Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-10-16


She hesitated for a second or two long.
err, and then, recalling herself with nm eff
forU, she thanked the minister for all his
kindness, and babe him good.by, and got
into the cab. OF course she kept both
windows down, so that she could com
mand n view of both sides of the thor
oughfares as the man drove her away
along the Cowcaddcns and the New City
Road. But alas how was she ever TO
find Ronald-by accident, rs she had
hoped-in that continuous crowd ? She
had pictured to herself her suddenly
meeting him face to face; and she would
read in his eyes how much he remem-
bered of ver-Mudal and the oldcn days.
But among this multitude, how was such
thing possible? And then it was so
necessary that this meeting should be OBJ
served by no third person.
However, these anxious doubts and
fears were forcibly driven from her head
by her arrival at Queens Crescent, and
the necessity of meeting the emergencies
of the moment. She had but half rec
objection of this secluded little nook, with
its semicircle of plain. neat, well-kept
houses looking so entirely quiet and re-
spectacle; and its pretty little garden,
with its grass plots and its flower pots,
and its trim walks and fountain-all SO
nice and neat and trim, and at this min
ute looking quite cheerful in the Dallid
sunshine. And here, awaiting her at the
just opened door. was her sister Agatha
sonsy, sufficiently good looking young
matron, who had inherited her buXom
proportions from her father, but had got
her Highland eyes, which were like
Meenie's, from her mother. And also
there was a smaller Agatha-a self-im-
portant little maiden of ten-and two
younger children and as the advent of
TINS pretty young aunt from Suther-
landshire was of great interest to them,
there was a bAbble of inquiries and an
swers as they escorted her into the
house.
And such a surprise to hear you were
coming, her sister was saying. I'VE
little expected it-but ye're none the less
welcome-and Walters Just set up quite
about it-and were going to the theatre
tomorrow night, he says. Ay, and ye're
not looking so WELL my father says let's
see."
She took her by the shoulders, and
wheeled her to the light But OF course
the girl was flushed with the excitement
of her arrival; and pleased with the at
tentions of the little people; SO that for
the moment the expression of her face
was bright enough.
"There's not much wrong" said the
sister, but don't wonder at your being
dull in yon dreadful hole. And | suppose
there's no chance of moving now. Ii my
! father had only kept to Edinburgh and
Glasgow, and got on like anybody else,
we might all have been together, and
among friends and acquaintance but it
was ay the same-glve him the chance of
place where there was gun or Il fishing
rod handy, and that WAS enough Well,
well, Meenie, we must wake ye up bit if
you've been feeling dull and Walter
he as proud rs Il peacock that YOU'RE
come. declare it's enough to make any
other woman than myself jealous the
way he shows your portrait to anybody
and everybody that comes to the house /;
and had a hint from him this morning
] Ia n o.. va ltJh npa t,t h
er's letter only came on Saturday-that
they were to be "A present from him, and
there's nothing stingy about " alt, though
] say it who shouldn't. And you'll have
to share Agge' bed fora n ght or two un-
til we have Il room got ready for you"
IF | had only known that | was going
to put you about, Agatha
Put us about, you daft lassie ~ the
elder sister exclaimed. Come away, and
I'm show you where your things will
have to be stored for the present. And
my father says there is to be no finishing
lessons, or anything of That kind, for Il
While yet; you're to walk about and
amuse yoArsclf; and we've II family
ticket for the Botanic Gardens-you can
take n book there or some knitting and
then you have to help me in the house,
for " alter will be for showing You of as
| his Highland sister-in-law, and Wen have
plenty of company. | think he 5 promised
over twenty people copy of yonr photo
]
and so you'll have to go and get that done
some clear afternoon"
And 80 the good woman ratified on, and
how abundantiy and secretly glad was
Meenle that not word was said of Ron
aid Strang. She had felt guilty enough
when she entered the house. She had
come on a secret errand that she dared
not disclose, and one or two things in her
sisters letters had convinced her that
there were not likely to be very friendly
feelings toward Ronald in this little
domestic circle. But when they had
| gone over almost every conceivable topic,
and not a single question had been asked
about Ronald, nor any reference even
made to him. she felt immensely relieved.
/ To them, then, he was clearly of no i'm
| portance. Probably they had forgotten
/ that she had once or twice asked If he had
called on them: or perhaps her sister had
taken it for granted that the piece of news
she had sent concerning him would effect
/ ually and forever crush any interest in
him that Meenie may have felt. Anyhow.
his name was not even mentioned, and
that was so far well.
/ But what a strange sensation was this
when in the afternoon she went out for
| a stroll with the smaller Agatha-to feel
/ that at any moment at the turning of any
! corner she might suddenly encounter Ron
/ aid That ever-moving crowd had the pro-
| foundest interest for her; these rather
! Erimy streets Il continuous and mysterious
| fascination. OF course the little Agatha,
| when they went forth from the house,
was for going up to the West End Park,
or out by Hillhead to the Botanic Gar
| dens, so that the pretty young aunt should
| have view of the beauties of Glasgow.
| But Meenie had no difficulty in explain
ing that green slopes and trees and things
of that kind had no novelty tor her,
whereas crowded streets and shops and
| the roar of cabs and carriages had and
so they turned cityward when they left
| the house. and went away in by
! Cambridge Street and Sauchiehall
| Street to Buchanan Street. And WAS
/ this the way then, she asked herself land
she was rather an absent companion for
her little niece), that Ronald would take
on leaving his lodgings to get over to the
south side of the city, where, as she under
stood from his sisters letters, lived the
old forester who was experimenting his
studies But there We're so many people
here and all seemingly strangers to each
| other. scarcely any two or three of them
| stopping to have chat together, and all
OF them apparently in such a hurry.