The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-22

~ w tourney lie was
= tall and stalwart Scotchman of about
eight-and thirty, rot aggressiyely hlgh
as tc cheekbone and loug as 20 lip, but
with a face more canny than kind, and
n straight, cold mouth which had par
ticulsr terrors for the people who dis
pleased him.
Something or somebody had dis
pleased him now; and he looked posi-
lively forbidding as he marched up and
down in the limited space at his COM
mand, uttering a subdued imprecat!on
when the oscillation OF the carriage
caused him 10 fall into one or other
of tho seats, and then resumiDg his diff
fcult promenade as before.
As a general rule he loved the beau
tifui view which is TO be 5een on both
sides &C the line, the heather changing
color on the hills, the peeps at the rush
ing Dee. He was born and bred not
many miles from Ballater, and il was TO
his seat among the Aberdeenshire hills,
the house in which he was horn and in
which he hoped TO die, that he was now
returning, after visit TO the Royal
agricultural show down in the uncon-
genial south.
He was entirely unattended, rs il was
his pleasure to he in mood such as
he was in at the time. When the train
reached the Ballater terminal he sprang
out upon the platform with his bug in
his nand and his rug on his arm; and
refusing all offers of assistance and
Swapping ont that he hsd no Luggage"
he strobe through :he little station and
nlong the road towards Craigendar-
roch, the "hill of the oaks, which DOM
inates the highland village.
Leaving the hill on his right, walk
of about a mile along n gradually
ascending weed brought Sir Alexander
10 rho foot of hill which he proceed
ed to climb. About half way up on n
small rugged plateau covered with
heather and short, rough grass, he
came to n rude dwelling which had evil
IDENTITY been a couple ot lahorer's cot
tagcs, but which had been transformed
by MIN into useful shelter or halting
place for the journeys of himself and
his household 10 and from Kechleen
II
railway station. and consequently "off
the map"
The cottage was kept in order by an
old servant of the family, who had been
lnown SO long as "Jock" TINT he had al
most forgotten any other name. He
had been head gamekecper in his time,
and general nuisance by reason of
the liberties he took. So that when fail
ing eyesight compelled him 20 give up
his post, and he and his old wife settled,
by their own choice, in hut Gdjoiring
the cottage among the hills, nobody
regretted him but Sir Alexander, who
found something piquant in The utter
nnces of the old tongue that dared to
contradict him.
And he often spent pn hour with the
grabbed old fellow, going cut of his
way. when shooting on the moors, to
rest with his gun on q wooden chair
beside the smoldering. fragrant peet
fire.
1t was months since he had been
there last, and when Sir Alexander, wet
Through TO the skin with the Scotch
mist which was esshrouding all the
hills. from Loch-na-gar on the one side
tc Culbleen on the other, knocked
SHARPLY at the locked door of the hut.
it was opened by Jock with IN air of
dignIfied astonishment
II didna think go see We hereaseets
for some time. sir" said he. morosely,
ss ne took his master S bag and rug
and made way for him 10 enter.
Sir Alexander frowned rs he polled
pff his gloves, and nodding 10 Mrs.
rJosk," who was deaf. and who curt
seyed and said nothing after her wont,