The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-12-16

our eyes met, ana no thlef taken with a
hand in a mans pocket could have
shown more lively signals of distress.
This set me in q muse whether his timid-
ity arose from too long disuse of any
human company, and whether perhaps,
upon little trial, it might pass off and
my uncle change into an altogether diff
ferent man. From this was awakened
by his sharp voice.
"Your fathers been long dead?" he
asked.
"Three weeks, SIR" said /.
she was a secret man, Alexandria,
secret, silent man." he continued. HE
never said muckle when he was young.
He'll never have spoken muckle of me-"
81 never knew, sir, till you told it me
yourself that he had any brother"
''Dear me, dear mel" said Ebenezer.
"Nor yet of Shaws, dare say"
"Not so much as the name, sir" said l.
"To think O. thatp' said he. ga
strange nature of mani" For all that
he seemed singularly satisfied, but
whether with himself or me, or with this
conduct of my father, was more than I
could read. Certainly, however, he
seemed to be outgrowing that distaste
or ill will that he had conceived at first
against my person, for presently he
jumped up, came across the room be-
hind me and hit me smack upon the
shoulder. "Well agree fine YETI he
cried. "Fm just as glad 1 let you in,
and now come AVA to your bed"
To my surprise, he lit no lamp or
candle, but set forth into the dark pas
sage, CROPPED his way, breathing deeply,
up flight of steps, and paused before a
door, which he unlocked. 1 was close
upon his heels, having stumbled after
him as best might; and he babe me go
in, for that was my chamber. did as
he bid, but paused after few steps and
begged light to go to bed with.
"Hoot toot!" said Uncle Ebenezer,
"there's fine MOON"
"Neither moon nor star, sir, and pit
mirk," dark as the pitt said I. 81 can
nae see the bed"
"Hoot toot, boot tootr' said he.
Lights in a house is a thing l dinnae
agree with. I'm unco feared of fires.
Good night to we, Davie, my man."
And before had time to add further
protest, he pulled the door to, and I
heard him lock me in from the outside.
did not know whether to laugh or
cry. The room was as cold as a well
and the bed, when had found my way
to it, as damp as peat bag; but by
good fortune l had caught up my bundle
and my plaid, and rolling myself in the
latter l lay down upon the floor under
the lee of the big bedstead and fell
speedily asleep.
With the first peep of day Iopened my
eyes, to find myself in great bed
chamber, hung with stamped leather,
furnished with fine embroidered furni-
ture and lit by three fair windows. Ten
have been as pleasant room to lie
down or to awake in as man could
wish; but damp, dirt, disuse and the
mice and spiders had done their worst
since then. Many of the window panes
besides were broken, and indeed this
was so common feature in THAT house
that believe my uncle must at some
time have stood a siege from his indig-
nant neighbors-perhaps with Jennet
Clouston at their head.
Meanwhile the sun was shining out
side, and being very cold in that miser-
able room 1 knocked and shouted till
my jailer came and let me out. He
carried me to the back of the house,
where was draw well, and told me to
"wash my face there, if / wanted" and
when that was done, l made the best of
my own way back to the kitchen, where
he had lit the fire and was making the
porridge. The table was laid with two
bowls and two horn spoons, but the
same single measure of small beer. Per-
haps my eye rested on this particular
with some surprise, and perhaps my
uncle observed it, for he spoke up as if
in answer to my thought, asking me If l
would like to drink ale-forso he called
it.
told him such was my habit, but not
to put himself about.
mae, nae," said he; "I'll deny you
nothing in reason" He fetched an
other cup from the shelf, and then, to
my great surprise, instead of drawing
more beer, he poured an accurate half
from one cup to the other. There was
kind of nobleness in this that took my
breath away. If my unclewas certain
ly miser he was one of that thorough
breed that goes near to make the vice
respectable.
When we had made an end Of our
meal my uncle Ebenezer unlocked q
drawer, and drew out of it clay pipe
and lump of tobacco, from which he
cut one fill before he locked it up again.
Then he sat down in the sun at one of
the windows and silently smoked. From
time to time his eyes came coasting round
to me, and he shot out one of his ques-
tons. Once it was, "And your mother?"
and when had told him that she, too,
was dead, AYE, she was bonnie lassiel"
Then after another long pause, "Whae
were these friends o. yoursY
told him they were different gentle
men of the name of Campbell; though
indeed there was only one, and that the
minister, that had ever taken the least
note of me, but / began to think my
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