Evening star., 1926-06-02

by the accident Of taking the wrong
road. After that he had no uncer-
ta!nty as to his line. Given freedom
Of choice. the Scot heads for his own
land with the homing instinct Of
carrier pigeon. True. there were
deviations, from Stratford Avon to
the Wye and Chester. and thence TO
Selby in Yorkshire to avoid the manu-
featuring districts. But he was in
Windermere on the fourth day after
lea wing London. There he halted,
meaning to give Spot a couple Of days
on the hills He had teleGra phed to
Wimbledon each morning. but always
va guely. indicating a general direc-
ton. Were he touring the Swiss can
tons his address might we'll have been
Excelsior At Windermere, how
ever. he named a hotel. That eve
ming. after returning from Gransmere
and a glorious ramble over Helvellyn.
where Spot was so fascinated by sight
Of a collie rounding up some moor
land sheep that he had to be spoken to
gram.
1.-TWO letters from Inverlochtie
posted. Reserving rooms at Deauville
Hotel, 31st. Will you join us?
LESLIE
It was then the 26th Of July. day
OF utmost significance in Johns life.
did he but know it. Cnquestionably it
was the break at Windermere and the
fact that he got in touch there with
his friends once more that caused all
sorts of things to happen and pre-
vented many other sorts of things
from happening. Among minor
achievements it dissipated May
Leslie's visions Of a conquering career
at the fashionable French seaside re-
sort of the hour This. however. like
the weather forecast, is merely an In
telligent anticipation of future events.
Letters from Inverlochtie.'
John dwelt long on the words. Who
had written? There were pros and
cons in regard to three persons-his
father. Alistair. and Eileen. At that
time he knew nothing of Cousin
Betty's whereabouts. and the Lansings
were mere names. He saw. however,
the futil;ty of speculating As to the
possible identity of his correspondents.
1t was good instance Of David
Leslies shrewd foresight that he
should specify the exact number of
letters. Not for him could A careless
telegra phist substitute a singular for
a plural. So John replied:
Shall await letters. May not make
Deauyille 3lst but certainly later. Do
not reserve rooms. Intend touring
Normandy during your stay"
Obviously. there would be heap of
people in such place with whom he
had been acquainted, and he was
sensitive as ever in his dread of being
recognized and pointed at by sensation
mongers
After dinner. luckily, there was
run round the lake in a steamer.
i
stars, brought him to bed time. He
was up early, but there were no let
ters. The hotel manager assured him
that the second London delivery might
he expected by 1890 am. and it was
no new occurrence that the mails
crossing London should he delayed in
that way. And, behold. a large regis.
tered letter was handed to John short.
ly before II O'Clock.
II contained two closed letters hear
ing the Inverlochtie postmark. Both
were in feminine handwriting. but one
was from Eileen! 1t says good deal
for Johns self-restraint that he re-
Trained from tearing open that enve
,ope until he had read Mr.. Leslies
brief covering note. The lawyer eX-
nreSSed his pleasure at receiving
possible address, because the letters
from the North had arrived that
morning.
You will have gathered from my
telegram that my eXtravagant niece
has had her way" he went on. I'VE
, are almost committed to some hotel
at Deauville at an outrageous price.
My telegram says 'reserving rooms,
but have really wired to ask If rooms
can be reserved. l have not the slight
est doubt as to the answer. III be
ho "a
gone up 10 per cent in the interim.
| One word more-keep away from In
verlochtie."
! Now, John had no intention what
soever of going to Inverlochtie. If he
followed the general line of the Gale.
donian Canal he would pass 25 miles
south of his old home. 1t was worth
the journey If only he might breathe
| the air of the Highlands once more.
| tramp over the heather beyond Inver-
ness. and then turn hiE back on Scot