The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-09-06


tie closets and presses, which Janet filed
with homespun napery and broadcloths,
so that never young lass in Pttencraigie
began life under such full and happy cir
| cumstances.
1t was, however, far into the fall of the
year before the new fire was lit on the
new hearth and Christina moved into her
own house. Ii was only divided from
her mothers by little garden, and the
two women could stand at their doors
and talk 10 each other. So the pleasant
months went by, with nothing but An
drew's and Jamie's visits to mark them,
| until one cold, frosty morning in Decem-
Der, Janet was washing her dinner plate
and singing:
| 81 cast my line in Largo Bay,
| And fishes / caught nine;
There's three to boil and three to fry,
And three to bait the line,"
| when she heard a sharp rap at the door.
The rap was not made with the hand, and
she opened the door instantly and saw the
Master of Braelands. She perceived also
that he had struck her door with the
handle of the short whip in his hand,
and il offended her.
"Weel, sir; your bidding?" she asked,
dourly.
81 came to see about my wife. Where
is she?n
ither body. 1t is name o my business.H
''She has left her home ~
"She would hae guide reason, dootless. "
"She had no reason at all. "
Janet shrugged her shoulders, smiled,
and looked over the tossing black waters.
II wish to go through your house.
think she is with you"
$50 through my house? Do you think
I'll let a man wi a whip in his hand go
through my house, after a poor fright.
ened bird like Sophy? Ma, ma. Not while
my name is Janet Binniel"
~ rode here. The whip is for my horse
You do not think j would use 1t on any
woman?'
"God kens. dinna"
Tell Sophy TO come and speak to me-"
"Sophy isna here. ~
81 am sure she is. ~
"Do you call me lee-ar? Do IL agin,
and every bsh wife IN Pittencraigie will
help me to give yon your fairings. TAX
yourself OF my doCrstep, or it will be the
waur for you'll Coming here and chapping
on my door wi horsewhip! OF WI
youl You puir creature, you! Sophy
Traill had bad bargain VII the like o.
you'll You drunken, leering, savage-like,
wife beating, pretence o. husband"
"Motherl motherl" cried Christina,
coming hastily forward. What's your
will, sir?" she sked, turning to Brae-
lands.
"My wife has left her home, and came
here TO seek her. -
"You came TO the wrong place. Sophy
isna here. We ken naething o the poor,
miserable lassie. God help herl And |
think you had better be going, sir.
There's Limmer Scott and Margot Roy
and few more wives looking this way,
and they hae their own fashion o. treat
ing men-folk who ill-treat a fisher lass.
Sophy was born amang them. "
" Ou are a bad lot, altogether ~
"Ay, and We'll prove IL on you, ifyou
dinna max quick step out o Pittencrai-
gle. cried Janet. ''l wouldna think
much myself o. putting you in blanket
and tossing you Ger the cliff into the wa
ter And Janet with her arms akimbo
and her ewes blazing with anger was not
n comfortble sight. SO, with n smile OF
derision, Braelands went away, his affect
ed dellberation by no means hiding the
white leather rom the laughing, jeering
hsh-wives, whose angry mocking fol-
lowed him.
And then there was a conclave i'm ia
nets house, and everyone told their own
version OF the Braelands trouble, until
Christmas heart was hot and heavy with
i'm her. and she could not work nor eat
nor sleep for the thought OF the runaway
wife. indeed, I'm every cottage there was
the one topic OF wonder and pity and the
one sad lament: "Poor Sophyl Poor
Sophy Braelandsln
CHAPTER W
No more was heard OF Sophy's troubles
for many months. Braelands put a notice
in the local papers warning people against
giving his wife shelter or credit and after
this insult had been commented on other
things quickly occupied the attention OF
Pitten ra gle storms and thipwrecks.
and men lost, and men miraculously saw
ed. In the plain old kirk. with its model