The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-10-25
"Thank you Mister Baxter !"

| the gentleman nau aScendch tne STAIRCASE
and entered the dwelling at the top. Their
he was saluted by an eldrltch cry
"Ye haze come at last, ye dceyl1s buckle
What's kept ye? Wait or getup and III
learn ye manners. DID | not say that y
was to be here at iva o'clock and moo it'
four?'
This came from an Old woman who was
seated in an old-fa,hioned armchair. Sh,
wore a high white "mutch," which rendered
her shriyelled features and shrunken eye,
the more marked; and the passion on the
face at this moment made it appear more
| haggard than II naturally was.
The lumpish dandy was not nj all disturb
Ell. HIS mother, Bell Cargll, had been
paralyzel in her lower limbs for ten years
past and although she was always expect
| ing to recover and making her arrangements
for that event, 1t had not yet come to pass,
She was constantly telling her neghbors
what she would do when she got up" and
they kindly humored her hope, and the hope
sustained her. She had been one Of the
brskest and strongest OF the fish-wives, and
| by singular business tact had been sue
cesSfu TO a degree most beyond precedent.
Although living in this poor dwelling, sur
rounded by her creels and fshing-tackle-it
was her humor 10 have all the relics OF her
trade about her-she possessed consider
able fortune, the result OF her own energy
and industry. Bawbees had grown TO shil-
! lings in her bands, and shilings to pounds.
Then, whilst she still carried her creel, she
had started small fshshOp in the High
Street, Edinburgh, and out OF that had
grown two large fishmongery establish
ments, one at the West End, and the other
In the main thoroughfare leading to New
ingtOn. She had been careful in the selec-
ton OF her managers, and she had prosper
ed.
She had once said-but she never repeat
ed it-that the only mistake she ever made
was in getting married; and the only good
her man had ever done her was In "deeing
sumo" But he had left her with son as
useless as himself.
Notwithstanding all her prosperity, she
chung to the abode in which she had been
brought up, and out Of which she had reap
ed everything. Her son, however, had diff
ferent ideas
"You see, mother, | was detained by"
Can ye not speak your native tongue,
you idiot? What's the use o. putin on
your fine airs wi me% cried Bell rately,
81 really thought that was speaking my
native tongue as far as / knew it, mother;
but II there Is any other form which will
please you better Snail be happy to adopt
it," he answered, taking chair and seating
himself on 1t carefully as if he feared that
1t might break under him.
The old woman eyed him all over, and
thu twinkling Of her eyes showed that she
bad secret pleasure in his grand appear
ance, although she maintained her queru-
lOuS manner.
"WeeI, you hae guild Scotch tongue in
your head If you would only max, use O. it;
but you'll do naething usefu'. You Just
spend, and spend, and spend"
"If you would allow me, he said in lazy
way, II am quite willing to take the man
agement of the business--"
Catch me lettin' ye do that | gied we
tether o. three months, and il had glen ye
three mair there wouldna haze been ae Pen
ny to clink agin 'anither left us"
every we'll" he said, Struggling his heavy
shoulders, II am content. Only don't blame
me-"
INA blame you, ye lazy loonl Oh, wait
till get up; and it'll ma be lang moo or that.
Ma blame you! If ye had been half man
ye would haze been the greatest lshmerchant
IN the kintry by this time"
"But don't want to be fshnonger,"
he said rs before, and folding his hands on
his paunch.
"Fsh-merchant, / said, and mar shame
to ye! Is it ma the grandest trade and the
bravcst trade in the world? Can ye ma think
o what it moans-men's lives glen to feed
the Twin? And can ye ma think what it has
been TO you? Whaur would your bonnie
claes come frae and your rings, and your
watches, and your breast-pins If it hadna
been for the fish,"
81 am quite ready to make my acknowl-
edgcment to each particular fish If youll
only tell me their Names" he answered
coolly, as he re-adjusted q horseshoe pearl
breast-pn.
She was exasperated by his GOODNESS and
made a movement as II she would rise, but
fell back on her chair with the old cry
wait till get up and I'll set ye bonnie
dance, my Draw lad-you that Gamma come
to see me ance In q month, cause ye're
shamed to he seen amang the folks that ken
whaur your Draw buds cam frae. But bide
ye. Pm gaun to haze the lawyer here and
I'll settle ye. And I'm gaun to hae Bob
Ross as a witness"
Bob Rossp muttered Cargill for the
first time reused from his lethargy; "he's
eternally turning up where he isn't wanted"
"Ay, it's like you to misca' folk that are
better than yourself lie looks after them
that belangs TO him whites ye gang afI to
your grand chambers in Ednbro' and Lon
don, and are feart folks should ken you got
your siller faire the pulr aud fish-wife that
We leave here"
His letharglc nature was not capable of
burning into fame; but the spark which
she had thrown into 1t by the mention OF
Bob Ross had stirred the embers into
glow, and this last shaft ELECTED spark.
"You know quite well, mother, | have
pressed YOU often enough to leave this
place" .
Leave this place." she cried angrily,
"where everything was won--na likely"
Very well. don't try to force you, and
don't think 1t Is fair thatyou should grum-
bic at me because you are here"
ITS because of you that am here. But
wait till get up and I'll settle ye."
well, we'll let that be. want to talk
to you about this arrangement with the