White Heather (Volume III of 3)

g expression on his face, and his hand shook a little. He could only hope that she had not seen him. Instantly he had seen her, he knew that he dare

careless of what might become of him or his poor affairs. But always there was there in his room that mystic white token that Meenie had sent him; and at least it kept him thinking-his conscience was not allowed to slumber; and so

zies asked of her cronies. 'He hasna been

ng to earn the Blue Rib

Jimmy Laidlaw. 'Down in the mouth's no the

and water, 'the best thing you could do would be just to take the lad in hand, and marry him right off. He would have som

d and blushed; but she

to throw away a business like this on any man. I'll b

ho had a handy gift of fac

m maister! And how long would it be before he ate and drank ye out o' house and ha'?-set him up with a handsome wife and a splendid business thrown at hi

enzies, a little absently. 'He met wi' none bu

s, and hae a talk wi' him

brief note. And very well she could write too-in a dashing, free han

nd tell me; don't go away and sulk. If I have done or said anything to offend you,

MENZ

such an appeal in person: h

ere had been anything of that kind, I would have tol

g him, 'but I'm not glad to see the way ye're looking, Ronald, my lad. Ye're not yours

re was on the table a bottle of champagne, with a c

touch a drop,' said he: and he

ll not? Why, man, you're ill-you'

nd took the bottle from her,

e fact, lass. Let be-let be, woman; I'm obl

she got hold of the bottle and opened it

were ruled by me, and drank nothing but what ye get in this house, there would be little nee

said he, for he did not wish to appear

ing bad tobacco and drinking bad whisky. What mak's your face sae white? It's fusel-oil, if ye maun ken. He

ed it to him. He did not wish to offend her; and he himself did not believe the thing

ed aloud, and took him by the shoulde

na young ladies' seminary h

as one where they taught folk no to forc

cine, they were made to take it. And here's yours,' she said; and she stood before him with the glass in her hand.

ain. It produced a slight, rather agreeable giddiness; a sense of comfort was diffused throughout the system; he was not so anxious to get away. And Kate began talking-upbraiding him for thinking that she wanted to see him otherwise than well and in his usual health, and declaring

my advice there would be no shaking hands and white cheeks for y

s again, adding a g

,' said he. 'Ye're a desperate creatu

t o' heart-because thae fine American friends o' yours hae forgotten you; and you've got sick o' this new work o' yours; and you've got

s, that ye've just been ower kind

glass,

lve to get away, for even these two glasses had caused a swimming in

nd come back at three and have dinner with us. I

ered that, instead of going away for any long walk, he thought he would go back home and li

be for a single day as once he had been-as she had known him in the happy times when life went by like a laugh and a song-how wonderful it would be to go along these thoroughfares hoping every moment to catch sight of her face! A dull town?-no, a radiant town, with music

ose clear, kind eyes? If there were but some penance now-no matter what suffering it entailed-that would obliterate these last months and restore him to himself, how gladly would he welcome that! But it was not only the bodily sickness-he believed he could mend that; he had still a fine physique; and surely absolute abstention from stimulants, no matter with what accompanying depression, would in time give him back his health-it was mental sickness and hopelessness and remorse t

a curious fancy got into his head that he would like to try to realise what he had been like in those former days. He got out his blotting-pad of fragments-not those ded

ike that-and no longer

fashion had an abundant life and joy and hope in his veins, and courage to face the w

e wind upon C

lies thick on

ring hinds ar

the wint

n the birds wil

l sing too

welcoming t

rose time o

black lake, t

along i

hard in the gr

now-white ar

the birds will be

arm west win

n the sun

he moorland

, my love

n the birds wil

l sing too

welcoming t

rose-time o

the days white and clear around him; and life merry and hopeful enough. And now

and put on a clean collar. Nay, he began to set the little room to rights-and his life in Highland lodges had taught him how to do that about as well as any woman could; and he tried to brighten the window panes a little

with firm lips; and he deliberately broke

hand, and went out. In half an hour or so he had left the city behind him and was lost in that melancholy half-country that lies around it on the north; but he cared little now how the landscape looked; he was wond

the little thoroughfare; and entered the crescent-but keeping to the opposite side from Mrs. Gemmill's dwelling-and there quietly walked up and down. He could see the windows well enough; they were all of them lit; and the house seemed warm and comfortable; Meenie would be at home there, and among friends, and her bright laugh would be heard from room to room. Perhaps they had company too-since all the windows were ablaze; rich folk, no doubt, for the Gemmills were themselves well-to-do people; and Meenie would be made much of by these strangers, and they would come round her, and the beautiful Highland eyes would be turned towards them, and they would hear her speak in her quiet, gentle, quaint way. Nor was there any trace of envy or jealousy in this man's compos

little nearer; and then he saw three figures-one of them almost assuredly Meenie-come out and enter the vehicle. They drove off; no doubt they were goi

lls are knocked on the head sure enough when one comes to a town. I'll have no more to do with these books; nor with the w

te lying there on the table for him. 'That woman again,' he said to himself. 'K

de, apparently half afraid. And then he opened it and read-but in a kind of wild an

ner of Sauchiehall Street and Renfield Street to-morrow morning at el

IE DO

much sleep for