Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-06-19

not quite left the higher slOIcs of Clebrig,
Ronald had already finished his breakfast,
and was in his own small room, smoking
the customary pipe, and idly-and with
some curious kind of whimsical amuse-
ment in his brain-turnlng over the loose
sheets of scrubbed verses. And that was
avery ethereal and imaginary Meenie he
found there-a Meenie of lonely hillside
wanderngs-a Meenie of day .dreams and
Visions not the actual, light hearted
Meenie of the evening before, who was so
merry after the children had gone, and so
content with the little supper party of
three, and would have him smoke his
pipe without regard to her pretty silk
dress. This Meenie on paper was rather n
wistful. visionary distant creation;
whereas the Meenie Of the previous even
ing was altogether friendly and good
humored and laughing, with the quaint
est mother-ways in the management of
the children, and always light of kind
ness shining in er clear Highland eyes.
He would have to write something to por
tray Meenie TO HIMSELF in this more
friendly and actual character He could
do it easily enough, he knew. There never
was any lack of rhymes when Meenie was
the occasion. At other things he had to
abor-trequently, indeed, until, rejecting
that this was not his business, he would
fling the thing into the fire, aud drive it
into the peats with his heel, and go away
with much content But when Meenie
enough al the world around seemed full
OF beautiful things to compare with her;
the birds were singing of her; the noun
tains were there to guard her; the burn,
as it whispered through the rushes, or
danced over the open bed of pebbles had
but the one continual murnur of Meenies
name. Verses he could have written
them by the score and laughed at them,
and burned them, too
Suddenly the little Maggie appeared.
Ronald, she said, the doctors come
home"
What at this time in the morning ?"
he said, turning to her.
Yes, am sure: for / can see the dog
cart at the door of the inn"
Well, now, " said he, hastily snatching
up his cap, that is streak of luck-if
he will come with us. / will 60 and meet
him.
But he need not have hurried SO much ;
the dog cart was still at the door of the
inn when he went out and indeed re-
NAMED there as he made his way along the
road The doctor, who was most
sociable perso had stopped for a moment
to hear the news but Mr.. Murray hap
rened to lie there, and so the chat was a
protractcd one, In the mean time Ronald S
long swinging stride soon brought him
into their neighborhood.
"Good-morning, doctor ~ he cried.
Good morning, Ronald said the
other, turning round. He was big man,
corpulent, with an honest, wholesome,
ruddy face, soft brown eyes, and an eX-
pressive mouth, that could temper his
very apparent good nature with little
| mild sarcasm.
you've come back in the nick of time"
the keeper sad-for we'll he knew the doc
tors keen love Of a gun. Pm thinking
of driving some of the far tops the day, to
thin down the hares a bit and I'm sure
ye'd he glad to lend us a hand
Man, | was going home to my bed, to
tell ye the truth" said the doctor: Its
very little sleep l've had the last ten
days"
And then the heavy-framed occupant of
the dog.cart glanced up at the far-reach-
/ ing heights OF Clebrig, and there was grim
smile on his mouth.
/ Its all very WE'LL" said he, "for her
/ ring stomached young fellows like you to
face hill like that; but I've got weight
| to carry, man; and"
Come, come, doctor; it's no the
first time you've been on Clebrig,"
Ronald said he could see that
Meenie's father wanted to be per-
suaded Besides, we'll no try the highest
tops up there-theres been too much
snow. And I'll tell you how we'll make
it easy for ye: We'll row We down the loch
and begin at the other end and work
home--thcre, t's "a fair offer"
1t was an offer, at all events, that the big
doctor could not withstand.
well, we'll" said he, "l'll Just drive
the dog cart along and see how they are
at home and If the wife let's me out o her
clutches, I'll come down to the loch side
as fast as ! can"
Ronald turned to one of the stable-lads
lall of whom were transformed into
heaters on this occasion).
Jimmy, Just run over to the house and
fetch my gun; and bid Maggie put
twenty cartridges-number 4 she knows
where they are-into the bag; and then We
| ya m n
down to the boat, and be giving her Il bail
out till come down. Pm going along "a
the farm, to get two more lads If can
tell the doctor I'll no be long after him
if he gets down the loch trst.h
Some quarter of an hour there
after they set forth ; and rough pull
it was down the loch for the wind
was blowing hard, and the waves were
coming broadside on Those who were al
the oars had decidedly the best of it, for il
was bitterly cold but even the others did
not seem to mind much-they were chiefly
occupied in scanning the skyline of the
hills IA habit that one naturally falls into
in a deer country while Ronald and the
doctor seated in the stern were mostly con
cerned about keeping their guns dry. lr
due course of time they landed, made
their way through a wood of young birch
trees, followed the channel of burn fol
"A space, and by-and-by began to reach thu
upper slopes, where the plans Tor the frs
drive were carefully drawn out and OK
planned.
Now II is unnecessary to enter into de
tails of the days achievements, for the!
were neither exciting nor difficult no
daring II was clearly n case of shooting
for the pot although Ronald, in his ca
pacty Of keeper, was anxious to have tn
hares thinned down, knowing well enough
that the over multiplying OF them was Il
certain to bring in disease rs the over
stocking of mountain farm with sheep
But ii may be said that the sport, such II
it was, was done in "A workmuuIikr man
ner In ROuald's case each caitlidg
meant a hare-and no praise to him, Tor i
was his business. AS for the doctor, h
was not only an excellent shot. but he ex