Evening star., 1926-06-09

{ s"aiI- - u .ti;s- IL -. "" i"
:..r % I...4ls ~ ofi,ul,ti atiiIi-
and enueaVor To trace his close com
rades among the survivors of the
regiment.
Macdonald with the innate coiir-
tesv of the iiighla nder. had not in
truded on his guest after Eileei's
departure. The old man knew that
something was wrong I'm that small
and isolated community the affairs of
the castle as the glen persisted
i'll misnaming II Georgian mansion
and those of the humblest cottage
were common property. 1t was re-
ported that Alistair Panton and his
wife, having behaved strangely from
the outset Of their married life, had
now passed from q sort of friendly
pact of avoidance into open and bitter
warfare. There are no secrets in
large household which. like Inver-
lochtie. is shut off from the outside
world. And the village was practi.
cally part of the demesne. The i'll
stant Eileen sought rooms for John
at the post Office and announced her
intention of awaiting his arrival when
she put in an appearance that eve
ming, Macdonald guessed that The glen
would have cause for gossip before
long. And he was all for John Pan
ton and Eileen. all against Alistair
Why this should be, he could not
explain. 1t was just an auld mans
havers,' he said afterward, when
striving 10 piece together the amaZ-
ing events of that night and the next
day.
IL was too late. of course, TO tele-
graph 10 London. but Macdonald un
dertook TO dispatch bit Of message
to Mallaig by cyclist before O'Clock
next morning. So John wrote sUf
ticient to put Furneaux or one of hi
merry men ON the right track If any
information We're to be obtained in
that way. Then lie ate q IIighlan!
supper. which can he as substantial =
meal as any. and took Spot out FOR
his first survey Of Il new land.
II was then about o'clock. The
twilight was yet SO luminous that the
crests of the circling hills were etched
against a wildly blue sky. The sun
gilded the loftiest SUBMITS. but the
heather and frs We're black in the
shadows and the face of the loch
was so smooth that il seemed not to
be water at all. but an inverted
mirage of the wooded slopes and
swelling moorland beyond. John was
racking Ills brain to determine what
his first move should he. and he de
Cided that he ought to await advice
from London.
1t was all very we'll 10 form helli-
cUse schemes of Clutching Connington
by the throat and squeezing a confes-
sion out of him. That might be good
melodranta but il was not sound
common sense. Nor must he dream
of obiging Betty BridGnorth by lay
ing into Alistair with Il dog whip or
his bare fists. Any such reprisai.
though enjoyable, would he most dam
aging to his own interests. So. as
matter of cold analysis. what good
could he hope TO accomplish by re
manning at Inverlochtie? None what
soever' That was the plain. I'm
palatable truth. He had rushed there
al Eileen's call, hut, womanlike and
quite wisely. once assured that h"
was her man for ever and a day. she
elected 10 free him from the embar
rassment of too speedy flight
She had inferred that the aproin'-
ment made that night for Ian's Leap
would be kept by neither her nor
Betty. Anyhow. he would take q
chance and go there-it was as pleas,
ant ii stroll as any, and a meeting
with Betty could lie arranged next
day. She, at least, was a free agent
matter wholly apart from the pres
ent disturbance. lie was not quite
easy in his mind as To Lady Bridr
nOrth's bequest. Was she really 81"
wealthy that she could dispose ofsuch
IA large sum as a hundred Thousand
pounds for sentimental reason? T.
Betty had suffered financial loss Il, 4,
thing must be put right.
Thus and SO did John plan. passine
= through the tiny hamlet. pipe iu
/ mouth. with Spot at his heels. y few
men had gathered near an oak which
dominated a. small green. They did
! nor. pretend not 10 see him. Three
! stood at attention and saluted: the
others touched their caps. He raised
his "deer-stalker' with a flourish. 1t
was significant that no one spoke
| These good fellows did not quite know
how to act. Strange runors were fIv-
ing about. But IL would he absurd to
pretend that they had not recognized
Master John. Why. some Of the older
| dogs might have hailed him had they
not been so thrilled by Spots impIi-
dence in daring To walk so sedateiy
along the street.
Copyright. 1896 by Louis Tracey