The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Heather-Moon, by
C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson

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Title: The Heather-Moon

Author: C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson

Release Date: November 9, 2006 [EBook #19742]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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The Heather-Moon

By C. N. & A. M. WILLIAMSON

Authors of "The Guests of Hercules," "The Princess Virginia." "The Motor
Maid." etc.

A. L. BURT COMPANY Publishers New York
_Copyright, 1912, by_ C. N. & A. M. Williamson

_All rights reserved, including that of translation into Foreign
Languages, including the Scandinavian._

BOOK I

THE PRELUDE: AND THE PEOPLE

I

For the first time in her life, Barrie saw the door that led to the
garret stairs standing ajar. It was always, always locked, as is
correct, though irritating, for a door that leads to Fairyland.

In Barrie's Outer Life that her grandmother knew, and Miss Hepburn knew,
and Mrs. Muir the housekeeper knew, there was--Heaven be praised!--no
romance at all; for romance is an evil thing, still worse, a frivolous
thing, which may be avoided for a well-brought-up girl though
whopping-cough may not; and already this same evil had wrought vast
damage among the MacDonalds of Dhrum. In the Inner Life of Barrie,
however, there was nothing worth thinking about except romance; and the
door of the garret stairs was one of the principal roads to the
forbidden land.

She stopped in front of it. At first she could not believe her eyes. Her
heart had given a glorious bound, which, only to have felt once in its
full ecstasy, was worth the bother of being born into a family where
there were no mothers or fathers, but only--ah, what an awesome
only!--grim old Grandma MacDonald and Grandma MacDonald's grim old house
where Carlisle ends and moorlands begin.

It is difficult to be sure of things when your heart is beating nineteen
to the dozen, and the special thing, or mirage of a thing,
seems--judg