Kilmeny of the Orchard

favoured him, for he found Mrs. Williamson alone, sitting by the west window of her kitchen and knitting at a long gray sock. She hummed softly to her

t, by reason that his eyes were so like those of the little s

I chanced on an old deserted orchard back behind the woods over ther

rty years since Mr. and Mrs. Connors moved away. Their house and barns were burned down and they sold the land to Thomas Gordon and went to live in town.

ak of her, and that the blood mounted to his face as he did so. "She ran away in great alarm as soon as she saw m

and gazed out of the window as if pondering seriously some question in her o

t have been Kilme

the niece of Thomas Gordon

es

he girl I saw can be a membe

e plays the violin. If it was Kilmeny you've seen what very few people in Lindsay have ever seen, Master. And those few have never

n't like to see any girl so frightened of me as she appeared to be. She was as white a

rd in any case," said Mrs. Williamso

afflicted in such a fashion-why, it was horrible! Mingled with hi

bering. "The girl I saw played on the violin exquisitely. I never heard a

r can be stranger than another. She can hear as well as anybody and understands everything that is said to her. But she can't speak a word and never could, at least, so they say. The truth is, nobody knows mu

?" queried Eric impatiently. "

she's been brought up. But the Gordons are very strange people, Mr. Marshall. I kind of reproved father for saying so, you remember, but it

ic rather curtly. "But HOW has she been

r. Old James Gordon came out from Scotland. Janet and Thomas were born in the Old Country and were small children when they came here. They were never very s

my mother often told me. She was friendly and gay and liked social life. The Gordon place was a very different sort of place after she came there, and even Janet and Thomas got thawed out and softened down a good b

r father. I knew Margaret Gordon well once. We were just the same age and we set tog

idn't. She had some bitter enemies, but she had some devoted friends too. That was her way. She made

I think, Master. And she was proud, oh, she was very proud. She liked to be first in everything, and she couldn't bear not to show to good advantage. She was dreadful determined, too. You couldn't budge her an inch, Master, w

d acted, and little ways she had of moving her hands and head. I declare it almost seems as if she was right here in

ng at Mrs. Williamson's unusual exhibition of

ng now that Margaret Gordon's here listening to what

but I'm coming to that. I didn't mean to talk so much abou

s license. She passed pretty well up when she came out, but Janet told me she c

him, but she wouldn't look at one of them. They said it was because she thought nobody was good enough for her, but that wasn't the way of it at all, Master. I knew, because Margaret and I u

Radnor and was doing well. He was real handsome and had taking ways women like. It was said that all the Radnor girls were in love with him, but I don't think his wors

hat day, so gentle and womanly. She had been used to hold her head pretty high, but that day she held it drooping a little and

ne time I was there and he brought Margaret home from Radnor Friday night. I guess they wouldn't

ing with them, they were so fond and proud of her. Her father held out the

white, with red roses in her hair and at her breast. She wouldn't wear white flowers; she said they looked too much like funeral flowers. She looked like a picture. I can see her this minute, as plain as plain, just as she was that night, blushing and turning pale

nice house, and was gay and happy. She dressed beautiful and entertained a good deal. T

ink he did. He swore he didn't. They hadn't been very happy together, it seems. Her mother made trouble between them. Then she went to visit her mother in Montreal, and died in the hospital there, so the word came to Ronald. Perhaps he believed it a little too readily, but that

s felt it was true. Margaret didn't think so, though. She believed that Ronald Fraser had deceived her, knowing all the tim

less than a year word came of his death. They said h

her own family ever saw her again. I went to see her, but Janet told me she wouldn't see me. It was foolish of Margaret to act so. She hadn't done anything real wrong; and everybody was so

et and Thomas felt the disgrace, too. The people that had been in the habit of goi

ter the scandal. He had been an elder in the church, but he handed in

dn't have been any use in her going to school when she couldn't speak, and it's likely Margaret taught her all she could be taught herself. But it was dreadful that she was nev

loved to see HER for Margaret's sake, but I didn't want to see poor Margaret. I had never seen her since the night she was a bride, for I had left Lindsay on a visit just after that, and what

they must have agreed with Margaret about the way she had been brought up. I've often felt sorry for the poor girl, and I

But the past just seemed to be living again for me as I talked. If you don't want to be pes

. He had heard all he

name suits her. She is as lovely and innocent as the heroine of the old ballad. 'And oh, Kilmeny was fair to see.' But the next

he memory of her beautiful face drew him with a power he cou