Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-09-11
CHAPTER NXNIII.
A SOCIAL EVENING.


Looking forward to this further festivi-
ty he worked hard at his studies all day
and it was not until nearly nine O'Clock in
the evening that he went away down
through the roaring streets to keep his
engagement with Kate Menzes. And
very snug and comfortable indeed did the
little parlor look, with its clear glass
globes and warmly cushioned seats and
brilliant mirror and polished wood. Kate
herself who was quite resplendent in
purple velvet and silver necklace and
bangles was reading sporting news pa
per; old Mother Paterson was sewing;
there were cigar boxes on the table.
And what dye mean" cried the hand
some widow, gayly. when he made his APP
pearance, "by coming at this hour? Did
not tell we we would expect ye to sup
per ~
Would ye have me eat you ont o.
house and home, woman - he said. " Be-
sides, had some work to get through"
Well, sit down and make yerself hap
py better late than never; there's the
cigars"
81 would as lief smoke pipe, Katie.
if ye don't object, only that I'm ashamed
to smoke in fine place like this"
"What is't for, man DO ye think |
got it up for an eXhibition-to he put in
glass case? And what'll We drink now,
Ronald-some Meet and Chandon ?"
Indeed no." said he. :" If | may light
my pipe ] want nothing else.
But l Gamma bear an empty table
said she. Here, auntie, get your tlounces
and falderals out O. the road-blesS US,
woman, we make the place look like a
milliner's shop And bring out the punch
bowl frae the chiffoneer-l want We to
see it, Ronald for it was glen to my guide
man by an old friend o. his in Ayr, that
got it from the last of the lairds o. Garth
lie. And if one or twa O.
them happen to come in to-
night we'll Try brew, for there's nae
thing so wholesome, after a, as the wine
o the country, and can gle We some o.
the real stuff. VIII We no try a drop the
moo -
NO, thank ye, no thank ye," said he,
for he had lit his pipe, and was well con-
tent.
"Well. well, we'll have one O the lasses
in, to set the tumbers and the glasses,
for ! Gamma thOle to see n bare table and
in the mean time Ronald You and me
can haze Il crack by oursel's and ye can tell
me what ye mean to do when ye get your
certificate
" If get 1t, ye mean lass"
No fears" she said. confidently: aye
We're aye one o the clever ones; I'll war
rant We there's ma skim-milk in your head
where the brains should be- But ! want
to ken what ye're ettling at after you've
got the certificate and what's your plans,
and the like for I've been thinking about
needed-the loan of a bit something in
the way of nest egg, We see-weel, | ken
place where We might get that, and We
wouldna have to whistle long at the yeti,
either"
Now there was no MISLEADING the gener-
oslty of this offer, however darkly it
might be yelled by Kate Menzies' figura-
tive manner of speech: and it was with
none the less gratitude that he answered
her and explained that a head forester
traded with the capital of his employer,
though, to be sure, he might on entering
new situation have to find sureties for
him.
as It caution-money ye mean, Ron
aldi" she said, frankly.
"Well, if a man had no one to speak for
him, no one whose word they would take"
he said to her Though all this was guess
work on his part, they might ask him
for security. There would be no payment
of money, of course, unless he robbed his
employer; and then the sureties would
have to make this good as far as they had
undertaken. But it's n long way Off yet,
Kate, and hardly worth speaking about,
| dare say Lord Ailne would say word
for me"
"And is that a ?" she said with laugh.
Is that n the moneys wanted fOr-to
guaranteed the honesty o. one o. the
Strnngs o Whittermans' Weel, I'm no
rich woman, Ronald-for my moneys
maistly sunk in the tavern and doing
wecl enough there toO--but if it's a
sureta We want, for three hunder pounds,
ay, or five hunder pounds, Just you come
TO Inc, and the dcil's int if we Gamma
manage il somehow
~ thank We for the offer anyway; I'm
sure you mean it, said he.
THAT lawyer O mine" she continued,
lis dour chel he'll no let me do this;
and he's grumbling at that; and poor
widow-woman is supposed to haze nae soul
o. her ain. I'm sure the fuss that he
makes about that cob-and only fifty five
guineas-and come O. the best Clydesdale
stock"
But it was no the expense, it was no
the expense, Katie dear, whined the old
woman 1t was the risk to your life frae
sac high-mettled beast. Just think OFT,
ut your time o. life, wi a grand business,
and yourself the manager o. 1t, and wi sac
mony friends, think what it would be if
We broke your neck"
Broke your grandmother's fiddle
strings ~ said she. 1.-The beasts as quiet
as a lamb. But that auld man, Peter
Gum. suppose he's good lawyer-in-
deed, every one says that-but he's as
pernickty as an auld woman; and he'd
max ye think the world was made o. silk
paper, an ye daurna stir step for fear o.
fain through. But you just give me the