LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2515, 1 May 1882, Page 4

LITERATURE.

THE LAST ELM OF THE ADEYUE, {Concluded). • The town doesn’t seem to appreciate it,’ said M’ Leish ; ‘ it has been let go to the bad, these trees want thinning, and some young ones planting in those gaps ■-* • ihe Mayor and Corporation are awakening to a sense of their duties, I see,’ I aai'i presently, * they are actually breaking r,p the ground and getting fresh earth in < I suppose it’s twenty years since It was last done and it will be twenty more before it’a done again.’ M’Lelsh did not answer ; ho seized my arm suddenly and pointed with outstretched finger to the last elm of the avenue. • There ! ’ he gasped, ‘he is there again.’ I saw nothing but two wheelbarrow?, a plnak, and two spades sticking upright in the newly-broken earth. ‘ Hold up ! ’ I said ; ‘ don’t faint here, for heaven's sake 1 ' and I shook him roughly Ho looked at ms vacantly, and I hurried kim on. Presently he passed his hand across his eyes and drew a deep breath. ‘My grave—or his ?’ he muttered. He said no more till we reached the barracks. when he turned to mo quite calmly and collectedly. ‘ Laugh ss you wi ! l—it can do no harm ; I have seen him again ; the third time will i e the last.’

And he closed his door gently upon me. I hadn’t a chance of making many friends amongst the Cinqhaven residents, sociable aed agreeable as they were, and was pleasantly surprised to meet some Welsh friends, established in one of the Parade houses for the season. They were a gay, hoapltable set, with half a dozen pretty daughters, and as many sons, all holiday making as hard as they could. bomothing was always going on at the Pryse-Davleses, and I and many of my friends were made cordially welcome at anytime. I conveyed numerous Invitations to M’Lelsh —all politely but firmly do dined. A pie nic to Eastcliff Bay—a boatingparty up the river to Lonas ’Castle — an afternoon dance; finally a seat on the drag to Northwold races. On our return from our walk up tho Avenue, I found yet another of Miss Winnie Pryse Davies’s pretty little notes lying on my table, and a second addressed to Captain A. M’Leish. * A dance, after the races! Bless the girls, what constitutions they have ! Is It worth while bothering M’Leieh to go, I wo ider? What can make them so c azy to cultivate his acquaintance?’ I gave no encouragement to Mias Winnie's hopes of his acceptanca when I met her on the Parade that evening. ‘Such a shame !’ she said ; ‘we want you all to come in uniform; It will make the room look so much better; yours is lovely, I mow—bat a Highland dre s !’ ‘ Well, there are soma 93rd men here ; shall I bring them ?’ ‘Oh, as many as you can, by all means, but I had set my heart on your Highland chief.’ Here three more Miss Pryse-Davieses hurried up excitedly and delightedly. ‘He’s coming, Winnie! Here’s his note 1 ’ I could hardly believe my eyes. ‘Why not? said M’L ish to me that night; ‘ I’ve been very ungracious to your kind friends; let me off the races, and I’il be as civil as you please all the evening ; next Friday, la it ? Well, I hope they won’t make a late affair of it; I'm going to shoot la the match on Saturday.’ So it befel that on Friday evening a resplendent figure presented itself in my r.om, Crolohsirn in full war paint. « Why, yon are as bejewelled as an old dowager going to coart, ’ said I, gazing on him with respectful admiration ; ‘ you’d be worth something if yon were melted down!’ M’Leish laughed merrily. He was in high spirit, as excited as any soho: 1-girl at the prospect of a dance; asked me no end of questions about the Miss Pryse-Davieses, and made me solemnly promise him introductions to all of them. ‘By-the-way, I ought to have some money with me,’ I said, as we passed through the barrack gate ; I we may want a cab home.’ * Nonsense ; it’s a splendid night ; besides I’ve plenty.’ And he drew out hia purse as he stood under the lamp. ‘No, it’s all gold ; what a nuisance 1’ I noticed a pair of hungry eyes gleaming out of the darkness as be poured the money back, and saw a ragamuffin figure move slowly off. * Lucky there are two of us,’ I thought. It was a brilliant dance. The rooms were prettily and gaily decorated, the local confectioner had surpassed himself In the supper, and the Pryse-Davies girls looked as fresh and bright as it they had not passed a whole day under a broiling sun on the racecourse. ‘ls this wise ?’ I asked Miss Winnie, as wo stood in the open French window of the dining-room, and looked on to tho parad e. * What! the open air ? Oh, it never does me any harm; and the moon is rising so exquisitely.’ * I don’t mean that exactly, but is it safe to leave these windows open ? Look at the mob out there. The races have brought ali the vagabondage of the country together,’ There was a small enclosure in front of the house, and over the dwarf wall a crowd of shabby-loobing people were gazing in at the brilliantly lighted room. ‘ I'll send two of the men round to order them off,’ she said. The last that departed looked round at me with the curious eager eyes I had seen before. Meanwhile the fun was becoming rather fast and furious. They were getting up reels. One of the Highland officers bad brought his bagpipes, on which the miscreant was a distinguished amateur performer. M’Leish was one of the noisiest and gayest there. I could hardly recognise the proud, reserved boy I knew. The PryseDavleses were bewitched with him and he with them. ‘ What has come to you, M’Leish ?’ I asked, when I came upon him, sitting in a dark corner alone, his face buried ia his hands. He looked np with a queer, wild smile. ‘ I’m not mad, Jones, or melancholy. I’m fey ; that’s what it is. ’ ‘ Gome home now, there’s a good fellow ; It’s past two, and yon wanted to be early.’ ‘Not a bit of it! I’ve avalse with Miss Winnie, and half a dozen other dances to dispose of.’ The other men departed by degrees, but M’Leish stayed on to the last, and I with him. I might have left him, but some instinct detained me. At last we took leave. Our shortest way homo was through the Lady’s Avenue and I took it without reflection. Half way through the grove M’Leish stopped. He had forgotten some nonsensical commission of one of the girls. * I’ll overtake you,’ he said ; * I must go back.’ I was too provoked with him to argue, but walked on, then sat down In the gloom on an os-erturned wheelbarrow and waited. Home one passed me a few minutes later. Ho was in the fall light of the moon, and I recognised tho same shabby figure I had seen twice before—a young, broad-shouldered rough. He seamed to disappear suddenly behind one of the trees as a footstep approached, and M’Leish’s voice was heard singing a valae tune. I caught a glimpse of hia Glengarry and plaid as ha crossed a streak of moonlight and tho next moment heard a sudden exclamation. Then came a scuffle—blows—and before I could reach them a heavy fall— a groan. M’Leish was on bis knees straggling to rise, held down by the grasn of a fallen man. Ha shook him off as I got up, and staggered to a tree, against which he leant panting and breathless. *He tried to garotte me, and when I managed to twist out of his hands, dealt me a heavy blow on the head. I only struck him once, in self defence. Ia he damaged ?’ I turned the fallen man over on his back. He lay still. I dragged him to the moonlight. ‘ M’Leish I He’s dead,' But M'Ltiah had dropped on hia knees beside him, and wag gezing into the dead face with a face as ghastly.

‘Fergus! Fergu 4 M'Lolsh ! Hava we met P At last I* He rose, perfectly panic-stricken. It was his cousin, ha w Aa assured, and, indeed, the likeness would have convinced me of the fact, without che additional evidence of the marked eye’dd. M’Leish was distraught with terror,. It was murder he had done; he should die a felon’s death. Nothing 1 could ssy would reassure him. * Leay« him here. Who’s to know anything rjhout him ?’ i said at last ; ‘ society is well rid of him. What on earth are you golr ,g 1o do now ?’ J 1« had seised one of the pickaxes left by th.e laborers, and was digging in fierce haste ujadar the last elm tree. ' His grave was to be here,’ he said ; I he came to show me the spot.’ I suppose it was a mad thing to do, but seeing him resolved, I turned to with the spade and helped him. The earth being very newly laid, was light and easily moved, and we soon made a trench deep enough for a grave. Then we laid the body gently down, and shovelled the earth in with feverish haste. The broad staring moon showed every pebble on the pathway, every stray leaf on the earth. We removed all tram s of the struggle, replaced the tools, and hurried home in utter silence. M’Leish held out his hand without speaking as he stopped at his own door. I took It without hesitation lam glad to remember that. He fixed his wild woeful eyes on me for a moment, and then hnrried away. I was too excited and horror-stricken to think, and I lay down, dreading the hours that had to pass before morning. Strange to say, I slept quietly and dreamlessly far into the □ext day, and when I awoke I could not realise the tragedy in whioh I had taken part. ‘l’ve dreamed it all,’ I kept saying to myself ; ‘ and a dream is soon forgotten. I’ll go and have a swim, and then s?e If the Pryso-Pavies girls are out on the parade. It must be all a nightmare.’ Still, persuade myself as I might, there were two things I could not do : pass down tho avenue, or face M’Leish. Where was he. lashed his servant. Gone to the ranges. I would go and meet the party returning. It would be beat to get the first meeting over in public. I walked quietly along the pretty country lane, listening for the well-known crack of the rifles. All was silent. Then, at a turn of the road, I came suddenly upon a dozen figures or so walking slowly and silently. Four of them bore a hurdle, on which lay something with an officer’s cloak thrown over it, ‘What is it?’ I asked; though I knew beforehand what the very words of the reply were going to be, somehow. ‘Poor M’Leish 1 He was in tho butts, and onme out to look at the target ; they had ceased firing at it. We were shooting at lone range, and someone—ldontknow who—fired at the wrong target. Shot through tho heart—he dropped without a cry—stone dead.’ I left Oinqhaven that night, and will never set foot there again as long as I live