Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1903-10-31 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

OSA I'TER XVIII. VIDA CALLS HOB BALM.  The first hints concerning Ralph's having turned poacher had long been confirmed before they reached Vida's ears, and when *Ley came they had been added to—so magnified and distorted that had her own knowledge of Ralph's cheraeter not coneinced her that the major portion of the deeds ascribed to him were false, slae must beye regarded him as a poacher of the most determined, bloodthirsty, and vindictive type; but, dismissing all the tales of greed end brute ferocity as false, she allowed herself only to regard those as true which told of his daring and his skilL Even as she listened half shrinlcingly to her maid the biped would course rapidly through her veins. and her eyes dilate and sparkle with excitement as she heard of some danger he had escaped, some skilful plot to trap him be had frustrated. Her maid belonged to Auchtenceuire, and being well versed in all the local stories and traditions, loved to relate them, and in her young mistress she found an interested listener. Life at Tarbet had grown monotonous, fishing had palled won her; the old romances and superstitions of the °aunty, narrated with the pretti-st Highland accent, formed a pleasant aviation ;n her life.. Of all the stcr:es,  those centring round the "Running Water" most appealed to her, and when she was told of the tragedy of Mary Dunret's suicide it held her spellbound. Each detail seemed to p-Ase.Fs a fascination for her, and her heart bled for the father who had loved his daughter with such devotion. The picture of the old postman driving his daily rounds to Scorne, for he had resumed his usual employment, in spite of the predictions of many that Donald would do as he had done at the time of his wife's death, and strive to drown his sorrow in drink, and she deeply sympathised with him as she thought of him., his long round ended, returning to his !mei., cottage. Her. anger was stirred against the keeper who had done the wrong, end Lord Luca.n came under her resentment far still continuing him in his employ. She maa inclined to speak to him of it, but while dm knew he would at once comply with her request, she felt it would be solely for her make, and she had no wish to receive a favour at his bends.  Yet the stories concerning Ralph had told ht her suitor's favour. Not that she lied Lord Lucan more, but she had hoped Ralph meant to resume his studies. She had tried to conceal it even from herself that her deareA wish that he should su.coeocl--tha.t at some future day, it might not be for years, when chance, fate, call it by what name you will, had br.mght their lives again , together, he would still find her Vila Car-I stairs, the same Vida Carstairs to whom he had wished to tell his love. If that tire til-ould come, she needed not to ask herself what her answer would be, for she knew that had he but taken her to him, held her to his side, and forced her to answer him, to look in his eyes, he must have learnt all he was to her ; but he had let her go, and now his actions had rendered her dream inrp.s.sible, and she sought to foroe herself to like Lard Liman. Her rejection had made no change in his behaviour. Having taken up his ridence at the Castle, he came nearly every other day to Tarbet, and she knew he only waited for the slightest enoonrngement from her to renew his snit. "Love will not be forced," is a trite hut true saying, and in spite of her half drter. rdnation to accept him, she was always thankful to avoid his society. A keen horsewoman, often on the days when sla arpecteci him she would mount her horse and, without a. groom, scour the country for wales around.  As t he lamp has a fasen ati an for the moth, 10 hod the direction of Ralph's now borne tar her, and, reeolve as she would to choose an opposite path, on reaching the high road she would turn her horse's head towards it.  Arany a time had Ralph's eyes dwelt of, her, but he studiously avoided her. Twice she had seen him from a distance and guesied he saw her. That he should seek to avoid her made her the more determined to meet him faze to faoe, telling herself that a wlrd or two from her might help him, blind:y assuring herself her lave was dead.  &ilia afforded her an exouse to oatl for bin at Nrootnie. Far dam the daft