The Van Buren press., 1895-02-16

Tor tne lhSt timo.
Jess picked her way through the deeI
snow to the main road, with . skill
that came with long experience, and
the doctor held converse with her.
'Eh, Jess wumman, yon ives the
hardest watls a hae tae face, and q
wud rather hae ta'en ma chance o
anither row IN q Glen Urtach drift thar
tell Tammas Mitchell his wife wei
deein'.
IA said she cudna be cured, and II
ives true, for there's juist ae man In
the land flt fort, and they micht q,
wecl try tae get the mune oot O. heaven
Sac a. said naethin' tae vex Tammas
for it's eneuch withoot regrets.
But it's hard, Jess, that money wull
buy life after o., an II Annie ives q
duchess her man wudna lose her; but
bein' only puir cottar's wife, she
maun dee afore the weeks oot.
"Gin we he'd him the morn there's
little doot she wud be saved, for he
hasna lost mair than five per cent. o
his cases, and they Ill be puir toon't
craturs, no strappin' women like An
ME.
''It's DOT O. the question, Jess, sac
hurry up, lass, for we've he'd heavy
day. But 1t wud be the grandest thing
that ives ever dune In the glen in oor
time II It could be managed by hook or
crook.
ave Ill gang and see Drumsheugh,
Jess; he's anither man sin Geordie
Hoo's deith, and he ives aye kinder
than fouk kent;" and the doctor passed
at a gallop through the village, whose
lights shqne across the white frost
bound road.
''Come In by, doctor, a. heard ye on
the road, ye Ill hae been at Tammas
Mitchell's; hoo's the gudewife? a. doot
she's sober"
"Annie's deein', Drumsheugh, an
Tammas Is like tae brak his heart"
That's no lichtsome. doctor, no
lichtsome ava, for a. dinna ken ony
man in Drumtochty sac bund up IN his
wife as Tammas, and there's no o bon
nier wumman o her ago crosses oor
kirk door than.Annie, nor cleverer at
her warlk. Man, ye Ill need tae pit ylr
brains in steep. Is she clean beyond
yep
beyond mo and every ither in the
land but ane, and 1t wud cost hun
dred guineas tae bring him tae Drum
tochty.'
"Certes, he's no blate, It's a fell
charge for short days work, but hun
dred or no hundred we Ill hae him, an
no let Annie gang, and her no half her
years"
''Are ye meanin' it, Drumsheugh?'
and MacLurc turned white below the
tan.
civilian MacLure," said Drums
heugh, In one OF the few condolences
that ever broke the Durmsheugh re-
serve, lam lonely man, WI naebody
O. ma ain blude tae care for me livin'
or tae lift mo intae ma coffin.
IA fecht ava ut Mufrtown market
for an extra pund on a beast, or u shil-
lin ON the quarter O. barley, an what's
the CUTE OF? Burnbrae gles aff tae
get goon for his wife or buke for
his college laddie, an Lachlan Camp
bell Ill no leave the place moo withoot
q ribbon for Flora. Ilka man In the
Kildrummie train has some bit in his
pooch for the faux at home that he's
bocht wi the siller he won.
"But there's naebody tae be lookin'
DOT for me, an comm doom the road
tac meet me, an daffin' dol1ing) WI me
aboot their fairing, or feeling ma pock-
cts. Ou a ave seen 1t a at ither
hooses, though they tried to hide 1t frae
me for fear a. wud LAUGH at them.
''Yir the only man kens, Weelum,
that aimee luved the noblest wumman
in the glen or onywhere, an a. luve
her still, but wi anither luve moo.
"She he'd given her heart tae anither,
or ave trocht a MIGHT hae won her,
though nae man be worthy O. sic gift.
Ma hert turned tae bitterness, but that
passed ava beside the brier bush whore
George Hoo lay yon sad simmer time.
Some day all tell yer ma story, Weel-
um, for you an me are auld friends,
and will be till we dee."
MacLure felt beneath the table for
prumsheugh's hand, but neither man
looked ut the other.
"Well, a we can dae moo, Weelum,
gin we haena mickle BRIGHTNESS In oor
ain names, is tae keep the licht frae
gaein' oot In anither hoose. Write the
telegram, man, and Sandy Ill send 1t
aff frae Kildrummie this verra NIGHT,
and We Ill hae yir man this morn"
"Yir the man a coonted ye, Drums
heugh, but ye Ill grant me ae favor.
Ye'll lat me pay the half, bit by bit
a ken yir wull In tae dae't a'-but a
haena mony pleasures, an a wud like
tae hae ma ain share in savin' Annie's
life."
Next morning q figure received Sir
George on the Kildrummie platform,
whom that famous surgeon took for q
gillee, but who introduced himself a.
"MacLure, Of Drumtochty." 1t seemed
as If the east had come 70 meet the
west when these stood together, the
one In travelling furs, handsome and
distinguished, with his strong cultured
face and carriage Of authority, char
acteristic type Of his profession; and
the other more marvelously dressed
than ever, for Drumsheugh's topcoat
had been forced upon him for the occa-
sion, his face and neck one redness with
the bitter cold; rough and ungainly,
yet not without some signs Of power in
his eye and voice, the most heroic type
of his noble profession. MacLure COM
passed the precious arrival with observ-
ances till he was securely seated In
Drumsheugh's dogcart-a vehicle that
lent itself to history-with two full
sized plaids added to his equipment
Drumsheugh and Hillocks had both
been requisitioned = and MacLure