The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-02-24

could not look upon his face; / wou.-.
have rather lain alone in the rain on my
cold isle than in that warm wood beside
a murderer.
"Are we still wearied" he asked again.
"No," said l, still with my face in the
bracken; ''no, l am not wearied now
and ! can speak. You and me must
Irvine" [partl, said. 81 liked you very
well, Alan, but your ways are not mine
and they're not Gods, and the short and
the long of it is just that we must twine."
81 will hardly Irvine from We, David,
without some kind of reason for the
same," said Alan, mighty gravely. eff
we ken anything against my reputation,
it's the least thing that We should do, for
old acquaintance sake, to let me hear
the name of it, and if We have only taken
distaste to my society it will be proper
for me to judge if I'm insulted."
"Alan," said l, "what is the sense of
this? Ye ken very well yon Campbell
man lies in his blood upon the road. Do
you mean you had no hand in it?'
81 will tell you first of all, Mr.. Bal
said Alan, "that if l were going to kill a
gentleman it would not be in my own
country, to bring trouble ON my clan.
would not go wanting sword and gun,
and with long fishing rod upon my
back"
"Well," said l, "that's truer'
"And now," continued Alan, taking
out his dirk and laying his hand upon
it in a certain manner, 81 swear upon
the holy iron had neither art nor part,
act nor thought in it."
81 thank God for THAR cried |, and
offered him my hand.
He did not appear to see it.
"And here is great deal of work
about Campbellr said he. "They are
not so scarce that / ken!'
"At least" said l, ''you cannot justly
blame me, for you know very well what
you told me in the brig; but the temp
tation and the act are different. l thank
God again for that. We may all be
tempted; but to take life in cold blood,
Alan!' And could say no more for the
moment. land do you know who did
it?' added do you know that man
in the black coat?"
81 have nae clear mind about his coat"
said Alan cunningly; "but it sticks in
my head that it was blue"
"Blue or black. did we know him?"
said l.
81 couldnae just conscientiously swear
to him." says Alan. He gaed very close
by me, to be sure, but it's strange thing
that should just have been tying my
brogues."
"Can you swear that you don't know
him, Alan?" | cried half angered, half
in mind to laugh at his evasions.
mot yet" says he, "but I've grand
memory for forgetting, David"
'And yet there was one thing 1 saw
clearly" said |, land that was that you
exposed yourself and Inc to draw the
soldiers"
"It's very likely" said Alan, "and so
would any gentleman. You and me
were innocent of that transaction"
"The better reason, since we were
falsely suspected, that we should get
clear" cried. "The innocent should
surely come before the guilty"
"Why, David" said he, 1.-The innocent
lave aye a chance to get assoiled in
court; but for the lad that shot the bull
let, think the best place for him will
be the heather. Them that have nae
dipped their hands in any little diff
Guilty should be very mindful of the
case of them that have. And that is the
good Christianity. For if it was the
other way round about, and the lad
whom l couldnae just clearly see had
been in our shoes and we in his (as might
very well have been), I think we would
be good deal obliged to him oursel's if
he would draw the soldiers"
TO BE CONTINUED.