The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-06-18
miscellaneous.
SCOTS FOLK IN LONDON.
By DAVID LYALL,

| to see Wardrop. He happened to be
out at lunch ut that time, and as the
| boy said he had come some distance,
| told him to show him in, so that he
might wait until Wardrop returned.
The moment my eyes fell upon him
| as he came within the door, | saw that
he was Scotchman, and | could al
most have told from his general ap-
pearance that he belonged to the farm
ing class.
You are not Mr.. Wardrop," he said,
looking at me keenly.
"Oh no. | answered, my name is
Lyall; but if you can wait IL few
| minutes, | am sure that Mr.. WardrCp
won't be long he has only gone out
to lunch"
"Oh, can wait" he said, quietly
I'm not in a hurry. Time is not that
much of an object to me now. Things
have got sac bad that naethinS mat
tiers much"
II am sorry to hear that" an
swered, respectfully as | hear you are
Il Scotchman by your tongue. Have
you been long in London -
Il dinna live in London at ALL" he
| answered, but down in Essex. Iva
| farm there
oh" | said with interest. Are
you one of the Scotch colony who are
trying to make living where the
| English farmers failed -
Yes, you've said it be answered,
| with a certain mournfulness. I've
done my best, but I've failed.n
And what do you want to see Mr..
WarGrop about = asked. cautiously,
for my chief had been so continually
taken advantage OF, and had given
away so much, and l was always try
ing TO guard him against further Oh
legations; but before had my ansW er.
Wardrup himself returned. His keen,
CHEEKY glance tell at once upon the
stranger sitting on the office chair,
and he bade him pleasant good-daY.
The old man rose somewhat hurriedly
from his seat, and the look he cast
upon Wardrop was at one inquiring
and wistfui; it seemed to mutely ask
for help even before he spoke.
My name is Glover, sir" he said,
William Glover, and l come from u
place called Elvanfoot, in the upper
ward of Lanarllshire. Maybe We have
heard tell of the place -
Yes" said Wardrop. II know it
well. Well, Mr.. Glover, what can l
do for you?'
I've just been telling this young
gentleman" said Glover then, that |
am farming down in Essex, at a place
called Rayleight. Maybe we ken that
too? It's not far from Southendon-
Sea-
Yes" answered Wardrop, prompt
ly, Il know Rayleigh well. So you
are one of the Scotch farmers who
have been trying to lick a living out
OF the Essex wastes. | doubt you
haven't succeeded very we'll"
mo, that I've not" answered the
old man. I've dune my best, work
ing early and late. hale never spar
ed mysel, but we had such a terrible
drought last year, we were completely
burned up. There was hardly a blade
of corn on the place last harvest, and
| hadna the wherewithal to pay my
rent
well ?" said Wardrop, inquiringly,
wishing, l could see, to hear the whole
story before he committed himself to
| a remark.
Il havena come to, Mr.. Wardrop. to
| borrow money off you," he said, with
| a certain mingling of dignity and
pathos, although | will not deny that
| am sair needin' it. What I've come
about is to see whether you would be
minded to show up great and crying
| evil that has been the ruin of many d
poor hard-up crater besides me.n
"Ah, what's that?' asked Wardrop,
| with growing interest; anything in the
nature of an abuse always reused his
concern. Before he uttered another
word, the old man took out a we'll
worn pocketbook, from which he eX-
tracted some small pieces of printed
paper, folded in the inside of certain
| letters. One of these he hand to Wor-
drop, and asked him to read it, which
he did aloud, with a curious stern
look on his face:
"'Having had considerable expert
ence of over thirty years in the private
! financing of some of the largest farms
| in the Southern counties, and possess
ing a considerable amount of invested
capital, | am prepared to assist farm
ers and agriculturists with temporary
financial aid in any sums from $50 up
wards at a very low rate of interest
upon note of hand alone, and in a
manner of repayment easy and salts
factory to clients Well said War
drop, when he had slowly read out
this interesting and tempting adver-
tisement, you applied, | suppose, to
this philanthropic individual to help
you out of your difficulty p
Yes" said the old man, Il borrow
ed $50 from him last Michaelmas to
help to pay my rent, then | borrowed
another $50 about month ago to buy
seed and potatoes for the planting.
I've paid some instalments and also
the interest, but | dinna think | I'M
| lerstand it, for he saws now that
owe him ESQ, and that if dinna pay
he'll put in the bailitTs."
II suppose he has 4 bill of sale on
your stock = said Wardrop, enquir-
ingly.
"Ay,'' answered the old man; "he
said it WAS his only security"
Would you mind letting me see all
the papers, Mr.. Clover said War
drop, and | saw by his face that he
was much interested in the affair.
Willingly, and with the manner OF
one who is glad to be relieved of the
responsibility, poor old Glover emp