Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1921-05-05

l SlCI lnC AhC SyROJ
impulsively offered five pounds to sup
port Nanny till her brother came back
from Jail. Then it was that Gavin
first believed in her, and said he'd
trust her word.
The happy Nanny persuaded the
minister to stay to tea. That tea
drinking bewitched the little minister,
for the fascinating Babbie teased him
and he liked 1t.
Babbie brought him the money to
Caddam Woods next day, and gave
Gavin a holly spray that he secretly
treasured. Again and again he was
drawn to Nanny's cottage where Bah
bic frequently came, aid he didn't I'M
derstand at first that he was in love
with the mysterious girl with her
many caprices-all of which charmed
him. He little knew that Rob Dow
had discovered him with Babbie in
their trysts, and wondered why Rob
avoided him, and was drinking again.
ROb's greatest fear was that the kirk
elders should learn of the Egyptian
and the minister, and stone him out Of
Thrums.
One night, Babbie flashed a lantern
in at the manse. window to attract
Gavin's attention. He waited breath
lessly till the manse was quiet in slum-
Der, then stole out to meet Babbie at
the summer seat. There in the dark.
ness Gavin kissed her, and Babbie re
allied for the first time his love for
her. She had been playing with him,
and felt ashamed. She wanted to run
away, and she wanted to stay and
have him put his kics into words. But
it was late, and 1t was that night 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 BOWS little
son weeping bitterly, who told her Of
what sorrow the "wooman who'd be-
witched 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 a calamity, and that night
there was to be a special prayer-meet-
ing for rain.
Then suddenly 8abbie came to me
in the schoolhouse, saying that Gavin
had been killed by a drunken High
land piper. 1t was not true-a rumor,
but found Gavin, and told him where
he would find Babbie, though felt /
was doing wrong.
Babbie told Gavin her story then
that she was to be Lord Rintouls
bride on the morrow. He had found
her when a mite, fallen from a 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 Of the gypsy king.
That terrible night, with the storm
coming, the earl seeking his lost
bride, the dour elders relentlessly fol-
lowing their errant minister-and
drunken Rob madly bound to save his
friend.
Then came the flood, when the heav-
ems opened, and lochs seemed to fail.
Babbie, separated from Gavin after the
gypsy marriage, fell into Rob's hands,
but mercifully escaped, and reached
the manse. Gavin wandered all night
through the storm after Babbie, and
found him exhausted near my house
next morning. He told me all that
had passed, and my anxiety for Mar
garet at the consequences Of his rash
act led me to attempt to reach
Thrums. But before left felt 1t
was necessary 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 sud-
denly returned, and ] passed out Of
Margaret's life forever.
Gavin sought to learn If Babbie had
been carried of by Lord RintOul, and
found the earl on an island In the
midst Of foods. Gavin jumped to his
aid, but nothing could be done, and 1t
was thought both must perish. His
congregation, gathered by the preci'
pice, 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 food 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
- II.