The herald., 1896-04-05
.But ! havnae, shs oniectsa.

ri daur say not" he returned. II said
| would say ye had; and IL ye like to nay
say me when ye come back, it'H no ma
| teerially matter, for my characters clean
game already past reca'.''
20, Dand, are ye q leear?" she asked.
| lingering.
"Folks say sae," replied the bard.
"Wha says sae?" she pursued.
| Then that should ken the best" he
responded. 'The lassics, for ane.'
"But, Dand, you would never lee to met"
| she asked.
''Tll leave that for your part Of It, ye
| girzie," said he. "Ye'n lee to me fast
eneuch, when ye hae gotten 10. I'm
tellin' ye and it's true; when you have a
10, Miss Kirstie, it'll be for guild ana III.
kent I was made that way mysel', but
the dell was in my luck! Here, gang ava
wi ye to your muirs, and let me be; I'm
in an hour of inspiration. ye upsetting
tawpie!
But she clung to her brothers neighbour
hood, she knew not why.
"Will We no gies q KISS Dand?" she said.
II aye likit We fine.'
He kissed her and considered her . mo-
ment he found something strange in her.
But he was libertine through and through
all woinankind, and paid his way among
them habitually with idle compliments.
''Gae wa wi yer' said he. You're a
dentie baby and be content wi that!'
That was Dandie's way; a kiss and q COM
At to Jenny-a bawbee and my blessing to
Jill-and good night to the whole clan Of
We, my dears! When anything approached
the serious, it became matter for men, he
hntb pd rotd w
did not absorb, were only children to be
shoo'd away. Merely in his character OF
connoisseur, however, Dandie glanced carc-
lessly after his sister as she crossed the
meadow 1.-The brat's no that bad!'' no
thought with surprise, for though he hal
Just been paying her compliments.
he had not really looked at
her. "Hey! what's yon?'' For the grey
dress was cut with short sleeves and skirts,
and displayed her trim strong legs clad in
pink stockings of the same shade as the
kerchief she wore round her shoulders,
and that shimmered as che went. This was
not her way in undress he knew her ways
and the ways of the whole sex In the cchh-
try side, no one better; when they did not
go barefoot, they wore stout rig and fur
row. woollen hose of an invisible biCa
mostly, when they were not black outright;
and Dandie, at sight OF this daintiness put
two and two together 1t was silk hand
kerchief, then they would be silken hose;
they matched-then the whole outfit was a
present of Clcm's, costly present, and not
something to be worn through bog and
briar, or on late afternoon Of Sunday
He whistled. my denty May, either your
Eeid's fair turned, or there's some ong,-
ings!' he observed, and dismissed the eub-
ject.
She went slowly at first, but ever straig t.
er and faster for the Cauldstaneslap, q pass
among the hills to which the farm owed It's
name. The Slap opened like a doorway be-
tween two rounded hillccks; and through
this ran the short cut to Hermiston. I'M
mediately on the other side 1t went down
through the Deil's Hags. considerable
marshy hollow of the hill tops, full OF
springs, and crouching jumpers, and pools
where the black peat-water slumbered.
There was no view from here. A man
might have sat upon the praying weayer's
stone half century, and seen none but the
Guardianship children twice In the tyyen-
ty-four hours OH their way to the school
and back again. An occasional shepherd.
the irruption Of a clan Of sheep, or the
birds who haunted about the springs. drink
ing and shrilly piping. So, when she hal
once passed the Slap. Kirstie was received
the HguTe DnrrIIr, ,,.--,- - i--t .,,.
be scribbling in his lap. the -Four Of expect
ed inspiration having come to him at last.
Thence she passed rapidly through the rns.-
ass, and came to the further end of 1t, where
sluggish burn discharges, and the path
for Hermiston accompanies It on the bexin-
ming of its downward path. From this cor
ner a wide view was opened to her OF the
whole stretch of braes upon the other side.
still sallow and in places rusty with the
winter, with .he path marked boldly, here
and there by the burn side tuft Of birches.
and-three miles off as the crow fies-from
its enclosures and young plantations, the
windows of Hermiston glitterinx in the
western sun.
Here she sat down and waited, and looked
for long time at these far-away bright
panes of glass. 1t amused her to have SO
extended view she thought. 1t amused
her to see the house Of Hermiston-to ses
folk and there was an indistinxuishable
human unit, perhaps the gardener, visibiy
sauntering on the gravel paths.
By the time the sun was down and all ths
easterly braes lay plunged in clear shadow,
she was aware Of another figure coming un
the path at most unequal rate Of approach.
now half running, now pausing and SEEM
ing to hesitate.
M In.