The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-08-04

roar as if with savage anticipation and delight: ... ..,,
 "wsel-dee! Gin yer gaun to heaven, ye can tell 'em that we're all we'll at Gretna."
 Sometimes out of the desperation of her life she would seem to catch at the half-forgotten hope in prayer. Driven to this extremity by his badger ings. she would cry out: | But I maun just gae doom tae tn garden. an say my bit wordies"-her supplication to the Father whose mer- ciful ear such pitiful pleadings must somehow reach.
 | This always threw the "Rlshop of Gretna" into momentary frenzy. Bounding from the table liks n nipble and spiteful gnome. he would seize her, shake her. tweak her. and leave her, unless was quick enough to prevent his vicious action. an exhausted heap of gurgling despair. out of which would brokenly and moaningly come:
 "Ye ken. an ken. William: but Laird!-God kens tool" Whereupon the broken life would creep into the tiny kail-yard and nut ter her "bit wordies," reappearing at last a groveling and smiling slave. If l would remonstrate with the old reprobate. he would regard me at fi.st with savage effrontry But my stern looks and real indignation would at last effect response.
 "Hoot" he would hoarsely whisper with vicios leer. "When gat her for my wife I gat nae beauty. Her fien's ken gat nae siller. Tn mair idiot I'd be If ha' ma grouk (watchful care) OCT tn auld boho!'
 l must confess that my hatred of his | despicable nature and the hopelessness of mitigating his wife's condition of living death, prompted on my part many impulses of petty revenge. I had been compelled to yield to his many de- mands for drink; to hisdown right rob- berries; to countless ignorant. ruffianly insults, and to the more repulsive de- gradation of tolerating his endless fiendishness to his feeble old wife; while still half believed his assump- tions of priestly power were the veriest sham.
 mands for drink. to his downright rob high office, railed at his pretentions and contemptuously denied that mar riages were now being celebrated by him, that he possessed sufficient intel ligence to off1ciate at civil contract marriage. or even to prepare certifi- cate of so infamous procedure; ard finally so stung his episcopal dignity that he excitedly proffered for single sovereign, to illustrate the Gretna cere- monial then and there, with myself for the bridegroom and his teetering, tot tering guidwife. Elizabeth Laing, as bride.
 Half wild with liquor and wounded pride, he dashed from the cottage and shortly returned with blowsy-faced woman as witness" Then he clapped his horn bowed spectacles crashlngly upon his nose, with one hand grasped the other, clutched his poor old spouse from her chair and whirled her lpon her feet before him.
 Stan cop! Stan cop t'gither. till pruve 1t tae ye" he shouted almost be- side himself with rage.
 Clap hans t'gither! I'll send ye furder into matrimuny than tn fif- dler's ass was foaled back O tn Be. yond!" mn We joined hands as the little old orge had ordered; and I could bot but wotl- der how long it had ,,been since old Elizabeth's had rested, in one whtcn had pulsed to it in compasion's gentlo touch. Then he excitedly proceeded.
 "Ar' ye single mon? Ye ans'er ay, ye ken."
 I answered ay. ,'.r
 "Ar' ye single wurnman? Spak pop, moo" he yelled fiercely at the pitt fully smiling old guidwife beside me. "Ans'er ye ay, noo!" Y ~
 Deaf as she was, she seemed always to have an intuittve knowledge of her brutal masters commands and she gurgled and cackled assent.
 Dye ken ony reason why ye shudna talk this wumman tae be yer lawful weeded wife?" he demanded of me. "Ye gie in tae that, ye ken;" he insisted impatiently, and I answered,
 "No." IT,.
 Dye ken," this to his wife, "ony reason why ye shudna talk this mon tae be yer lawful weeded mon? Spak cop, moo, ye auld boho! Gie in tae that!'
 She gurgled and cackled again.
 "Ye bath gie in tae a O that?"
 We both assented.
 Then" said the old wretch savage ly and triumphantly, we've bund yer sells mon and wife afore thae witnusses an'," he added in an ugly undertone, as he seated himself from long habit at the table to fill out our marriage certi- ficate, eth dell talk baith O ye?"
 The blowsy-faced woman signed the paper, received a "saxpence" and left the cottage.
 The Bishop of Gretna" also signed the document. and I put it carefully in my pocket; as the helpless old creature still stood beside me with a pitiful look of indicision in her wrinkled face.
 A strange resolve instantly seized me. It must have been inexplicabiy con- veyed to the mind of the reprobate be- fore me; for he instantly eyed me with a look of anxiety, inquiry and alarm.
 "Yes," said after returning his gaze unfeelingly for time, T think we at last understand one another"
 "Ye wud na-?" he survilely gasped.
 "Well-no; not exactly. As a reputa- ble attorney, would hardly use this document to secure your discharge in disgrace from her majesty's service as postman; and as you are an old man, very near your grave, would not just Hko fo havo voIi na sq vo,ir foxu rnv,, a ls,