Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1890-02-27


returning to his old manner of aouting me to
my face; and in both met him half way.
Thanks be to Providence, had now no meas
ure to keep with the man; and was never
afraid of black brows, only of naked swords.
So that l found certain entertainment in
these bouts of incivility, and was not always
i'll inspired in my rejoinders. AT last Dit was
at supper) had droll expression that en-
tirely vanquished him. He laughed again
and again; and "Who would have guessed
he cried, shat this old wife had any wit
under his petticoats?"
st is no wit, Mr.. Bally," said L; "a dry
Scots humor, and something of the driestn
And indeed | never had the least pretension
to be thought wit.
From that hour he was never rude with me,
but all passed between us in a manner of
pleasantly One of our chief times of dating
fooling) was when he required a horse, another
bottle, or some money; he would approach
me then after the manner of a school boy,
and l would carry it on by way of being his
father, on both sides, with an infhity of
mirth. l could not but perceive that he
thought more of me, which tickled that poor
part of mankind, the vanity He dropped
besides Il must suppose unconsciously) into a
manner that was not only familiar but even
had so long detested me, found the more in
sidious. He went little abroad; sometimes
even refusing invitations. NO." he would
say, "what do care for these thick-headed
bonnet lairdsa l will stay at home, Mackel-
lar; and we shall share bottle quietly and
have one of our good talks"
And indeed meal time at Durrisdeer must
have been delight to any one, by reason of
the brilliancy of the DISCOURSE He would
often express wonder at his former indiffer-
ence to my society. "But, you see," he
would add, 1--WE were upon opposite sides.
And SO we are today; but let us never speak
of that l would think much less of you if
you were not stanch to your employer" You
are to consider he seemed to me quite impo-
tent for any evil; and how it is most en-
gaging form of fattery when (after many
years. tardy justice is done to mans char
acter and parts. But have no thought to
excuse myself 1 was to blame; / let him
cajole me; and, in short, I think the watch
dog was going sound asleep, when he was
suddenly aroused.
! should say the Indian was continually
travelling to and fro in the house. He never
spoke save in his own dialect and with the
master; walked without sound, and was al
ways turning up where you would least ex-
pect him fallen into deep abstraction, from
which he would start upon your coming) to
mock you with one of his groveling cbeisances.
He seemed SO quiet SO frail, and so wrapped
in his own fancies, that l came to pass MIN
over without much regard, or even to pity
him for harmless exile from his country.
And yet without doubt the creature was still
eavesdropping; and without doubt it was
through his stealth and my security that our
secret reached the master.
1t was one very wild night, after supper,
and when we had been making more than
usually merry, that the blow fell on me.
''This is all very fine," says the master,
''but we should do better to be buckling our
valise."
"Why soa' cried. care you leavinga"
"We are all leaving tomorrow in the
morning." said he "For the port of elias.
gov first; thence for the province of New
York"
I,suppose I must have groaned aloud.
"Yes," he continued, 81 boasted; said a
week, and it has taken me near twenty days.
But never mind; shall make it up; will
go the faster"
"Have you the money for this voyagem ]
asked Vi
sDear and ingenious parsonage, have{s
said he. "Blame me, if you choose, for my
duplicity; but while l have been wringing
shillings from my daddy, I had stock Of
my own put by against a rainy day. You
will pay for your own passage, if you choose
to accompany us on our flank march; l have
enough for Secundra and myself, but not
more; enough to be dangerous, not enough to
be generous. There is, however, an outside
seat upon the chaise which l will let you
have upon moderate communications SO that
the whole menagerie can go together, the
house dog, the monkey and the tiger"
81 go with you," said l.
II count upon it," said the master. "You
have seen me foiled, l mean you shall see me
victorious. To gain that, will risk wetting
you like sop in this wild weather."
'And at least" added, "you know very
we'll you could not throw me off,"
mot easily" said he. "You put your fin
ger on the point with your usual excellent
good sense. never fight with the inevita.
ble"
81 suppose it is useless to appeal to you,'
said l.
believe me, perfectly" said he.
"And yet if you would give me time could
write"- began
sAnd what would be my Lord Durrisdeer's
answerf' asks he.
cay" said l, 'that is the rub"
"And, at any rate, how much more expe-
ditious that l should go myself" says he.
"But all this is quite waste of breath. At
z tomorrow the chaise will be at the door,
for start from the door, Mackellar. do not
skulk through woods and take my chaise
upon the wayside-shall we say at Eaglesg'
My mind was now thoroughly made up.
"Can you spare me quarter of an hour at
st. Bride'sg' said l. Il have little neces-
sary business with Carlyle"
IAN hour, if you prefer" said he. IT dc
not seek to deny that the money for your
seat is an object to me; and you could always
| get the first to Glasgow with saddle horses"
''Well,'' said 1, II never thought to leave
old Scotland"
SIT will brisken you up" says he.
"This will be an ill journey for some one, >
I said. II think. sir, for you Something
speaks in my bosom and so much it says
plain, That this is an omened Journey"
eff you take to prophecy" says be- "listen
| to that"
There came up a violent squat off the open
Solway, and the rain was dashed on the great
] windows