The Story of Kilmeny

And those few have never seen her close by. I have never laid eyes on her myself. It’s no wonder she ran away, poor girl. She isn’t used to seeing strangers.”

“ I’m rather glad if that was the sole reason of her flight,” said Eric. “ I ad- mit I didn’t like to see any girl so fright- ened of me as she appeared to be. She was as white as paper, and so terrified that she never uttered a word, but fled like a deer to cover.”

“ Well, she couldn’t have spoken a word in any case,” said Mrs. Williamson quietly. “ Kilmeny Gordon is dumb.”

Eric sat in dismayed silence for a mo- ment. That beautiful creature afflicted in such a fashion—why, it was horrible! Mingled with his dismay was a strange pang of personal regret and disappoint- ment.

“ It couldn’t have been Kilmeny Gor- don, then,” he protested at last, remem- bering. “ The girl I saw played on the violin exquisitely. I never heard any-

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