SHORT STORY.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 143, 12 June 1903, Page 7

SHORT STORY.

AUNT OABOLINB. I hate hat -everal Sootoh pupils at fleetwood, most of them interesting and attractive girls. . But the flower of my Sootoh flock was undoubtedly Flora Maogregor, the one daughter of a Scotoh laird who had his oastle among the wilds of Inverness-shire. I well remember that the communications regarding the ooming of Flora were all addressed to me by a lady who signed herself Caroline Maogregor, and whom I at first naturally thought to be her mother. She wrote in an eld-fashioned and formal style, and I ajw gathered from her letters that she had old(^B_ fashioned and formal ideas about th* upbringing of ohildren. Bhe informed me that I had been recommended to her Lady Garthland, whose daughters were at Fleetwood and that from all she had heard she believed I was a suitable person to have the oare of young gentle'* women such as her niece Flora Maogregor. •I. do not muoh approve ot boarding sohools/ she wrote In one of her lengthy epistles. 'My observation has oonvinoed me tnat the young women educated at them acquire but little knowledge and a great deal of superficial nonsense. But it has become advisable that my niece should leave home for a time, her father— my brother— has agreed that she should be sent to Fleetwood for a year.* I took an unaccountable aversion to Mies Caroline Maogregor through the perusal of her epistles, whioh was certainly unreason* able and absurd, as I had never seen her. Afterwards, however, when 1 did see her, I had no reason to change my mind. My new pupil oame South with the Garthland girls, in charge of Sir Maloolm Garthland himself, who was going to Constantinople on diplomatic business. 1 met the party at Sing's Cross, and took them down to Fleetwood. I found my new pupil rather older than I expected. She was sixteen, but beside the very youthful Garthlands looked quite grown np. I oould not at first make up my mind whether to oall her pretty or not. She was tall, slender, and rawer dark, with a lovely •tear, ruddy tint on her cheek, and her eyes were as blue as tbe forget-me-not. They were very large and questioning and serious, though when her faoe Ut up they shone like wells of water in the sun. Her expression. was rather sad, even hard in repose. She did not look like the Garthlands, who oame from an exceptionally happy home, and who clung about their handsome father as if they would never let him go. She was not well dretised, though her clothes were made of expensive material. The hand of Miss Caroline Maogregor, spinster,, was visible in everything pertaining to Flora, her nieoe. I do not set this down in malice, or with any intent to impugn the good taste of spinsters in general. lam one myself , and it has been my good fortune to know many elegant and charming women who have remained unmarried from choice, but among these I do not number Caroline Maogregor. I was very busy, of course, at the beginning of the term, and thinking my new pupil was all right with the Garthlands, I riid but little heed to her. It was only after had got everything into full working order again that I had time to turn myself, if I may use that expression, and begin to think about my new pupil. There is generally a good deal ef home-slokness among themat first to which I am accustomed so , that, beyond, speaking a cheering and sympathetic word as opportunity, offers, I do not much concern myself with them. I was sitting in my sanctum one afternoon, looking complacently over my books, whioh had never been in a " more satisfactory state, when suddenly glanoing out of the window, I beheld Flora Maogregor sitting on a little rustic seat under a beech tree. I was astonished to see her there, for that little space oleared just beneath my windows, and that particular seat, were supposed to be sacred to me, and nobody went there without my/express sanction or invitation. She was sitting quite still, with her hands On her lap and her hat lying on the sward at her feet. She was looking straight before her, and though the view was . ... considered very fine in its way, exhibiting all the picturesque features of a truly English landscape, I saw that she was totally un* oossoioua ot it. I have never seen in a human faoe a look of suoh intense and sorrowful yearning, and it smote me to the heart. I row np nastily, opened the Frenoh window, and stepped out, startling her with my foot on the gravel below the window. I was at her side before she oould rise. •Sit down, dear ohild/ I said, as kindly as X knew how ; for I felt that I had not dona al) . my duty by her. ' I have been watching you from the window. Now tell me *jbat makes you look so sorrowful. Ido not ttke anybody to look so at Fleetwood. I hope you are not unhappy here.' 'On no/ she Said, famtly. ' Everybody is rssy Und. I like it muoh .better than I exnatted.* "Why oome here by yourself, and sit so bropdi&glyP It is not like a young girl. WUI you not tell me, my dear, of what you aw t%kingr' I laid my hand on hers, and she turned to me, looking intently into my face. What she read there Iknow not, but suddenly a •6b, whioh seemed to oome from the deep to* dimes of her heart, ; parted her lips, ana she feajwn to tremble from head to foot. I saw thai she was trying to oontrol herself, whioh she presently did, and looked at me rather timHly. •Yon are home-siok, my dear/ I said, cheerfully. ' I understand it all very well, but in a few weeks you will feel better; I lave even had pupils who were home-siek for Fleetwood after they left it.' She smiled, and the ohange that passing smile made on her faoe reminded me of the sua gleaming suddenly on some dark mountain lake: •The Garthlands are like that. They were always talking about Fleetwood. It isn't that, she said, frankly, evidently feeling at home with me. 'it is that I have had no letter .from papa since I came.' * But your aunt has written, has she not?' The lip ourled a little, and the smile died out of her face. • •Yee, Aunt Caroline writes every week, but I cannot read her letters ; they are so like her. I would give them all for a line from papa, and I know she is keeping him from writing. I felt that she would.' I looked at her in astonishment. ♦ My dear, that is a vary strange thing co say. Why shuld your aunt keep him from writing ? Probably he is too busy. Gentlemen generally are too busy to write a;iy but buaineaß lettere.* She smiled a little incredulously. 4 Papa is not very busy; he is only partridge shooting just now. I was thinking of It before yon oame. I used to go with him am the moors before Aunt Caroline oame. She said it was not ladylike, and made papa bid me stop at home. Mamma did not igimk it unladylike, and she knew a- great •teal better.* I sat silent a moment, feeling rather per* plaxed. I knew nothing at all of the history oi theMaogregors, but I saw that I was faoe to faoe win one of those painful family mat* tant/wUah axe bo diffioult to deal with. •Bow long is it since your mother left WOttiP « Two yeaxe— it Is like two hundred ; and •afa^Ram unite sure she would be living now but foe Annt QaroUne. I have told her so, and gag&too ; it was for saying that that I was sent to school.' I did not know whether tc ask anymore but thought it better not. I oould obJj hear one side from Flora, and the young do .not always see dearly ; at least, tbey an inolined to judge hastily and fcanhly through laok of experience. . I tried io Infest her in other thugs, but always lar talhT drifted baek to her home, and I saw that Ike child's heart was fain for her own country. I tried not to think harshly of

J eooofdingto her light, and had tba child's Intemts at heart ;butsomehow my sympathies refused to keep oompany with my better lodgment. They were entirely on Flore's side. I watched her pretty closely during the next few days, and though to please me ■he tried to apply herself cheerfully to her tasks, the quetfoning, wistful look did not leave her eyes. I then took it upon myself to write ft few lines to her father. Some days afterwards I reoeived a letter from Miss Maogregor, whioh rather astonished me. She began it quite abruptly : ' The letter you addressed to my brother oame all right to' Drum, but I havo not given it to him. lam sorry to hear that Flora is so stupidly fretting, though it does not greatly surprise me. As to her father writing, it was agreed before she left home that ho should not write. Tba effect ef his letters would simply be to unsettle the ohild still more. Yon may consider this rather hard, but I would. beg to remind you that you are not competent; to judge, and that whatever Flora may have told yon, the story has another side. She is at that age when striot discipline is generally necessary, in her case absolutely so, her disposition and oharaoter being more trying than is common, I must beg of you to attend to my wishes in this matter, aud not enoourage Flora in her headstrong and rebellious disposition. She has the misfortune to be an only ohild, and her mother was sinfully indulgent to her. I have written thus frankly to you, a stranger, because I would wish to guide you somewhat in your dealing with my niece, of whom I hope to hear better accounts at no distant date.' I have seldom received what the Sootoh oall such a good ' down-setting/ and I will not deny that I did not muoh Tike it. I said nothing, however, to Flora, and some little time afcerwards.l reoeived some farther light on the matter from dear Lady Garthland, who/passing through London to join her husband m Turkey, oame down to see her girls. She was a very sweet and graoious person, who created an atmosphere of cheerfulness and grace wherever her lot was oast. I did not feel that she would misunderstand or resent my asking cautiously what sort of a Broen was Miss Caroline Maogregor, of rum. She shook her head as she listened to my question. 'Caroline Maogregor is a very strange woman, Miss Grainger,' and she ought never to have been taken back to Drum.' { ' Did she live there before, then? Has it j not always been her home ?' j •No; she kept house for Malcolm Mao- j gregor before his marriage, wh>.oh she bitterly resented, it was quite a romantic story. Maogregor met his wife abroad, at Nice, I believe, where she was acting as companion i to an English lady. She was the daughter of a olerscyman, a native of the Channel Islands, ! and there was a good deal of Frenoh bipod in her veins. A sweet oreature, she was lacking perhaps in any very strong quality, but there is no doubt that she made Maogregor happy, and that he has been a changed man since her death.' ' His sister did not muoh approve of his wife, then?' I suggested. ' No, she took tne most unaccountable dislike to her from the first, and was at no pains tooonoeal it. She resented the marriage, to begin with, because it dethroned her from her .position as mistress of Drum. Maogregor made the mistake of thinking it Eossible they might all live together and be appv — a risky experiment at all times, but in this case simple lunacy, nothing less/ •Was it tried?' 'It was; and for two years poor Mrs. Maogregor suffered it. Before Flora was born she got into snoh a poor state of health that the dootors feared she would never recover. They could not understand her listlessness and apathy. She seemed to have no desire to live. It was I— and a bold woman I was to do it— who suggested to them that the cause was to be found in the person of Caroline Maogregor.' • And .what, came of it?' I askad, with intense interest. ' Ob, it took a good while to oonvinoe Maogregor, for he is rather fond of his sister, and proud of her too. She is considered one of the handsomest women in the North, and men do not see things so quiokly as we do. He is a great sportsman, and spends little of his time in the house. Naturally he wants that time to be peaoeful and happy, and I must say he deserves it, for he is as good-hearted a man as ever breathed.' • And did he send her away ?' 'Well, yes; but not far enough. There is a little dower .house id the grounds, not a mile from .Drum, and to it, after several stormy scenes, she retired. But it was a mere farce, for she was -never out of Drum. She told me herself that her presence was absolutely necessary there, for Mrs. Maogregor knew nothing of the conduct of a large establishment, and was totally at the meroy of her servants. ' I told her that was Maogregor's own outlook now, but she did not eee it ; and it's my belief that she worried the poor thing into her gave. Of course, when she died, Miss Maogregor ahut'up the dower-house and took up her old place in Drum, and now the warfare is about to begin, only it will be active hostility this time, for Flora has a good bit of her father's nature in hetvand Will stand up for her own. I must say Tforesee nothing hut troublous times for Dram/ ' Has Miss Maogregor no means of her own?' ' Means, my dear— more than she will ever spend in thb world. But she wants to live at Drum, and at Drum she will' live in peace or war.* ' Cm! I think Mr. Maogregor owes a duty to his daughter first, don't you, Lady J Garthland P' • Indeed I do. My husband is furious j over it. Caroline Maogregor is a woman he j cannot stand. But we must allow them to | fight their own battles, having enough to do with our own. How do yon find Flora ? Not the rebel her aunt paints her. 1 ' She bias been most exemplary so far, and her disposition is very lovable.' ' So we think/ said Lady Garthland, with a sigh. ' Oome up to Garth next July, and then you oan see for yourself. If Sir Malcolm and Tare not at home,. Sybil will be delighted to do. the honours.' I had not heard a story so interesting to me for a long time, and I, pondered muoh and often on what was likely to be the out* oome of it all. -.;';•• * . • ■ • •■ * I had Flora Maogregor at Fleetwood the whole yea* It Easter she and I had a little trip together to the Channel Islands, whioh were hallowed to the ohiid as the birthplaoe of her mother. Oaring that brief holiday I had tho fullest opportunity of studying her oharaoter, and 1 gr-vs? to love her very dearly. She had a fine, sensitive, highly strung nature, generous to a fault ; her temper was quick and passionate, but not sullen or resentful ; for hasty word or action she was Quiok to apologise and anxious to atone. With careful guidance' and loving sympathy she would develop into a splendid woman, but I trembled to think what might be the consequences weto she left to the tender meroies of her Aunt Caroline. I dreaded her .return to Drum, though there was a visible brightening of her whole appearance as breaking -up day approaohed. She tra* ; veiled as she had come, with the Garthlands, and I was to follow later on, when I had paid my usual' midsummer visit to Judith Sale; I arrived at Garth on the ninth of , August, ia the full tide of preparation for i the twelfth. I arrived at Garth on the ninth of August, in the full tide of preparation for i the twelfth. Sir Malcolm and Lady Garth* land had arrived, aud the house was full . I i was exceedingly anxious, of course, to see Flora; they told me Drum was within , driving distance of Garth, and that we , shoultf go one day ; but there never seemed i time to make the eioursioa. Shall I forget those golden days among the heather, .. a revelation of & A life of whioh I had never !" dreamed P It was a happy home, full of [ j mirth and jidlMy from mom till night, yet

not wholly five* np, like some, to selfish enjoyment. wm stW *ime sympathy, •one praotioal and "Madly thought -tor tba raftering and the needy, and matay heaxta blessed the name of Garthland One. wet day there oame driving' up to Garth, about lunoh-time, a smart dog-cart, in whioh tat two. figures encased in waterproofs, with high-peaked hoods drawn over their head* gear, and the rain dripping of! them every* where, A few venturesome spirit*, were on the moors, but the house was more than usually lively, and the arrival of the newcomers was hailed with delight. It was Maogregor of Drum and hit daughter Flora, looking rosy a»d lovely after a sixteen mile drive through the hills ia blinding rate. She ran to me before any of the others, •tinging to me w&h an alfeiHon not Stimulated or atfeato4, Wt ««»_! <ua very vmaeaamm tome. li»wMr.HaogregorregardingI i»w Mr. Haogregor regarding her with evident surprise on his dark, handsome face. Be was a great giant of a man, well and powerfully Built, and tbe kilt he wore seemed to make him look even taller and more striking. He appeared to me at first sight a rather awe-inspiring figure, but there was a softness in his eye, a mobile curve about the mouth which indicated the gentler aide of the rugged northern character. ' She would give me no peace till I brought her. Miss Grainger,' he said, as he gave me a great grasp of the hand. ' How do you do, ma'am ? I am delighted to make your acquaintance, and our errand to-day is to to see when wo can bid yon welcome to Drum.' : 4 We have been talking of it every day,' I replied* ( I pan come, I supposs, whenever it is convenient for. you.* ■ ' Wejfe jahppose we stay till . it fairs, if ILadjuGarthJand has no objection, and you oan get your gear together and go back with us : would that do ?' ' I thought only of coming to spend the day.* * Oh, nonsense ; we don'fhave folk spending the day at Drum. We must have a week of you at least, though I question if even that will satisfy the balm/ So the matter was settled, and after tea that very day we departed, I being very reluctantly spared from Garth* The rain had cleared, and a royal sunset blazed all down the sky as we drove into the Drummairn valley, at the head of which stood the mansion-house of Drum. I had thought the rounded hearther-olad hills, and the thiok biroh woods surrounding Garth, scenery beyond compare, but now I was. introduced to something' grander and more awe-inspiring. Indeed, it so moved me that I could not speak. The valley was long and narrow, and watered by a wide brawling stream, from, whose banks the mountains rose sheer up bare at their crests, but glowing purple where the heather grew. The solemn peaks seemed to touoh the sky, washed olean by the rain, and now shining upon us radiantly. As we neared the head of the glen it widened considerably, and beoame densely wooded— the beginning, I ?as told, of the famous deer forest of Drum, he house itself, not unlike a royal residence, oame upon us quite suddenly through a gap in the trees. Aa was natural, 1 thought muoh of Miss Caroline Maogregor as we drove, anticipating my meeting with her with the liveliest ouriosity, not unmixed with a certain amount of trepidation. I had no fault, however, to find with her gceetln^... Her manners were those of a gentlewoman of the old school, stiff, polished, but sorupn* loualy courteous. She was one of the handsomest women I have ever seen; higher flashing eye was cold and critical in its glance,: and her very smile seemed to have a ohilling effect. That first evening I taw that there was only between aunt and nleoe a Und ol armed neutrality. Flora was summarily dismissed to bed at nine o'oloolc, and I saw that she went in ft very rebellious mood. When we were left alone, was Maogregor turned to me with her fatot, chilling smile, which always struck me as being more disagreeable than a frown. 1 You see how perverse the child is, how very rude to me, Miss Grainger/ she said, pointedly. 'I regret very much that her year at Fleetwood has wrought but little improvement.' '* 'I oan only say that I found her docile, obedient, moat exemplary in erery way, and she was a universal favonrlfce.' 'That is very extraordinary/ she replied, coolly. . r ßut, there are people,' I believe, who keep their. best manners ror strangers.' I have never felt auoh an antipathy towards any human being as I did at that moment towards Miss Caroline Maogregor. • I am willing to make every allowance for her/ she began, after a moment, but the metaUlo tones of .her voioe belied her more gracious word*. 'The taint was in the blood to begin with, and it is impossible to quite overcome that/ « What taint-?' I asked* flatly, ' Did_yon sot know, that her mother was partly French P' '.Yes, and I have heard that she was a verysweet and ohanning woman/ « Ir'ho was your authority P* • Lady Garthland.' « Oh, Graoe Garthland I — a sweet smile and a gracious word are enough for her. She has no discrimination ot oharaoter.' . • • * • * ' Things are not well in Drum, Miss . Grainger/ said Maogregor in his honest, blunt way. * I hear from Lady Garthland and other folk that your ' judgment is very sound— and I like your face. What am I to do between the lassie and ber aunt?' ' Oan'tr you say something, Miss Grainger P Do you not see there is pot likely to be peaoe in Drum between the two P' I I see that quite plainly . Before I say what I think, Mr. Maogregor, will you tell me quite frankly : oan your sister afford to Uve away from Drum ? Has she any means? ' Yes, Indeed she oan. Her tocher was fifteen thousand pounds, and she has never taken a husband to spend it for her. Ifs twenty by now or more, and she has some houses as well.' 'Then there is only one course open to you, aud yon must take it. Tell her that as there is no prospect of them getting, on together, Flora must now take her place as mistress of Drum.' 'That's the matter, in a nutshell. God bless you, Miss Grainger. I'll do it.' . At dinner that evening there was some talk of our driving to the moors to join the gentlemen's lunoh—a harmless little diveron, of which the ladies availed themselves every day at Garth. •You have • need to "stop at homo. Flora, and learn to mend your manners) you are too young to be lunohing with the gentlemen; yon are pert enough, in all conscience, without that/ said tiia aunt. . I do not know- what oame over the woman to speak out so boldly before Macgregor about his own bairn . Flora burst into r tears. I saw that Maogregor' s face was very dark as he rose, from the table. * Stay here a minute, Caroline/ he said. ' I have something to say to you. Aud you. Miss Grainger. I wish you to hear what I have to say. I see, Caroline, that Flora and you will never get ou, and that there never will be any peaoe in this house. Flora is seventeen, and ought to be able to see to things. It will be better for. you to go either to Portmaree or Fort Augustus to live, and that speedily. I'm; sick of this, and it cannot be the bairn's fault always.': - 'Ye are doited, Maogregor. How sould a bairn like Flora see after Drum ?' ' You must take me at my word. 1 mean it.» . >.'... .. ' „ - .. I saw Miss Caroline's anger gradually rising, and when she spoke it was to oast * slight on Flora's mother, which was more than Maogregor could stand. So the storm rose and raged. ' Next day, in highdudgeon, Miss Maogregor departed with aU her gear to her own .boas* 'of Portmaree, whioh I was happy to hear was Ave aad thirty miles distant from Dram. And from that day to this she has never oroseed the threshold of her brother's 4eet.t*»