White Heather (Volume III of 3)

ead of showing any annoyance or resentment, rather aided and abetted this furious zeal on the part of his pupil. All the same, Ronald found occasion to be within easy distance o

she was, over some little mishap, as he imagined. And then so trim and neat she was in her travelling attire; and so daintily she walked-the graceful figure moving (as he thought

sphere; it was a day for good-companionship, and the drinking of healths, and the wishing of good wishes to all the world. His thoughts were all with Meenie-in that railway carriage flying away down to Greenock; and y

d,' said he to the young man standing behi

through the placid pastoral country until she would come in sight of Dumbarton's castled crags and the long wide valley of the Clyde. And then the breezy waters of the Firth; and the big steamboat; and Meenie walking up and

nd he was startled into a consciousness of where he was and what he

aid to the astonished youth who was look

rtal craving for drink had seized him, he would almost have been glad of the fight; it would be something to slay the dragon, for Meenie's sake. But he had naturally a sound and firm constitution; his dissipation had not lasted long enough to destroy his strength of

he had chanced upon a few days before. And now he did not regard those gay and galloping verses with a stupefied wonder as to how he ever came to write them; rather he tried to reach again to

arm west win

n the sun

he moorland

, my love

n the birds wil

l sing too

welcoming t

rose-time o

primros

primros

rose-time o

welcoming t

rose-time o

idently sketched out for him-the path that was now to lead him to Meenie, as the final crown and prize. 'You may find me a gray-haired woman, Ronald,' she had said, 'but you will find me a single woman.' But s

d please her, if he took them to her. But this was rather a visionary Meenie he found in these verses; not the real and actual Meenie who had sate beside him on a bench in the West End Park, and placed her hand in his, and pledged her life to him, w

res of yonder

mphant on the

mneys blackest

the world the s

r shines adow

sement where sh

the sound of

ight with lead

and birds and fair sunlight and the joy of the summer hills. He threw that spoiled sheet into the fire; and so

fair Ma

s began

m tipped wi

em tipped

ked the one

ooked adow

the one to

bbed their

the lark in

vis sings

this is t

ie we ca

here must

o this f

e, Love Meeni

mistaken

love spake

u and ceas

ng back to

e brings s

ifles are sometimes important thi

of people-nursemaids and children, most of them-who were idly strolling along the trimly-kept walks or seated in front of the wide open parterres. How was he to find Meenie in such a great place; and, if he did find her, were they to walk up and down befo

with Meenie, who was seated on a bench, all by herself, with a book before her. But she was not reading. 'O and proudly rose she up'; and yet shyly,

, Ronald!' she said. 'I have be

hy?' h

her; and then I was thinking of the going away back to Inver-Mudal, and never seeing you, and not knowing how you were getting on.

repeate

t there at Poll

d lau

t for very shame's sake I had to let him have a h

inks you w

ms to t

ld; and it will be something to speak of to every one; and then-then that will be but the beginning; and

for there will be the continual trying and hoping for

said bravely. 'No. I have faith in you

you to come for a stroll along the banks over the Kelvin. Would ye wonder to find some sea-gulls flying about?-they're there, thoug

Ronald,' she said,

ny of your folk are to be told what we are looking forward to; and for my part I

, in rather a low voice. 'Let it be merely an unde

hrough the trees and shrubs, 'here is a confession: I was so glad to see you on that morning-and so glad to see you looking so well-that I half lost my

up in sud

ildered with having seen ye, and thinking of where ye were going. I walked out o' the place without to

re quite alone here-the brown river before them; several sea-gulls placidly paddling on its surface, others flying and dipping overhead; and if this bank of the stream was in shadow, the other-with some small green meadows backed by clumps of

pied out for ye last night-they're not much worth-but they were written a long

ace as she did so: not that she was proud of their

d, with averted eyes-but h

at I look at them, they hardly seem to grip ye fast enough. I want something that will bind ye closer to myself-something that ye can read when you are back in the Highlands-something that is known only to ou

nald, just at present,' she

with busier work, I must try to

I want them, every one-every, every one. Yes, and I specially want that letter-if

he, with an embarrassed laugh. 'In

said, with a touch of vexation. 'Perhaps I was a little-a

rself talked about in this way?" For there's a good deal of love-making in them, Meenie, and that's a fact; I knew I could say what I liked, since no one would be any the wiser, but, last night, when

I want every, every, every one of them; and you must copy them

tter in the Highlands; for they're all about Ben L

u hid them from

of the place if I had shown them to you. Think of the effect produced by a single

e now, Ronald, that way,'

) by the footsteps of generation after generation of lovers who, in obedience to an old and fond custom, have come hither to plight their troth while joining hands over the brooklet. Properly the two sweethearts, each standing on one side, ought to join their hands on a Bible as they vow their vows, and thereafter should break a sixpence in twain, each carrying away the half; but these minor points are not necessary to the efficacy of this probably pagan rite. And so-supposing that Ronald had heard of this place of sacred pilgrimag

now, Meenie darling-"Ae fo

ed back i

on your lips! Don't you reme

good-naturedly; for he had

n't you

ver loved

er loved s

t-or nev

r been brok

'ye must not be superstitious. What's in a song? There'll be no s

she, looking up with a smile-until she sud