turn. 1 have taken Edie from a life
which Is unworthy Of her, and / have
connected you by marriage with
noble family. However, I have some
letters which I must write tonight,
and the rest we can talk over tomor-
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 mocking tone.
and an instant later heard the door
Of his room close and the key turn
in the lock. I thought that l should
see him no more that night, but few
miutes later he came into the kitchen
where I was sitting with the old folk.
Madame" said he, bowling down
with his hand to his heart in his own
queer fashion. II have met with much
kindness in your hands, and it shall
always be in my heart. You will ac
cept this small souvenir, and you, al
so, sir, you will take this little gift
which I have the honor to make to
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 q
green stone set in the middle and a
dozen little shining white ones all
round it. We had never seen such
things before and did not know how
to set 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
l never look at 1t that I 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 q fine gold watch with q double
case, and proud man was he as he
sat with it in the palm Of his hand,
his ear STOPPING to hearken to the
tick. l do not know which was best
pleased, and they would talk of moth
ing but what De Lamp had given them.
"Hes given you something MORE"
said I, at last.
"What then, Jock?"
"A husband for Cousin Edie," said
They thought was dating when l
said that, but when they came to un-
derstand that it was the real truth,
they were as pleased rs If l had told
them that she had married the laird.
De Lapp WINS for all we knew, steady
and quiet and well-to-dO; and as TO
the secrecy Of it, secret marriages were
very common in Scotland at that time,
when only a few words were needed
to make a man and wife, so nobody
thought much of that. The old folk
were as pleased, then, as If their rent
had been lowered but was still sore
at heart, for it seemed to me that my
friend had been cruelty dealt with,
and I knew we'll that he was not a
man who would easily put up with 1t.
CHAPTER x.
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