Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-17
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Never mind the meat mother" said
Andrew. I'VE dinna live to eat"
Never mind the meat! What parfsct
nonsense! There's something wrong wi
folk that d:nna mind their meat"
'Weel, then, you shouldna be so vain o
yourself. mother. You were preening like
young lassie when got sight O. you-and
the meat taking care O. itself"
me vain Ma ma! Naebody that kens
Janet Binnie can say she's vain. / wot
weel that 1 am frail. miserable creature,
wi little need O. being vain, either o my
self or my BARNS. But draw to the table
better than it's bonnie"
They sat down with a pleasant content
that soon broadened into mirth and laugh
ter, as jamie Lauder began to tell, and to
show, low the peddler lad feeced and
fiethered the fisher wives out of their baw-
bees adding at the last that he "couidna
come within sight O. their fine words they
" ere that civil to him."
lou, ay, senselessly civil, nae doubt o.
it, said Jaret. "A peddier aye gives the
whole village fit o the hberalities. The
like O. Jean Robertson spending crown
On him. The words are no to seek that
she'll get from me in the morning.
Then Jamie took a letter from his pocket
and showed 1t to Andrew. Robert Tocdy
brought it this afternoon" he said. and.
as you may see. it is from the Hendersons
O. Glasgow, and they say there viii be
berth soon for me in one O. their ships.
And their boats are good, and Their cap
sailor on that line. 1 may be a captain my
self one o. these daysr and he laughed 50
gayly and looked SO bravely into the face
of such bold idea that he persuaded every
one else to expect it for him. Janet pulled
her new shawl little closer and smiled; her
thought was-"After all. Christina may
wait longer and fare worse. for she's
turned twenty" yet she showed a little re-
serve as she asked:
Are you then Glasgow born, Jamie I.au-
der?"
me Glasgow borni What are you think
ing O.? I'm from the aud East Neuk, and
I'm proud O being a Fifer.A my common
sense comes from Fife. There's name loves
the Kingdom mair than Jamie Lauder
We're a Fife thegither. I thought yon
knew IT,"
At these words there was a momentary
shadow across the door, an a little lassie
slipped in, and when she did so. all
put down their cup to welcome her. An
drew Redeemed to the roots of his hair; bis
eyes filled with light, a tender smile soften
ed, his firm mouth, and he put out his hand
and drew the girl to the chair which
Christina had pushed close to his own.
You're a sight for sair cen. Sophy
Thraiu,' said Mistress Binnie: but for all
that she gave Sophy glance, in which
there was much specula ton, not unmiXed
with fear and disapproval for 1t was easy
to that Andrew BirEie loved her, ana
that she was not at all like him. nor yet
like the fisher girls Of Pittencraisie. Sophy,
however. was not responsible for this dl1er-
ence, for early orphanage had placed her In
the care of an aunt, who carried on dress
and bopnet-making business in Largo; and
she had turned the little fisher maid into
girl after her own heart and wishes.
She came frequently. indeed. to visit
her own people in Pittencraigie, but she
had gradually grown less and less IKE
them; and there was no wonder that Mis-
tress Binnie asked herself fearfully,
What kind Of a wife at ., al ssh she would "a
small and gently. she had such a lovely
face, such fair ripping hair and her
gown was of blue muslin made in the
lace collar round her throat and ribbon
belt round her slender waist. "A bonnie
lass for carriage and pair. =, thought
Janet Binnie, but whatever viii she Go
wi the creel and the nets, no to speak o
the BARNS and the housewark",
Andrew was too much In love to con-
slider these questions. When he was six
years old he had carried Sophy In his
arms all day long; when he was twelve
they had padded on the sands and fished
and played and learned their lessons To-
gether. She had promised then to be MS
wife as soon as he was man and had
a house and a boat of his own, and never
for one moment since had Andrew douot-
ed the validity and certainty of this prom
Use. To Andrew and to Andrews fam
lily and to the whole village of Pitten-
and Sophy Thrain was a fact beyond dis
putting Some said lit was the ri-ht
thing" and more said it was the foolish
thing" and among the latter was An
drew's mother, though as yet she had said
it very cautiously to Andrew, whom she
regarded as clean daft and senselessly
touchy about the lassie."
Blu. she sent the young people out OF
the house while she redd up the disorder
made by the evening meal, though as she
wiped her tea cups she went frequently
to the little window and looked at the four
young things sitting together on the bit
of turf which carpeted the top Of the clif
before the cottage. Andrew, as a privi-
legged lover, held Sophy's hand; Christina
sat next to her brother and facing Jamie
Lauder, so it was easy to see how her face
kindled and her manner softened to the
charm of his merry conversation, mis-
snatches of breezy sea song and his clever
bits of mimicry. And as Janet walked to
ard fro, setting her cups and plates in the
rack and putting in place the table and
chairs. she did what We might all do
more frequently and be the wiser for it
he talked to herself, to the real woman
within her and thus got to the bottom Of
things.
In less than an hour there began to be
a movement about the pier, and then An
drew and Jamie went away to their night s
work, and the girls sat still and watched
the men across the level sands, and the
boats lurrying out to the fishing grounds.
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