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CHAPTER I

SECOND SIGHT

I had just arrived at Cruden Bay onon the lohich was a continuation of theescarpe over the Water of Cruden Opposite tounder the only little cluaunt old woroup, consisting of a man and tomen, went by I foundmy eyes follow them, for it seemed to ether and theon hisshoulder a little black box--a coffin I shuddered as I thought, buta moment later I saw all three abreast just as they had been The oldwo at me with eyes that blazed She came across theroad and said to me without preface:

"What saw ye then, that yer e'en looked so awed?" I did not like totell her so I did not answer Her great eyes were fixed keenly upon rew quite red,whereupon she said, apparently to herself: "I thocht so! Even I did notsee that which he saw"

"How do you uously: "Wait! Ye shallperhaps know before this hour to-morrow!"

Her answer interested et her to say rand stately aunt form

After dinner whilst I was sitting in front of the hotel, there was agreat co to and fro ofthem I found that a child had been drownedin the little harbour below Just then a woe earlier in the day, ran by ild looks One ofthe bystanders looked after thely as he said:

"Puir souls It's a sad home-comin' for them the nicht"

"Who are they?" I asked The man took off his cap reverently as heanswered:

"The father and mother of the child that was drowned!" As he spoke Ilooked round as though some one had called me

There stood the gaunt woman with a look of triumph on her face

The curved shore of Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire, is backed by a waste ofsandhills in whose hollows seagrass and rass of Parnassus" forether by bent-grass and is eternally shifting asthe wind takes the fine sand and drifts it to and fro All behind isgreen, froe of the bay to theswelling uplands that stretch away and away far in the distance, tillthe blue mist of the mountains at Braehest point of the land that runs doardto the sea looks like a miniature hill known as the Ha; froh with a gentletrend doards