The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1893-03-11
A STRUGGLIN CHIEL.

a cottage was by the moo famous cathe
dral ruins that are visited by tourists
frae a. parts. Some auld beeches pro.
tected us frae the SINNERS heat an win.
ter's cauld, an we were vera hoppy the.
either afore oor separation. But we
were sac puir i those far back days,
Mother wore the same manteele veal
after year, an fayther's claes an mine
were always o raploch. IL vera coarse
cloth. Yet DOR chimla lug was a warm
spot an ! haze na seen its equal sin. Fay.
Their was simply unlucky. AN mither an
ME often suffered i consequence. Sac
little O beuk learnin fell to my share,
nor did blame my parents for it. But
| had my ain way to max, an | sumo re.
solved that | wad gae to Edinburgh to
max it. But puir mither wasna willin.
Better bide at hame, laddie," she wad
whisper again an again. Stay wi fay.
ther an me, HI dinna fret
But we'll a be s~tarvin." ! wad argue
i turn. Better let me gang AVA i
search o %siller."
mo, Jockiel Dinna think ABBOTT it!
Edinburgh is a Draw town an a wicked
onel Dunblane an the Allan are far
better"
Sac, though | secretly rebelled, | still
staid i the auld home, wi little to eat
save waterbrose. which mither made O
meal an water, wi'oot the pleasant addi-
ton O milk an butter.
An then cam the struggle of which i
maun tell, recht there i Dnnblane. ]
warked wi fayther at any days labor
that cam to his diligent hand. an II au.
tumn mornin it CHANGED to be DOT Kip.
penross way. We walked alang the
Allan i silence, niver ance lookin up at
the grand auld beeches owreheid, for
we were bath thinkin an thinkin hard.
My cen were on the groun, or wadna
haze foun wat | did. 1t was something
brecht an shinin directly i my path. an
| stoopt an pockited it i a flash.
wat was it, askt fayther carelessly.
"A Draw bit o Il pebble" | answered.
1T can gaze on mither's shelf" An wi
that we hurried on to the wark that
waited us.
But mony times that day | drew forth
the stane an leukt it owre. That it was
mair than II pebble | had kenned at first
glance. If it was really II diamond, who
was its owner! There were lairds an
ladies ma sac far ava, an they often cam
to walk alang the bonnie Allan. Perhaps
a hue and cry wad be raised ABBOTT the
lost jewel. Or it might haze lain for
weeks, JUST where | foun it, and there
wad be Ma further question. L the latter
case could gae to Edinburgh an sell my
lucky find. an sac get a start i life, such
as | had lang hoped for. | didna stop tc
think how wrang it wad a be, for | had
but my ain selfish advancement in view.
where's the pebble you foun for
mither. JockY" askt fayther that NIGHT.
81 maun haze lost it again." | STAN
mered, for it was my first lie to either
him or mither wanted to tell them
the trowth then an there, but yet | KEEP
1t back because ! was sac plackless. fol
they wad bath say, Your pebble may
prove a diamond. an you maun find its
rightfu' owner, Jockie B~lacklock!' But
that wasna Mt Il to my notion, an | stole
out under the o an stars instead,
to.be alane wi my struggle tween recht
and wrang. An ivry ance an awhile !
wad leuk the stane in my pockit owre.
Wat II sparkle it had! Perhaps it was
worth a hundred pounds or mair! An
whose was itl Weel, | hoped then that
might never ken.
But the vera next nicht. us | cam
slow from work along the Allan, | saw
a man ia Draw velvet plaid seerchin
the spot where | had foun my stane
He had Il blackthorn stick i his han
an he WAS scatterin the beech leaves
recht an lef'. A second glance tauld
me it was auld Laird Kinross, O Edin.
burgh, who had II shootin box neal by.
He didna leuk mp at my approach. an
JUST stood an watched him i silence.
wanted to pass on. but somehow
couldna do it. for the brecht thing he
seercht for was in my pockit. Conscience
whispert, BE honest an true. Jocl
Blacklock!' But satan shoutit: "KeeI
the aud laird's stanel He has many
anither, an this n will gle you a ster,
i Edinburgh" Sac hesitated for q
spell.
But Laird kinross leukt up at las
My guide lad" he said kindly. Il hat
lost a diamond O. mooch value. It was
yestermorn when we cam through to thu
hunt, III it was recht here by the Allan
Perhaps You haze heard O its tindin."
An the guide God aboon gied me
strength to answer. Il hac. my laird"
His keen gray cen quickly leukt MI
owre, You may haze foun it your ain
sell"
An | answered again: Il did that, IN,
laird, an here is your precious stane. L
has been a load on my heart an con
science, though LIGHT as IA bit feather i
my pockit.'
you wanted to keep it," he speirt a.
he tux it frae my tremblin ham"
"Yes, my laird"
But you haze been an honest lad for a
that, an l shall reward you as you de
serve. Wat is your nan:e"
"Jock Blackjack, my laird"
AYE, mayhap a descendant O. the pull
poet Burns guide friend, DR.. Blackjack
II dinna ken. | fear ma" / returned,
II am just the son O my fayther, James
Blackjack, an he is Dunblane born"
How wad you like to gae to Edin'
burgh?" he speirt next.
My heert gied a great boun. Its the
ane wish O. my life!' | cried.
The old laird smiled. "Ane O. my
friens there is a banker. He needs az
honest lad O your ain age, an you shall
haze the place as sumo as you wish"
! fell on my knees j. gratitude. but h.