The record-union., 1896-04-12
"Ah, you are McIntosh's friend?'


proud of, young man. Mcintosh is the
steadiest and most hardworking young
man in Edinburgh. l may tell you tha,
1 am going to take him into partnership
next Monday 1t is my birthday, and
could not give myself better birthday
present. You need not mention the
matter, as I want to surprise him."
At this moment Kenneth came rush
ing up with a very red face, and said:
HAS Farquharson Gomez?
'I haven't seen him, Mcintosh" an
swered McQuharity.
Pm rather afraid I asked him for
Tomorrow" said Kenneth, looking
with an expression of shame at Nc
Quharity.
Never mind, Mcintosh, you can play
against your fri>ad and me"
Kenneth frightened UP, and said:
"All right, if you don't mind, SIR
1t was a glorious afternoon, and we
We're on excellent terms with ourselves.
McQuharity was one of those 'pawky
old golfers, who never do anything
brilliant, but who don't often make
mistake Fiery his caddie, knew
his play to nicely, and offered him
always, without being asked, the club
he wanted.
McQuharity always took the cluo
without a murmur, knowing that
Fiery knew better than he himself
what he was and what he was not
capable Of.
All went we'll until we got to Pandy
in the second round. AS he had done
fifteen years before, and for that mat
ter as he does to this day for all l
know to the contrary. Kenneth drove
into Pandy. The devil must have had
an Off day and have come down to
Musselburgh to see what was going on;
anyhow, he or somebody else suggested
to me to go and sit on the railings on
the other side of the bunker, which l
did.
Kenneth began ploughing. After
about half-a-dozen strokes, said:
Kenneth, that's the thirty-seven
more
- - -" said Ken
meth, and the niblick took off my deer
stalker cap on it's voyage past my head.
1t then landed on the racecourse, and
the shaft broke in three different places.
McQuharity, who was on the other
side Of the bunker, dropped his cleek
in amazement, and stood gazing at
Kenneth with his mouth open.
Over the face Of Fiery" stole a slow
situation; that burly caddie Crawford,
who was carrying for Kenneth, at first
showed signs Of laughter. He re-
strained himself. however. and said:
"Stiddy, moo, stiddy, Mr.. Mcintosh" :;
and then, turning to Fiery, he whis-
peredhoarsely behind his hand: bod,
Fiery, mon, did We iver hear the likes
O. yon? 1t was air affu'."
There was no more conversation dur
ing that golf match. When we were
walking up TO the station nobody
spoke. In the train nobody spoke. AT
Waverley Kenneth offered his hand to
McQuharity, who merely bowed. He
did not even look at me. When Ken
meth had gone, McQuharity turned to
me and said:
II told you this moning, sir, that ]
should make Mcintosh my partner. !
may now say that Mr.. Mcintosh is the
last person whom I should think of
taking into partnership. I never was
so shocked in my life. Goodnight,
sir; goodnight"
Here was pretty "how-d'-do"; all
my fault, too. as usual. I began to wish
that there was no such thing as an es-
tablished kirk, and that certain words
had never been introduced into the
English language. / wished Mussel-
burgh in general and Pandy in partic-
ular had never been discovered. I cursed
the man who invented golf. One thing
was certain: had got Kenneth into a
very bad mess, and / must get him out
of 1t again. I wished to goodness he had
not always been so annoyingly good
and then McQuharity could not have
taken SO much notice. It was the sud
den and total shattering of his lido
which had affected him so deeply.
I set to work to find out if any Of my
friends were intimate with McQuhar-
ity
l discovered that Addison, a rising
young w. S., knew him Intimately and
l made him sit down there and then and
invite him to dinner at his club on Sat
urday.
The time which elapsed between the
dispatch and the acceptance of the in
vitation was one Of the most exciting
and disturbing that 1 ever remember
passing.
The invitation was accepted and ]
was happy. Kenneth was the other
guest.
A shade of anger passed over Nc
Quharity's face when Kenneth ap-
peared and he saw that he was going
to dine in his company. The Elder was
very much in evidence for quite two
mi, off infn "a
dining-room.
l was sorry for Addison, but I told
him it must be done, and he was in
very good practice considering he was
young man. I sha'n't forget that din
ner, nor do I thing will McQuharity
and Kenneth, and I am quite certain
that Addison's purse felt the effects OF
it for a considerable time.
McQuharity, like some other elders
took most of his religion in church; he
had none to spare at the dinner table
There are worse things than Due de
Montebello of 'S4 and Chateau La Rose
of '64 BY half-past II, over his third
whisky and potash, / felt that Nc
Quharity was ready for my proposition.
He had not spoken to Kenneth during
the whole evening, and for the last hour
had apparently completely forgotten
his presence.
McQuharity's face wore silly smile
as ne vainly tried to hum "a wee drap-
pie OF" We were in the library, alone
1 took up the air and sang the first
two verses, and McQuharitys smile
broadened into an inane grin as he
beat time with his half-empty tumbler
He was ripe for anything
Monday is your birthday, Mr.. Nc
Quharity. Let US all go down to Luff-
ness and have day there. The links
are in grand order" / said.
''Yesh leSh all go down to Luffnesh, -