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22
THE SUNDAY 0REG0NIA1S, PORTLAND, JANUARY 14, 1900.
Synopsis of Previous Clinptcrs.
Sir James Stansfleld, or New Milns, In com
pany with his grandson, young Philip. mets
In an Inn-house his son Philip, and hl6 son's
paramour. Janet Mark. They quarrel. Sir
James goes home, taking along his grandson.
That night he i." murdered hy his dissolute
eon, and Janet 2Iarlc They take his body out
side and lay it upon an Ice floe. In the effort to
fasten the crime upon other shoulders. But the
hoy Philip has -MtnesFed the crime. He tells
Jils grandfather's chief tenant. Humphrey Spur
Tray, and Spurway succeeds In having the real
murderer brought to Justice. He Is sentenced
to be hanged, hie woman accomplice to be
transported. Mysteriously Philip Stansueld es
capes the gallows, seeks out his wife, finds her
In the company of Spurway, and tries to mur
der her, but does not quite succeed. She Is
taken away to Abercalrn for cure, leaving her
aon. young Philip, in charge of Spurway and
In company of little Anna Mark, from whom he
learns that In some ways girls are worth quite
as much as boys.
(Copyright. 3KS, under the name of "Little
Anna Mark," by S. R. Crockett.)
(Copyright. 1M. by S. R. Crockett.)
But as to little Anna Mark, In short,
Trhile I had proved to myself that she
-was a very different story. For one thing,
TTmphray Spurway thought her different.
For he Tvho admitted none of her Bex
had taken Anna Into his house. Then,
again, I liked to play with her and to
-walk hand-in-hand with her. I never did
thLs willingly or unwillingly with my
grandmother, who was wont to extract a
catechism out of her pocket and set me
to learn proofs of doctrines if she .found
jne idle. ICow Anna Mark was guiltless
even of "Man's Chief End," and as to the
scriptural proofs of that noblest of all
summations of human destiny "Man's
chief end Is to glorify God and to enjoy
him forever" why little Anna simply did
not know that the thing needed to he
proves.
I wonder if I can convey any idea of
what little Anna Mark was then, when
I first knew her in the mill house of More
Jiam. "The witch-child," the Ill-affected called
her, and, indeed, there was something
not quite of this "world about her. She
had a far-off look of her gypsy father,
Saul Mark, nothing whatever of her
mother, except her dazzling teeth. All
else -was her own no child in the village
or among the weaver lasses at the Mlln
cottages in the least to be compared to
her. She was slender and tall for her
age, quick and lithe In every movement
as a wild thing of the woods. Her eyes
would follow any one with whom she was
3iot well acquainted with the lightning
suspicion of a caged squirrel. This shy
wild wood look afterward left her, the
bright glancing of her eyes never.
Her hair, as I have said, ran in a rip
ple of brown crisps and curls over her
shoulders -and down her back. But even
as a child she had a lashlon of her own
of packing it on the top of her head out
of the way, when any childish scheme re
quiring agility was on hand.
Now, I, Philip Stanffleld, the younger,
thought well of myself then as now.
"Whatever I did I tried hard to do better
than any one else. And yet, I admit that
there was nothing, running, climbing,
jumping, standing on one's head, on one's
hands, making laces, fighting with fists,
shooting at a mark with the bow and
arrow, playing at quoits, tops, marbles,
tic-tac-toe, jacks, knuckle-bones it was
all the same, I might be good at them,
too. but Anna Mark was better.
For awhile I had the better in learn
ing, but day by day she overhauled me,
spurred on with the ambition of beating
me. The "Books of the Old and New
Testaments" were a stronghold for a
long while, because she did not see the
necessity for getting them by heart.
But one morning she puzzled me with
Ecclesiastes, and then when she went on
to offer the hooks of Apocrypha, either
forth or hack, just as I liked, I rose
in wrath and called her a Papist, which
was the direst term of reproach known
to me.
"'Papist or no," eho answered back. "I
can beat you at the books of the Bible."
I did not care, of course, even if the
allegation had been true. For a boy,
heing manifestly superior in all points
to a girl does not need to make good his
superiority In particular Instances.
I had, however, one stronghold that
could not "be assailed. Anna Mark could
not throw a stone as well as I this not
for want of trying. I remember that
once I came on her weeping at a dyke
hack, and upon my asking what the
matter was khc sobbed out. "I have tried
to throw stones like you till my arm is
near hroke with trying and I cannot
do It a bit better!"
"Never mind," I said as kindly as I
could, for I hated to see her cry, "we
will try a race to the end of the mill
lade, and you can beat me at that!"
"I don't care for running. I wanted to
beat you at stone-throwing!" she sobbed.
Yet there came a time when I had a
surprise sprung upon mc It was on tnc
day when Umphray Spur-way brought
home his "winter beasts." These were
rough and shaggy highland cattle from
the great droves that, with an army ol
retainers, passed every year southward
Into England. They went south mostly
about the end of harvest, whether the
year "were early or late. The lowland
farmers bought them, fattened them on
the aftermath of the hay and on tne
stubbles of the corn presently turning
them out on the moors till the snow came,
and then ldlling, salting and setting them
apart as "marts" for winter consumption.
Umphray Spurway bought may of these,
for, being an Englishman, he loved flesn
meat, and believed that his weaver folk
worked better on it than on porridge three
times a day.
So tills buying of the "mart" cattle wae
a great event with us, and as my mother,
though recovered of her wound and now
lodging in her own hired house in Aber
calrn, was still weak, I remained (to my
joj ) at the Mlln house. I had looked for
ward to the English droving as one great
opportunity of proving my superiority to
31i Anna Marie And to this day I can
remember the shame, merging into a kint
of reluctant admiration, mingled with
hopelessness, 'with which I viewed her per
formances. For some months, Indeed,
she had made frequent absences from
home during the afternoons, and tnis with
out giving any explanation of where she
rad been, though I pleaded hard to know.
T'pon the groat day we went out as soon
ns i wps light, to choose and bring home
0"r bunch of wi'.d. rebellious highland
cattle. It was to the "Tinklers' Slap"
that we went, a wI5d place among the hills
to the -wet, through which lhe drove road
picked a perilous passage, and Umphray
took with him a score of his wervrr..
firmed. For he carried money, and tne
oite ?rl-s were qu'te as wild ?r the
c 1, t"- b'xu'rht wifh teni. At lst.
it was as we.l to err on the safe side.
VTo marchofl merrily and fast, yet not so
fast but that Anna and I played about the
Pictures by G.
company, running round and round like
the collie dogs themselves, gripping, grap
pling, and rolling over each other, just as
they did, while Umphray watched us, In
dulgently and yet carefully, lest I should
hurt the girl.
So little did he know. He ought rather
to have been careful that she did me no
harm, for a greater little tiger cat never
was.
And now I come to my surprise.
For as Umphray Spurway, with his hand
on his pistol hilt, chose out and paid for
each wild steer or fleck-mouthed bull, it
was the duty of his party to meet the
beast, as it was scourged from the drove
by the half-naked kerns of the hills, who
swarmed all around. Then, having put a
distance between the chosen and his com
panions, the aim of us all was to head
him away to the eastward, so that he
might not double and rejoin the herd by
speed of foot. Tills was usually accom
plished by stones and goads, the men
using goads and the light infantry peo
bles. It was wild work at times indeed at
most times.
For the Tinklers Slap is a deep defile,
which leads Into the heart of the hills.
High above the heather bends its black
brows to look over. Bell heather ana
bent diversifies delicately tho middle
slopes. All the bottom Is smooth ana
green, save where, in a tunnel of bracken
and queen-of-the-meadow, a certain trickle
of a streamlet gurgles and lisps in an
emerant gloom.
But upon this noble morning of late
September, the Tinklers' Slap looked not
thus, still and lovely, with only an eagle
soaring above It, lost in the sky. Down
it surged a Vast horn-tossing herdof cat
tle, with their nobes in the air. All red
and black they were, like the ragged tar
tans of many of the drivers (for they were
of the broken clans, and mostly MacGreg
ors, though some of them called them
selves Campbell, who were the worst of
all).
This particolored tide flowed down the
bottom of the glen like a river in full
flood. Only in the little eddy of Hunter's
Tryst, near the bottom, where Umphray
Spurway .waited, was there a sort of back
water. Into this the drovers swept a
score or two of cattle at a time, some of
which Umphray Spurway approved. At
other times he would have none of them,
but pointed out a beast in the throng as it
surged thundering past. Whereat one of
4 the men on little shaggy ponies woula
plunge, at danger of his life and limb,
Into the tumult of the tlderace, and guide
the animal out, and so bring It, bellowing
with rage and fear, to the appointed
stance.
It was strange to observe at the summit
of the Slap, directly above us, the cattle
appearing like a forest of branching horns,
standing a moment to overlook the valley,
with heads up and eyes dilated, and then,
urged by those behind, surging forward
again, while the noise of their mighty roar
ing came to us In the little vale of the
Hunter's Tryst like the triumphing of an
angry sea that has broken bars and doors.
It was the first time I had seen the
great English droving, and a line sight it
was for man or boy to see.
Anna Mark and I ran forward to be
ready to receive the first "mart." Anna
had been given a stout, pointed "kent,"
or oaken staff, to use as a goad. "With
this, and her native agility, she complete
ly outran me. But little I cared for that,
for was not the stone-throwing at hand.
As I ran I did not observe that Anna had
a bag of pebbles fastened to her waist,
even as I had myself. She kept close to
Saunders MacMillan, a big herder from
the rough mountains, whom Umphray em
ployed to watch the sheep he pastured on
the easterly hills, according to his agree
ment with Sir James, my grandfather,
when he came first to the country.
The first beast is alwaj-s the worst to
put on the home road. For he has as
yet no companions and he turns and
twists, doubles and trebles, with feints
and stratagems, as well as straight charg
es, tail up and horns down. As ill-iuck
would have it, he came straight at me.
"Out of the v.ay, boy:" cried Uniphray
Spurway. whose eyes were everywhere.
But I wanted to distinguish myself and
stood straight in the beast's way, as he
dodged to get back to the herd. The bull
came head down, and just as I was firing
a round pebble at his forehead, down 1
tripped over a stone. I felt hot breata
blow upon me, and looked to be trampled
to death. But though at the gallop he
almost missed me, one cloot alone grazing
the calf of my leg, and as It happened,
turning It many colors in a day or two.
There was now no one between the
brute and the herd, and the Highland
kerns had already set up a triumphant yell
at our stupidity.
But in the critical moment, there in front
flickered little Anna Mark, a "kent"
shortened in her hand. One blow across
the nose. He swerved. A poke in the
shoulder. He turned. Anna dropped
tho kent, and with her right hand she se
lected a stone from the wallet at her
waist, and with a sharp "clip" jeTked it
from her hip. after the manner of shep
herds. It flew straight and took the
"mart" on the hip. Another and yet an
other, each as truly aimed, succeeded Trio
beast turned no more, but with Anna be
hind it, and Saunders MacMillan and hair
a dozen weavers in chase, took a straight
line through the little green hope of tne
Tryst for the vale of Moreham.
Then, Indeed, there was a noise to speas
about, and I. sitting up dazed and stupl
fied. heard the Highlandmen shouting to
SS?"' sPurway. "Who is the lassie?"
The lassie," shouted anotner, contempt
uously, as he dressed the Twd on the left
flank. "Yotn's nae lassie! Ton's a kiltie
lad-a son o Donald Olg's. I'm thlnkin' by
his lang legs!"
For little Anna Mark's hlh-vm Q
tlcoats had misled him. ana. indeed not
without some reason. For her hair was
tied In a red kerchief after . manner that
she had doubtless learned from. her father
and for the rest she was dressed much
like one of their limber he-slips who
scampered and climbed and yelled along
side the drove.
ThLs was a great blow to me, and it
was an hour or two before I could make
any headway to get over it.
It was not jealousy so much as that she
had not told me what she was doing, but
had gone secretly to that great lout,
Saunders MacMillan, as coarse and
, clamperrome a lump as any of that name.
Ana in uaiioway mat is saying no little.
"I wanted to surprise you that is why
I did not tell you. she said afterward,
as she ran alongside when once the home
ward column -was in gooa going order and
out of the disturbance caused by the
routing of the herd.
I said nothing. 1 was not ready to
make up.
"Of course." she said softly (for she
ouM -vrk very gentlv when it liked
hrr. which was not often), "I cannot
-' rev as well as you, nor flourish my
trm about over my lipad. It Is not the
same thing."
"You hit the beast and turned It. after
g .g?' &
J& dm
Y
It had knocked me over!" I replied,
gloomily.
"But see," she cried, "I can miss as
well!" she persisted.
"Let me see, then," said I.
A bullock at this moment turned and
tried a last bolt.
"Turn him turn him, witch Wean!"
cried Bowie Fleemlster, the only More
ham man In the company, and a man
who, having lassie bairns of his own,
hated Anna Mark's favor with his em
ployer. Then the girl, with her eyes full on
the charging bullock, "henched" a peb
ble, which indeed missed tho animal, but
by a strange chance took Bowie Flee
mlster on the elbow joint!
"Ye hae broke my funny-bane, ye
flichtersome wisp o' brlmstane," he cried,
dancing to and fro, and nursing his elbow
in the palm of his other hand. "I'll hae
ye discerned for a manifest witch as your
mlther was afore ye!"
"You see, now!" said Anna, calmly, with
"IN THE SWEET
j r,iv1f gfe
Native Hunter to Professor Hurry and shoot! The elephant's running away!
Herr Professor Yah, right avay, right avay! Yusht as soon as I can clean mine shpec
tacles! Philadelphia Inquirer.
her eyes cast down. "I can miss. I
missed the bullock by as much as 20
yards."
Yet somehow the instance was to me
not wholly convincing.
Bowie Fleemlster made his complaint
to Umphray Spurway before the pain had
wholly died out of his tingling finger tips.
"Yon Ill-set randy has broken my shut-tle-airm
wi a stand," he said, truculently.
"I'll never work malr! I want her ban
ished out o' the country like her mlther.
There will never be peace in the mill till
she be gane."
"Oh, yes, there will," retorted Umphray
Spurway, significantly, riding a little
nearer to Bowie, who shrank away from
him. Then, bending a little from his
horse, and clenching his bare fist, the
millmaster held it to Bowie's nostrils.
"Yes," he added, "there will be peace In
Umphray Spurway's mill as long as that
hand wags at the end of this right arm!"
And Bowie Fleemlster, the color of tow,
shrank still further between his own
shoulders.
CHAPTER XIII.
The S'cw Dominie.
But there was a sweeter, wlnsomer side
to little Anna Mark than this. Where
she got It from I know not from her
Maker, I expect. Nor, though I have
known her all the years that have come
and gone since those days in Umphray
Spurway's millhouse, have I ever troubled
my head on the subject.
Anna could not be called a very pretty
child, perhaps. Her face was always
browned by the sun, and till she was well
Into her teens an even tint of freckles
was spread over her brow and cheeks,
reaching well up on her brow and down
behind her ears.
But no man could pass her on the road
without turning to look. Most women,
also, if only to say, ''There is something
not canny about that'lassle-balrn!" But
when Anna looked directly at you, it
seemed that you saw a spark of fire kin
dled far down in her eyes. And when she
smiled, why, it was suddenly summer out
side, and a blue day. The herds on the
hills would wait hours to have her com
pany up the lonesome glens and out on
the great flowes of heather. The grimy
smiths In the "smiddy" in the villages,
hammering at their horse "cackars,"
would drop rasp and pincers and run to
the door at the words" "Here comes
Anna!" And long after she was past they
could be seen looking out after her, shel
tering their eyes underneath grimy palms,
as she tripped up the street with Umph
ray Spurway.
But mothers, jealous for their own chil
dren, would call them In ostentatiously,
lest they should be englamored with the
fascination of the witch-balm's spell.
Every douce well-born lassie in Moreham
and New Milns was forbidden to play
with little Anna Mark, and also encour
aged to call names after her to keep her
mindful cf her condition. Usually, how
ever, they only tried this once. Then on
the following day their mothers would
come In deputations to Umphray Spur
way, praying him to send the little wild
cat away.
Buc the Englishman, caring no more for
women than for the Idle clashes of the
villages, drove them out of his presence
without more ceremony than if his mill
gates had been invaded by a tall-wagging,
loud-clacking flock of geese from the com
mon. She had cast a glamour over him. That
was evident. And the gossips took coun
sel together to rid him of this spell and
themselves of a pest and possible rival of
their own growing daughters.
I well .remember the "day of the prize
giving at Dominie Nathan Tawse's school.
I had begged so hard to be allowed to
stay with Umphray, and -the Englishman
had used such arguments to my mother
to make her concent, that I was allowed
to bide through the week at the mill
house. But on-Saturdays Umphray him
self took mo down the water to my moth
er's house In the town of Abercalrn.
where I stayed till Monday, on which
morning Caleb Clickaberry convoyed me
back halfway to the place called Hill o'
the Cock, whore William Bowman met us
and relieved him of his charge.
When Umphray Spurway took mo to
my mother's he never stayed long, sitting
only to drink a cud of tea and make his
compliments on how well she was looking,
his eyes mostly upon the floor the while,
uplifted, to my mother only when she was
ordering the tea-bowls with her back to
us or spooning the black China herb
into the bottom of each:
I remember once saying to my mother:
"Why does Umphray never look at you?
Is he angry with you, or are you angry
wlth him?"
Her cheek paled and then flushed
again. I knew I was hurting her and yet
I kept on.
"I do not know whether he Is angry
With me," she replied. "I am not angry
With him I"
And immediately she sent me forth to
play on the quay with the town lads of
my own age. For she had a notion that
I might grow maidenish by associating
with little Anna Mark. How far this
was from the truth I have already Indi
cated in this history. I fought a good fight
behind the butcher sheds with Allen
Kemp, Mr. Smalltrash's 'prentice, and
beat him by dodging blows as Anna Mark
did mine, and then, in the nick of time,
planting my left on the point of his chin,
after a feint at his breast, a thing I had
learned the trick of from her.
But when I was in Abercalrn my mother
thought that such ploys made me manly,
and took no notice when I came home
marked on Saturday night, though she
did not let me wander far on the Sabbath
days except to visit at the minister's,
IVIr. Nlcol Aitkin tvlth whose son Jock
I have fought as many as seven rounds
during service in the wlndowless corner
by the side of the vestry, while his father
was developing overhead his seventhly in
the application of the "Gospel of Peace
to the Christian Home."
So, unlike many Scottish bairns, I ever
appreciated and enjoyed my aabbatn priv
lieges and specially where it was my lot
to sit in the kirk.
And now I come to that which sent me
finally and without reprieve to the gram
mar school of Abercalrn.
My Uncle John, the falcon-beaked Edin
burgh lawyer, had for a little taken it
sorely to heart, that his precious instru
ment being only of effect when, in case of
BY AND BY."
my father's death, he had no control over
me or over the estate. The latter, how
ever, he managed in some sort to retain
as well as the power at the Great house
by a well-devised system of subservience
to the will of my grandmother, the old
Lady Stansfield.
This, as he was not a man to squander,
my uncle was permitted to retain by
Umphray Spurway and John Bell, though
they Informed him that he must in no
case consider himself as my curator bo
nis. It happened that about this time when
I was shooting up Into a great lump of
a lad and Anna Mark growing ever light
er, stralghter, winsomer, that the old
dominie of Moreham died one bitter March
day. He was observed to lean long
against the wall of his little school, but
as that was his ordinary position In tho
act of prayer, none took any notice till
he had been more than an hour in that
posture. Then one John Dallas, a smith,
went and clapped him kindly on the
shoulder to tell him that the bairns were
waiting for their scripture. But he found
the old man dead on his feet, with his
forehead against the cold whlnstono of
the gable end.
It became necessary to fill his place,
and as Mr. John Stansfield was now so
forward In matters of the kirk, and so
great with my grandmother and Mr. Bell
also, it chanced that the choosing of who
should succeed the dead man was left in
his hands. And late one night he brought
one from Edinburgh to be the new domi
nie. He was a man far beneath tho coun
try standard of height, and as he stood
at the master's desk, a small, lean,
swarthy man, his eyes very close togeth
er, and hl3 hands corded and hairy on the
backs, he looked quite unable to cops
with the urchins of the ordinary olasses,
and when the folk remembered the burly
plow lads and young fighting cocks of
farmers' sons who would be there In the
winter, they smiled with significance and
said: "God help him."
But In the meanwhile he did well
enough. Bernard Ringrose was his name,
and he entered on all the offices and emol
uments of the old dominie without oppo
sition or comment. He had store of
Latin that was without cavil, and to a
"humanity man," as he was called, the
folk of a Scottish parish would forgive
almost anything. Mr. Bell had examined
the new dominie, it was said, and found
him wondrously well equipped. Now, this
is what happened, as I had long after
from Mr. John Bell himself, when he had
risen to be regent of the college, and a
great man.
The minister had a physician's prescrip
tion, writ by a learned man whom he
had known at the college of Edinburgh.
It was made out in the English tongue,
so that the unlearned could understand
it, but of late Mr. Bell had found no bene
fit from using it. So he was sending It,
with a letter, to one Samuel Paterson, In
the Lawnmarket of Edinburgh, who was
the main potlcary and herb doctor in the
city. With this paper In his hand the min
ister one day entered the school of Mr.
Ringrose, in a kind of maze.
"Dominie Ringrose, I have a sore trou
ble on me," he said. "I am even like St.
Paul. The thorn in the flesh doth sore
wound me. What think you of this pre
scription, which the learned Dr. Conrad
ius, of Upsala, gave me?"
The new dominie took the paper in the
shaking hand which made many think
him weak whenever the weather was
moist and warm with a south or west
wind, his hands were wont to shake so
that he could not hold a book to read it
aright. At first this was set down to
drink, but after, when it was seen what
a temperate man was Mr. Bernard Ring
rose, it was discovered to be "an intermit
ting or tertian ague, gotten from his life
in strange lands. So now his hand shook
as he took the paper from Mr. Bell, very
careless like, and glanced at It.
"You have not been able to have this
made up to your mind, minister?" he
said, very high and clear.
"No," said Mr. Bell, "seemingly the J
virtue is gone out of It. I am worse
troubled than ever."
"These are vulgar names, sir," said
the dominie, "and when such are used
oftentimes commoner growths are foist
ed on the unwary. Permit me to write
the prescription in the Latin tongue, with
the proper signs and quantities, and you
will And that the virtue will quickly re
turn." So he took a pen in hand, and wrote
rapidly, muttering to himself:
"Instead of tutsane I will write agnus
castus; instead of house leek, a common
misnomer, I will write slnBrene."
And ho in a trice, with a quick dash
of learned signs scattered athwart the
paper, he handed the prescription back to
the minister, who was so greatly im
pressed, that if the dominie had told him
to eat the paper it would have benefited
him as greatly. At least, when the medi
cine was brought back from the apothe
cary In Edinburgh, Mr. Bell went every
where telling of the great skill and prow
ess of the new dominie in the Latin
tongue.
Likewise, the people of Moreham need
not have troubled about his ability to
cope with any offenders in his school. It
came speedily to a crisis. Allan Allison
it was who refused one day to leave his
place, and being a great fellow of well
nigh 20 years and a known fighter, told
the master to come and take him out of
the bench if he wished and was able.
Whereat, without a waste of a word, the
dominie made a spring, sudden and fierce
as that of a cat after a bird. He used no
entreaties. He made no apology. He sim
ply flew at Allan Allison's throat, and the
next moment Allan was lying on the floor
with the dominie erect over him, his
shod heel uplifted above the rebel's face
and threatening to stamp the life out of
.him.
Verily, there was order in the school
house of Moreham all the days of Ber
nard Ringrose, which, however, were not
to be many.
For about this time the noise of terrible
breakings 'of houses and"bloody murders
done upon their owners (It was said by
smugglers) ran with a mighty bruit
through all Scotland south of the Tay.
Strong men went in fear, women shrieked
at the cry of a bird, and bairns swarfed
if left alone, just as in the days when
Philip Stansfield was first lost in the
woods.
CHAPTER XIV.
Tnc Eyes Behind the Gnuxe.
That which I am now going to tell hap
pened at the November term, when Um
phray Spurway, as was his wont, had
given permission to most of his folk to
go visit their friends, where they would,
and he himself had gone with a sufficient
number to carry to the seaport of Aber
calrn all the tweeds and webs of broad
cloth he had manufactured during the
past six months. He departed on Mon
day with the flrst gray light. On Friday
night he was to return with all his mon
ey, and one or two riding with him in
company. The rest, with a month's wage
burning a hole in their pockets, abode
in the town itself or tailed oft at various
change houses along the way.
In the Mlln house abode only Will Bow
man, little Anna Mark and myself. There
was no weaving done all that day, and in
the great sheds with the huge bolted doors
and barricaded windows, we three played
at "tig" and "hi spy" and other games
to while away the time. For when his
master was absent, Will Bowman was
every whit at boyish and balrnly as we.
The twilight fell early, bringing a light,
sifting snow with it, which, however,
hardly whitened the roads. It was blttei
cold notwithstanding, and in the mlln
house we built up the flres, and in the
great weaving sheds also, Will Bowman
built up a pile of boughs and roots on
the dogs of the firegrate, chiefly that we
might see to play with pleasant crackle
and dance of the licking flames. So we
raced and shouted, little Anna the wildest
and quickest of the three.
But Umphray Spurway delayed: his com
ing so that It was pretty dark, or rather
well Into the gray dusk, when we heard
the sound of wheels without, and, as it
were, the shuffling of feet, as of men
moving a heavy weight.
Will Bowman ran out, and a voice from
the horse's head, bade him open the doors
of the mill, for here was a case of fine
foreign yarns, which Umphray Spurway
had sent them from Abercalrn to deliver.
"I open the doors at no man's bidding,"
said Will, "till I see my master's hand
of write." Then the leader of the car
riers thrust a paper under his nose.
"There, then," he said, "If you can
read: I can't."
"Well," said Will, after considering tne
paper, "wait till I get some of the weaver
lads to help in with the case." And so
at the word he ran to the back of tne
house door and blew three blasts upon tne
horn. Now it chanced that some of tho
weavers had slept all day, and were only
now arousing themselves to wash ana
make ready to go again to the change
house. So a dozen or more came drowsi.v
enough at the summons. Then the great
doors were unclosed and the huge pack
brought in.
It had a foreign appearance, but noth
ing much out of the common in Um
phray Spurway's mill, being done up In
sacking, with curious marks stamped upon
It in tar or some sticky kind of Ink. It
was not particularly heavy, for four ot
the weavers carried it in between them.
"It can sit there till our master returns,"
said Will Bowman, eager to get rid of tne
intruders, for the road carters had: ni
good name.
"Content," said tho chief of the Aber
calrn carriers; "then do you give us our
discharge, a glass of spirit apiece and let
us be going, for we have far to travel
tonight, while you bide safe by the llro
slde." So Will bade the weavers wait till ho
had written a receipt, specifying the manis
upon the case. In the meanwhile he or
dered Anna to supply a glass of raw coun
try spirit to each of the men, which they
took with avmuttered salutation. They
were tall men, and so soon as the weavers
appeared they utterly refused to come
within the lighted weaving shed, urgins
that they could not leave their horses. So
Anna carried the spirit out upon the high
way. In a little Will Bowman heard the rattis
of their horses' feet on the hard-beaten
road, and, looking out, we saw the cart
rumbling away into the frost-bitten air
of night, through a kind of cloud, whlcn
.was the steam of the horses.
The weavers dispersed quickly, mostly
to sneak away to the changehouse nt the
hamlets of New Milns and Moreham,
some of the younger to court their joes
in byres and barn ends, one or two merely
to go back to sleep.
So we three were left alone in the great
Mlln house, with the newly arrived packing-case.
It stood in the corner across
the angle of the weaving shed, with its
plain broad side to the blinking Are. Will
Bowman replenished the dogs with a new
load of wood, and we went on with our
game. But somehow the spirit -seemed
gone out of the hide-and-seek. For as
we ran and hid, a dodging shadow, to our
imaginations seemed to run beside xzf
overleaping tne looms and evading the eye,
as it weTe, by a bare Inch, when we looked
over our shoulders. Once Anna, to de
ceive us, hid in the little dusky triangle
behind tho packing-case.
We two were going about to find her, tor
I had already captured Will Bowman,
when all of a sudden she gave a wild
scream, and came running to us, crying
that the case was alive.
"Nonsense, little one," cried out Will,
greatly amused. "Some yarn Is alive
enough when it comes here both with
'high-jumpers' and 'slowbellle.' But tftia
Is the finest Spanish wool, wnite as mim,
fine as a wisp of silk, and very expens
ive."
But Anna only clutched my arm and
panted: "Philip, I heard something move
within. I heard it."
"Tush!" said Will Bowman; "let us go
to supper. Forget it, Anna. You haa
been running too fast, and you heard
your own heart beating. So have I, many
a time."
"Nay, I heard that, too! I was not
mistaken," she made answer, earnestly.
And so, to convince her, Will got a Ian-
thorn and, walking hand In hand, with lit
tle Anna in the midst, we aproached the
packig-case, which, being set on end, tow
ered above my head, though tall Will
Bowman could see on to the top of it.
We examined the thing minutely, oactt
and side, and front. It was evidently or
some light wood", and well packed, for
when tilted and let down violently on tne
floor the contents made no noise. Wilt
Bowman tapped it all about with a ham
mer, and found it all of wood on every
side, with many bored air holes and in
front a square of a common yellowish
gauze, wide-meshed, and coarse, covered
a larger hole. That was done. Will said,
for ventilation, and was common in all
their foreign consignments.
After all was carefully gone over, Will
bade us hold our breath and listen. We
did so, but save for the stirrings within
us and the crackling of the logs on the
hearth, all was silent, Inanimate, dead.
"Well, are you content, little woman?"
said Will, patting Anna on the head. But
she went out, with her face turned over
her shoulder, looking back at the thing
which hod affrighted her.
In the house place ot the private dwel
ling there was a sense of comfort and
safety which even I felt strongly. It
was good to be rid of the case in the
dusky corner of tho weaving-room, yet
I could not get little Anna's shriek out
of my mind. It was so sudden and so
unlike her.
"I thought I heard my father whis
per," she explained more than once in an
awed voice, "so I cried out."
And in spite of the foolishness of It,
the saying stuck to me. We had sup
per, beef cold, cut thin, on wooden plat
ters, wheaten bread and plenty of home
brewed ale. That Is, Umphray only al
lowed us one mug apiece when he was
at home, and to that we now confined
ourselves. Only Will andI treated, our
selves to a somewhat larger size In tank
ards. So in a little the home-brewed gave me
courage and it came into my head that
I was in good case to go alone into the
weaving-room, where the box stood to
show Anna that I cared nothing about
tho matter, and that I was as brave as
any Will Bowman could be, though ho
had marched with Umphray Spurway's
militia.
So I betook me alone into the great
shed, and my spirit revived when I
thought what Anna would think of me.
The case stood in the corner, still and
plain sheeted, like many another that
had come to the mills of Umphray Spur
way. I threw some logs on the fire, and
stirred the others with my toe so that a
bright flame sprang up. More and more
I threw on in sheer Idleness till I could
no longer bear the heat. Then I looked
about for something to shield my face,
but saw nothing on the mantel board
savo some tallow dips and a little
cracked handglass, before which the mill
lasses were wont to order their snoods
and part their hair at the hour of noon.
This, without thought, I took in hand
and held between me and the fire. The
pine branches burnt clear and high, and
all the great shadowy place of beams and
cross-threads, cafders and spindles, glint
ed light. The flames danced on the floor
and glittered upon the walls, losing them
selves among the evasive shadows between
the crossbeams and the dusky roof.
I felt curiously at ease, and it was with
a kind of exaltation that I bethought
me of Will, In the lighted parlor, talk
ing to Anna Mark. I was no more than
a boy, as Will often said. Yet I was not
afraid to sit there in the dusk, with that
great ghostly case staring at my back out
of the dusk.
Involuntarily I happened to look at the
reflection of It In the hand mirror. My
heart fluttered like a bird which haa
dreamed Itself free brought suddenly up
against the wires of a cage.
I saw in the strong firelight the leap
ing flames gleam red on a pair of eyes
that watched me steadily through the
thick yellow gauze on the front of the
packing case.
(To be continued.)
What's the UaeT
Men are apt to fret and worry,
But what's the use?
"When too late they always hurry, -.
But what's the use?
Just to keep business boomin
Men do lots of things inhuman
Even argue with a woman.
But what's the use?
Chicago News.
TRAVELERS GUIDE.
THE FASTEST AND MOST
DIRECT lIRE
TO THE
ASTANOSOUTHEAST
IS THE
S nir-rnR
The Direct Line to Denver, Omaha,
Kansas City and St. Louis.
Only 3 Days to Chicago,
Only 4j4 Days to New York and
other Principal Eastern cities
Thronsh Pullman Palace Sleepers
Tourist Sleeper
Dining? Cars (mcnla n la enrte). and
Free Reclining Chair Cars
Operated Dally on Fait Mail Trains
Through tickets, baggage checks and sleeplns
car accommodations can bs arranged at
CITY TICKET OFFICE
1 35 Third Street Portland, Oregon
J. H. LOTHROP.
GEORGE LANG.
City Pass. & Tkt. Agt.
Gen'l Agent.
Ticket Office: 122 Third St. 'Phone CbO
LEAVE.
No. 4
3:45 1 M.
The Flyer, dally to and
from St. Paul. Minne
apolis. Duluth. Chicago
and all points East.
ARRIVE.
No. 3.
S:COA. it
Through Palace and Tourist Sleepers, Dlxlnj
and Buffet Smoklng-Llbrary Cars.
JAPAN - AMERICAN LINE
STEAMSHIP RIOJUN MARU
For Japan, China and all Asiatic points -will
leave Seattle
ABOUT JANUARY 2C.
Astoria & Columbia
River Railroad Co.
LEAVES
UNION
DEPOT.
For Maygers, Rainier.
Clatskanle, Westport.
Clifton, Astoria. War
renton. Flavel, Ham
mond, Fort Stevens.
Gearhart Park. Seaside.
Astoria and Seashore
Express.
Dally.
Astoria Express.
Dally.
ARRIVES
UNION
DEPOT.
8:00 A. II.
7:00 P. M.
nasA.it.
0:40 P. M.
Ticket office. 235 Morrison st. and Union depot
J. C MAYO. Gen. Pass. Ajct.. Astoria. Or.
travelers guide.
L JfljL! yo aAsJLq
Union Depot, Sixth, and J Streets
TWO TRAINS DAILY
FOR ALL POINTS EAST
"FAST 3IAIL AND P ORTL A M - CHI
CAGO SPECIAL ROUTE."
Leaves for the East via Spokane daily at 3.43
P. M. Arrives at 8 A. M.
Leaves for the East, via Pendleton and Hunt
ington, dally at 8 P. M. Arrive, via Hunt.ns
toa and Pendleton, at 6:15 P. M.
THROUGH PULLMAN AND TOURIST
SLEEPERS.
Water lines schedule, auojaot to changa with
out notice:
OCliAX ASD IUVEK. SCHKDLLE.
OCEAN DIVISION Steamdhipe sail Xronx A."3
worth dock at S P. M. Leave P0r1lRnd--v.u4U.n-bia
salla Tues., Jan. 2, Frl., Jan. Li, M.,
Jan. -l, Thurs.. eb. 1. State ot calif r u
B-iis &un. Jan. 7; Wed., Jan. 17 aut., Ja i,
rues.. Feb. A.
From San Francisco State of Callforn.a s .3
"Wed., Jan. 3. bat.. Jan. 13. Tue.. Jun. -u
fr'ri.. Feb. 2. Columbia sails. Mob., Jul., o,
Tnurs.. Jan. 18. sua.. Jan. 28.
COLUMU1A IllViUl DIVISION.
PORTLAND AND ASTORIA.
Steamer Hassuio leaves Portland daily, except
Sunday, at 8 P. M., on Saturday at IU P. M.
Returning, leaves Astoria daiiy. except Sunday.
at 7 A. M.
WILLAMETTE IUVEK DIVISION
PORTLAND AND CORYALLI3.. OR.
Steamer Ruth, for Salem. Albany, Cora. u
and way points, leaves Portland Tuesdays,
'lhursdays and haturdays at a A. M. Return..!.
leaves Corvaills Mondays. Wednesdays and b:i'
days at tt A. M.
bteamer Modoc, for Salem, and way points,
leaves Portland Mondays. Wednesdays and ir--dajs
at 0 A. M. Returning, leaved salum Tues
days. Thursdays and Saturuays at tt A, M.
YAMHILL IUVER ROUTE.
PORTLAND AND DAYTON. OR.
Steamer Elmore, for Dayton and way points,
leaves Portland Tuesdays, Thursday aau da.
unlays at 7 A. M. Returning, leavw Da.yi.ou lur
Portland and way points Mondays, WeuueadJ)
and Fridays at tt A. M.
SNAKE RIVER ROUTE.
RIPARIA, WASH.. AND LEWISTON. IDAHO.
Steamer Spokane or steamer Leisteton lea es
Rlparia dally at 1:20 A. M.. arriving at Lew st a
at 12 o'clock noon. Returning, the Spokana or
Lewiston leaves Lewlston dally at S:W A. M.,
arriving at Ripaxla. same evening.
W. H. HURLBURT.
General Passenger Agent.
V. A. SCHILLING. City Ticket Agent.
Telephone Main 712.
NewStearashipLmetotlieOrient
CHINA AND JAPAN. FROM PORTLAND.
In connection with THE OREGON RAILO VD
& NAVIGATION CO. Schedule. 1800 (suDject C
change:
Steamer Leave Portland.
QUEEN ADELAIDE .,.. Or. S
MONMOUTHSHIRE ... Nav. 12
ADERGELDIE Dec. U
For rates, accommodations, etc.. apply to
DODWELL & COMPANY. Limited.
General Agents. Portland. Or.
To principal points In Japan, and China.
Aol via
SOUTH
Leave
Dipot Flfttt and I Streets
Arrive
OVERLAND EX
PRESS TRAINS,
for Salem, Rose
burg. Ashland. Sac
ramento, Ogden.
San Francisco. Mo
Jave. Los Angelen,
EI Paso. New Or
leans and tho East.
At 'WoodbMrn
(dally except Sun
day), morning train
connects with train
for Mt. Angel. Stl
v e r t on. Browns
ville. Sprlngft I d
and Natron, and
evening train for
Mt. Angel and Sil
verton. Corvaills passenger.
Independence pas'gr
7:00 P. M.
8:30 A. M.
9:15 A. M.
7:00 P. M.
7:30 A. iM
I (4:50 P. M.
B.-:30 P- M.
)S:25 A. M
Dally. UDaily except Sunday,
Rebate tickets on sale between Portland. 3a--ramento
and San Francisco. Net rates $17 fim
class and Sll second class. Including sleeper.
Rates and tickets to Eastern points and F..
rope. Also JAPAN, CHINA. HONOLULU a .1
AUSTRALIA. Can be obtained from J. IJ.
ICIRKLAND. Ticket Agent. 134 Third at.
YAMHILL DIVISION.
Passenger Depot, foot of Jefferson Street.
Leave for Oswego dally at 7.20. OMO A. if ;
12:30. 1:C5, 3-23, 6:15. 0:25. 8:05. 11.30 P. M ;
and 0:00 A. M. on Sundays only ArrUa ai
Portland dally at -6:35. 8.30. 10:50 A. M ;
1:35. 3:15. 4M0, 0:20. 7.40. 10:60 P. M.. 12 10
A. M. dally, except Monday; 8:30 and 10.06 a.
M. on Sundays only.
Leave for Sheridan dally, except Sunday, at
4:30 P. M. Arrive at Portland at 3:30 A. M
Leave for Alrlle Monday. Wednesdays ail
Fridays, ft 8.35 A. M. Arrive at Portia 1 1
Tuesdays. Thursdays and Saturdays at 3.3J
P. M.
Except Sunday.
R. KOEHLER.
Manager.
C. H. MARKHAM.
Gen. Frt. & Pass. Agt.
GO EAST VIA
IPS.
THROUGH SALT LAKE CITY. DENVER
OMAHA. OR KANSAS CITY, WITH
CHOICE OF TWO ROUTES.
Via the fast mall line or the scenic tins through
Colorado.
ISO CHANGE OF CARS
TO DENVER, OMAHA, KANSAS CITY,
yi LOUIS, CHICAGO nl tUe
ATLANTIC SEABOARD.
LEAYING PORTLWD GMOH DEPOT, DAILY, AT 8:00 P. "i.
For railroad and sleeping-car tickets and all
other Information apply to
CITY TICKET OFFICE
124 Third Street, Portland, OreqoT
W. E. COMAN. J. R. NAG EL.
General Agent. City Ticket Age
Pacific Coasi Steamship Co.
FOR ALASKA
THE COMPANY'S elegant
steamers Cottage City, .ty
of 1 opeka and Al - ICi lea a
TACOMA A. M.. 3KATTL! a
A. M.. Jan. 5, 10. 13. 2u, 25.
30; Feb. 4. 0. 14, 1, 24.
Mar. 1. and every fifth day
thereafter. For further .nf "
matlon obtain company's f jlder.
The companv reserves the right to chai'.
3teamers, salllrg dates and hours of sailing
without prelous notice.
AGENTS N. POSTON. 240 Washington st .
Portland. Or.; F. W. CARLETON. N. P. R. R.
dock. Tacoma: J. F TROWBRIDGE. Puget
Sound Supt.. Ocean dock. Seattle.
GOODALL. TERKINS & CO.. Gen. Agts.. S. F.
WASHINGTON & ALASKA
STEAMSHIP CO.
Steamship "CITY OF SEATTLE" will Ieava
Seattle December 15. and every 10 days there
after, for Vancouver. Ketchikan. Juneau. Skag
way. Skftjtwav, malting trip from Seattle to
Skagway In 72: hours.
For freight and passage tnqulrs of
DODWELL & CO., LIMITED. AGEKT3,
( I SUNSET -n
( O CGCENft SHASTA 1
WpV ROUTES JQJ
m fl&s M mm. B ffiba im
gJPJ3 g-.
X