Part 30 (2/2)

”Chiefly Billie-” put in Nancy.

”Yes, Billie, especially, I should have been this morning the most wretched about-to-be-bride that ever-”

She broke off suddenly and screened her face with the newspaper.

”Father and Ebenezer pa.s.sed by the door just then,” she whispered. ”Oh, what shall I do? I'm so afraid of bringing trouble on you, Miss Campbell. Perhaps I'd better give up. There's no use trying-” the poor girl began to sob miserably.

Now, there was a decidedly martial strain in the Campbell family which had produced soldiers and fighting men in war and politics for three generations in America and a dozen in Scotland, and two members of that ill.u.s.trious race at that moment began to hear the pibroch of the clan summoning them to battle. Two of the Campbell children exchanged glances of stern Campbell determination. Two descendants of Sir Roderick Campbell, ill.u.s.trious scion of a fighting race, bore suddenly a strong resemblance to his unflinching countenance as depicted in an old portrait in Miss Campbell's dining room.

Miss Campbell rose from the table. There was a dangerous light in her usually gentle eyes and she held her head well up.

”Boom, boom!” sounded the call to battle in her ears. The bagpipes of her ancestors were playing a wild strain. Down through the ages and across thousands of miles of land and water she could hear that martial air:

”The Campbells are coming, O-ho! O-ho!

The Campbells are coming, O-ho! O-ho!”

Then up rose the younger Campbell all booted and kilted for the fray.

”Evelyn,” said the elder Campbell quietly, ”are you a girl of any spirit and courage at all?”

”I hope so,” exclaimed the poor girl, shrinking into her chair miserably.

But we must not blame her for her lack of courage. Remember, that she had been brought up by a man who was granite straight through to the heart.

”Well, now is the time to show it then, my child. We shall fight for you, the girls and I, and we will stand by you, but you must make some effort yourself. You cannot be made to marry if you don't want to, and there is no law that I know of that would require you to return against your will to your father. You are not a child.”

Fortunately that morning the dining room was quite empty, and only a poor waitress saw the two armies lined up for battle. The opposing forces now entered. John James Stone and his relative, Ebenezer, marched quietly into the field, looking very formidable, it must be owned, with their white, expressionless faces and black clothes. General Helen Eustace Campbell and Captain Billie lead the other army, which marched gallantly out to meet them. The battle was a brief one.

”Evelyn, disobedient and wicked girl, how dare you mortify me as you have done?” began John James in a voice of thunder.

Evelyn shook with fear.

”And how dare you,” exclaimed the intrepid Helen, ”interrupt me and my guests at breakfast? This young woman, twenty years of age, has placed herself in my care. She declines to marry your relative and there is no law in this country by which you can force her to do so. She also declines your support and protection and there is no law which will force her to accept it if she does not wish. She is not a child.”

”Madam, do you know who I am that you dare to interfere with me and my affairs?” cried the infuriated Mormon.

”I do,” exclaimed Miss Campbell in a high, clear voice, folding her arms. ”I know that you are a scoundrel and that you are willing to cheat and lie in order to obtain your ends. I am not afraid of you and I do not consider you of the least importance. Your daughter is at this moment my guest, and I refuse to have her annoyed.”

The tall man and the little woman faced each other while the poor, craven bridegroom that was to have been, shrank back in amazement.

Then the most remarkable transformation took place on the face of Goliath, John James. He dropped his stone mask with a suddenness so abrupt that they almost imagined they heard it break as it fell to the floor. His brow cleared and he flashed a smile that had a faint glimmering of Evelyn's in the curve of the lips.

”Madam,” he said, holding out his hand, ”let us be friends. I admit that I am beaten and that I may say that I am not ashamed to be conquered by a woman of such spirit and courage. I only wish my daughter had as much.”

Miss Helen put her small hand into his. She was too amazed for the moment to realize what she was doing.

”Come, Ebenezer.”

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