Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-10-23


the table.
If Pm i'll, deserve to be, and that's
the fact lass. Let be-let be, woman
I'm obliged to ye-some other tine-some
other time"
"Then if you Wilma, / WILL" she said,
and she got hold OF the bottle and opened
it, and poured out Il glass of the foaming
fluid.
And dinna l ken better what's good
for We than We do yersep 20 said she, bold
ly. 'Ay, if we were ruled by me, and
drank nothing but what we get In this
house, there would be little need for We to
be frightened at what wean might
drink. Ye dinna ken your best friends, my
lad"
a. know We wish me weel, Katie, lass"
said he, for he did not wish to appear I'M
grateful, but Pm better without it.
YES" said she, tauntingly. "1e ere
better without sitting up a night wi
lot o. FOSTERING fellows. smoking bad to-
bacco and drinking bad whskey. What
maks your face sac white It's fusel-oil,
if we maun ken. Here, Ronald; what
Gamma hurt woman Gamma hurt man
O your build. Try it, and see If ye dinna
feel better"
She put good dash of bitters into the
glass, and poured out the champagne, and
offered it to him. He did not wish to
offend her, and he himself did not believe
the thing could hurt him. He took the
then set it down.
Kate Menzies looked at him, and laughed
aloud, and took him by the shoulders,
and pushed him back into his chair
There's Il man for ye Whatna young
ladies' seminary have ye been brought up
at?"
"Tll tell We, lass" he retorted. at
was one where they taught folk no to
force other folk to drink against their
will"
Then it was different frae the one
where was brought up, for there, when
the doctor ordered anybody to take medi.
cine, they were made to take it, And
here S yours" she said, and she stood be-
fore him with the glass in her hand. She
was goodnatured it would have been
ungrncious to refuse he took the glass
from her and drank off the contents.
Now glass of champagne, even with
the addition of little Angostura bitters,
can not be called n very powerful potion
to those accustomed to such things; but
the fact was that he had not touched a
drop of any alcoholic fluid for two days.
and this seemed to 60 straight to the
brain. 1T produced a slight. rather agree
able, giddiness n sense of comfort was
ditfused throughout the system; he was
not so ANXIOUS to get away. And Kate
began talking-upbraiding him for think
ing that she wanted TO see him otherwise
| than well and in his usual health, and de-
]
/ there would he no need for him to torture
himself with total abstinence. and to
| reduce himself to this abiect state. The
/ counsel (Which was meant in all honesty,
/ fell on yielding ears Kate brought some
biscuits, and filled herself out an other
! glass.
That's what it is" she said, boldly 'if
you would be ruled by my advice, there
would be no shaking hands and white
cheeks for ye. Feeling better, are We p
ay, warrant ye Here. man, try this. y
She filled his glass again, adding a good
dose of bitterS.
This one will but not drop more, u
said ne. "Ie're desperate creature
lass, for making folk comfortable
81 ken what's the matter wi you better
than we ken yourself. Ronald 81 id she
/ looking at him shrewdlv. "Iou're disap-
pointed, you re out Q heart, because thae
/ fine American friends o yours hae forgot
ten YOU and you've got sick o. this new
work O yours, and you've got among q
lot o. wild fellows that are leading ye tC
the devil. Mark my words. Americans
Better let a man trust to his ain kith ant
kin"
We'll, Katie, lass, maun say this, tina
we've Just been over kind to me since
ever ! came to Glasgow"
"Another glass, Ronald
Not one drop. thank ye," and this time
he rose with the definite resolve to ge
-
caused a swimming in his head, and HI
knew not how much more he might drink
if he staid
Better 90 for a long walk, then sale
Kate, land come back at three and hay,
! dinner with us. I'll soon put We on YOU
legs again-truSt to me-
But when he went out into the open ali
he found himself so giddy and half-dazet
and bewildered that, instead of goin!
away for any long walk, he thought h,
would 20 back home and lie down. HI
felt less happy now. Why had he takei
this accused thing after all his resolves
And then it was. as he went up Renfiel,
Street, that he caught his first glimpse o
Meenie. No wonder he turned and slunl
rapidly away, anxious to hide anywhere
hoping that Meenie had not seen him
Aud what Il strange thing was this
Meenie in Glasgow town. Oh, if he cOulc
only be for single day as once he hat
been-as she had known him in the happy
times when life went by like IA laugh an,
a song-how wonderful it would be to %
along these thoroughfares, hopin.. ever.
moment to catch sight of her face 4
dull town no, radiant town, will
music in the air, and JOY and hope shinin!
} down from the skies. But now-he wa,
a covering fugitive, sick in body and sicl
in mind, trembling with the eXcitemen
of this sudden meeting, and anxious
above all things, that he should get bacl
to the secluson of his lodging unseen.
; Well, he managed that, at all events
and there he sat down, wondering owe
this thing that had just happened. Meeni
in Glasgow town and why? And VIII.
had she sent him the white heather? Nay
he could not doubt that she had heard
and that this WAS at once message o
reproach and an appeal and what an
swer had he TO give, surprising that SOM
day or other he should meet her face t.
face' How could he win back to hi
!, former state, so that he should not b.
ashamed to meet those clear, kind eyes |
there were but some penance, now-no mat
y ter what suffering it entailed-that woul,
Obliterate these last months and restor
him to himself, how gladly would he wei
come hat But 1t was not only the bodil
. sickness; he believed he could mend that
He had still a fine physique, and surel
, absolute abstention from stimulants, n
matter with what accompanying depres
J sion, would in time give him ba hi
health. 1t was mental sickness and hope
lessnesS and remOrsc that had to be cured
, and how was that to be attempted? O
. xub SbonlI Ia What r. n n