Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1892-07-09

%NN-I8I ~ IcthONtu among Cue
M\. classic spots of Scot
oA~A ~ land, inasmuch As il
:: >aRgE - formed part Of the
- |t@NNygnS dowry which Roberl
ffgt, 'N' the Bruce bestowed
on his..ldest .tauohtc,
Margery when she married Walter, the
High Steward of Scotland and thus be-
cane the progenitrx of the royal aud
unlucky house of Stewart. Lying mid
way between Edinburgh and Glasgow,
those lival queeus of the,East and ,West,
but out of the commontrack f'trattic
and travel, 1T has beenfor ages ~ pastoral
parish Of small and rather !l,ack ward
farms.
Among its peaceabletand in.A1striou,
| population was Il dame who, though
neither the wcalthest nortthe best born,
stood, in her own esteem, \above all but
the laird and minister, and\her styleiaud
title was Widow Simpscn-> This lady
valued herself-not on theharmfleft her
by the good man who had dcparted this
life some seven years before sthe COM
mencenent of our story, for its acr,s
were few, aud they consistedk half
reclaimed moorland; not on her (grown-
up son Robin, though he was counted a
likely and sensible lad; not on her
thrifty housekeeping, though it = was
known to be on the tight screw" "sprin-
ciple; but on the possesslon\of dozen
silver teaspoons. Her account of them
was that they had belonged tothe Young
Chevaier, and had been: bestowed upon
her grandfather ia return for entertain
inc that claimant to the British crown
on his march from Culloden-in proof
Of which she was accustomed oipoint
out u half obiterated crest aud the IN
itials G. s., with which they were
ever, had different taeregarlingetheir
coming into the family. 1t was to the
effect that her grandfather, who kept a
small inn somewhere in Elfe, haNbought
them from au i'll doing laird for three
slowed them on his granddaughter, as
one most likely to hold fast to such au
important acquisition.
In the family resided, in the capacity
| OF "help,' one Nancy Campbell, cir
about nineteen, who was suspected oI
having taken i fancy TO Robin who re
ciprocated the sentiment. Nothing, how
! ever, would soften the heart Of the widow
rs regards match, until at last the fol
lowing event occurred and caused her t
nivc way: About the haymaking time a
| distant and comparatively rich relation
] was expected to call and take tea un.
evening on his way from Linlithgrow
1t was not often that this superior rela
tive honored her house with visit, and
Mrs. Simpson, determined tina. noting 9
should be wanting to his entertainment
brought out the treasured spoons early il
the forenoon, with many injunctions to
Nancy touching the care she should take
ia Frightening them up. While thi:
operation was being conducted ia th,
kitchen, in the midst Of one of these un
certain days which vary the nortLer
June. Sudden darkening OF the sky an
nounced the approach of heavy rain
The hay was dry and ready for housing
Robin and two farm men were bus
gathering it in, but the great drops bega
to fall while q considerable portion "
remained in the field, tad. with the il
stinct of crop preservation, forth rushe
the widow, followed by Nancy, leavin
the spoons half secured on the kitche
table. In her rapid exit the girl ha
forgotten TO latch the door. The wease
and the kite were the only deprelator
known about the moorland farm; bu
while they were all occupied in the his
field who should come that way b,
! beggar called Geordy Wilson.
Well, the kitchen door was opSa, sp