Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 March 1892 — The Heir oF Linne. [ARTICLE]

The Heir oF Linne.

By Robert Buchanan.

CHAPTER XXVI. . “SPIRAT ADHt'C AMOft.” Frightened and almost fainting. Marjorie struggled in the arms of the Canadian who. with bright eyes and bufning cheeks, looked at the old hermit as if for guidance. As for Macgillvray, he seemed like a man demented. Laughing and crying, and waving his arms, he leaped up and down the cave, and then, smacking his palms together, cried—“l’m a matchmaker, I’m a matchmaker! Man, I saw the cupids dancing in her een when I named vour name. Hold her fast, ye limmer, for she’s yours, she's yours!” “This wild harangue called Marjorie to her senses. Flushed and angry, she shook herself freq from the young man’s embrace, and stood, panting, indignant, ready to burst into tears. ..... “It is shameful?” she cried. “Yo u have no right to serve me so. Mr. Macgillvray; and as for you, sir,” — here she flashed her eyes at Roberts —“it was cowardly to listen!” “Forgive me,” Roberts answered, gently and penitently. * “Toots, toots, laddie, speak up till her,” chuckled the hermit. “That’s no’ the way to win a lassie!” “Mr. Macgillvray, for shame!” cried poor Marjorie. “I Will never speak to you again.” ) “I see what is, ” said Willie, slyly. “I was wrong. Women are like cattle, and I see she still hungers after the flesh-pots of Egypt. Let her go! Edward Limie’s waiting for her with a wedding ring.” “How unkind you are!” returned Marjorie, almost sobbing. ‘'Did*! not tell you that I will never, never marry Mr. Edward? But I will do my duty. I shall give back to him all the money that is not mine, aud leave this place forever!” “And who’ll take care of ye? Who’ll she, my lamb, from the storm? Be advised., Keep the siller, and take the heir into the bargain. ” “I thought you a good man,’- said Marjorie, indignantly. “Now I see I was mistaken.- I take neither Mr. Edward nor the money. I would rather die!" Willie, who seemed positively reckless, was about to speak to her again in the same irritating tone of exultation, when, with a waive of the hand Roberts made him silent. “Leave us together,” he said. “No, no, you shall not, ” cried Marjorie, as Macgillvray moved towards the door. “I will not stay!” “I will not keep you long," said Roberts, in a gravely gentle tone very unusual with him. “If you wish it. after I have said only a few words, I will shake hands with you forever!” Startled by the tone as much as by the words, she hesitated. In a moment Macgillvray slipped out of the cave and disappeared. “Miss Marjorie,” said the young man, in the same solemn tone” “if I am compelled to break the promise I gave you. it is through no fault of mine. The ice has been broken by accident. May Igo oh?” “What do you wish to say?” murmured Marjorie, hiding her face and fairly crying. - . 4 1 was not playing the spy; but coming to the cave, and not knowing you were here, I beard some fragments of yeur conversation; the rest of the truth I knew already. You have resolved to make a great sacrifice?” _ “It is no sacrifice,” said the girl, sobh ng. - ‘lf yon refuse to marry Edward Linne, you lose everything, or nearly everything, in the world; is that no sa rifice? Well, your own conscience is your best guide. But if you resign all this world s wealth; how will you live, and where will you go?” She did not answer, and he continued— ‘ ,

“You are a,child, and do not know the world. You have never known what it is to be poor. If you make this sacrifice, the world will laugh at you as a simpleton; your very friends will forsake “you.’’ 'Tdonot care; I will do as God bids me. Now. let me go!” “One moment yet.” said Roberts gently, detaining her by the hand. “Suppose I were to say to you, as I said before in my mad boldness — ‘‘Marjorie, I love vou; you are dearer to me a thousand fold, now you are poor than when you were rich; leave this place—come with me to the west, •where I can offer you a poor but lovdng home—what would be your re*>iy?” “I do not know,” she faltered, looking at him through her tears. “Oh, da you not see how troubled I am? I scarcely understand; and you prom ised——" “I will keep my promise henceforth if you wish it Say the word, and I will never trouble you again. Tell mae you do not love me, that you can mover love me, and I will go away for ever!” He paused as if awaiting h&r reply. Their eyes met. He caught tier in bis arms again. “Let me go,” sne cried, blushing through her tears. “You must not —I shall be angry.” He released her in a moment “I know lam selfish. Fondly as J love you, 1 know I have nothing to recommend me. If you were wise—.and it is not too late—you would 'keep'tbe position in which the laird .placedjjrou, andjt'ulfill his dying wish.” “His only wish was to keep the {lands together," she replied. “Mr. iEdward will have them all; and that

was all the laird's desire —that they 1 should remain in the family.'” “Let me be frank with you," said Roberts. “In asking you to marry me, 1 ask you to join your lot with one who is little better than peasant, and as poor as a shepherd on Vour lands.” “I should hot care for that," said Morjorie; adding, as she saw he was about to encroach again. “But I’m not thinking of marrying at all!" “I understand. You realize the wild life you would have to lead out yonder, you who are a lady born!”, “I am no.lady,” returned Marjorie simply. The laird adopted me out of charity, my father and mother were poor and humble.” 3T[ am glad of that; but by heaven, there is no lady in the land worthy to tie your shoe-strings. Oh, my, darling,” he cried, passionately, “are weAb part? Am Ito go forth into the world a lonely man, without one word or look of love from" her I have loved since we first met?” ‘‘How can you love me so much,” said. Marjorie, “when we have known each other so short a time? lam sure you‘do hot mean what you say ” “I am a rough man. I know,” he answered; .“but I speak out of the fullness of my heart. The breath I breathe, the world I dwell in, the blue heaven up yonder, the very God I worship, are nothing to me without you! You are more to me than life ‘itself!” Marjorie looked into his face. Never had it seemed so beautiful as now, when the very sun of love shone there. She seemed caught as in a golden fire, and lost all self-command. “Marjorie!” he cried, holding out his arms. With a blush and a sigh, she sank into them, and hid her face upon his breast.

“Hooly and fairly!” cried a voice. ! “What's up now? This lassie is , wanted at the Castle!” They - looked around. There, on j the threshold of the cave, stood that | irritating hermit, grinning from ear to ear. and rubbing his Jiands together gleefully. Red as a rose, , Marjorie disengaged herself, and gave him a glance of smiling indig- ; nation. “You were so long talking,” he said, “that I wearied. Weel, have | you sqid good-b3 r e?” I “No, old friend,” answered Roberts; “we have come to an amicable agreement;” and, as he spoke, he took Marjorie around the waist and I kissed her gently. i “It’s sheer foolishness," chuckled Willie. “She’s a pauper, and you’re a beggar.” “Exactly,” said Roberts; “But we mean to make a fresh start together.” “Ridiculous! It’s against the first principles o’ political economy—see Malthus passim. Bless me, ye’ll be for marrying next, and having a family!” j “Please don’t talk such nonsense!” i said Marjorie with a blush. “The foolishness o’ women! The selfishness o’ men! Marjorie, this sauev gallant—Mr. Impudence, as I call him—has scarce a bawbee in his pouch, or a shirt till his back!” | “I like him all the better for that,” : said Marjorie,. -- | “Sajryw so?—then, in that case, j I will talk to him. Young limmer, I bid you release this young . lady, and gang about your business. I She’s a beggar like yourself ! ” “That’s just why I want her,” said i Roberts.

{ “Was ever such a daft*pair!” cried Willie, regarding them with delight■ed admiration. “What are you go- : ing to live on, tell me that?” i “We shall live on love, sir?” returned Roberts, suiting the action to j the word, and kissing Marjorie again. “That's but a lean diet,” retorted \ the hermit. “How do you know, sir?” broke in Marjorie. “You are only an old bachelor, and have never tried it!” Thereupon, from the happiness of their hearts, all three laughed outright. It was a pleasant ending to an eventful evening. They sat down round the fire of the little hermitage, and talked long and earnestly to- ; gether. [to be continued.] SOMEWHAT CURIOUS. Gold does not tarnish like other ; metals, for the reason that it is not acted on by oxygen or by water. A Russian can plead infancy for a long,,time, as he does not come of age till he is 26 years old. I %Ttie ten lines of railroad centering ! in London send out 2,210 suburban trains a day, carrying 400,000,000 passengers a year. It is reported that a saloon keeper in Bar Harbor has announced that he must retire from business on account of excessive competition. The State treasury of New Hampshire has just had to honor a draft for S3OO for thirty-six bears killed within the limits of one town during , the last year. ! At >a Catholic convent in Fort Berthold, N. D., all the sisters, includ ing the mother superior, are Indians, and the spiritual director is a priest of Mohawk descent. A velocity as high sis 3,887 feet per second has been attained by a pn> jectile from a rapid-fire gun. This is at the rate of l,osß miles an hour. It s the highest velocity yet recorded. Thirty thousand dollars worth liquors were dispensed “for medical and mechanical purposes only.” by the Biddeford, Me., city agency dur ing the past year, at a net profit of • $2,667. ■ • , The voyage to'Liberia lakes thirtyfive days by sailing vessel. In sev-. enty years, during which there have been nearly 200 emigrations, there has never been a case of loss or disaster.