Evening star., 1897-03-20

to me it ives the only time he wantit to
give Dit swear.
There wud be table an chairs
-Burnbrae had been going over the mat
without ae end, an maybe ane o thae cup
boards wi glass in the front, an thing
maun be bonnie wood, tae say naething o
a carpet Dor fouk ill gle their best, but
a fear it's beyond us"
1T cowes a'thing to hear you Free Kirk
fouk; ye wud think there ives naebody in
the Glen but yirsels; what ails ye at the
Aud Kirk gin wantit to join in the
drawing room? A ken where a note or
twa cud be got for the carpet: yere no
vera neeburiy, Burnbrae."
Apart from the good feeling excited by
the combination of the two kinks in the
matter of the drawing room. it was felt
by the Free Kirk that the necessary bar
gain in Muirtown would be safest in the
hands of Drumsheugh, SO that while Burn
brae might be present as colleague he was
on no account to interfere with the man
agement. For years the Muirtown market
had been the scene of Drumsheugh'S trl-
umphs. and the opinion was freely ex-
pressed in the Glen that his purchase of
the wedding gift would be a monumental
work. No one on the Friday morning did
more than touch on the weather with him.
and he himself only glanced at the market
before setting off with Burabrae tor Mac
Callums. Il a shabby little shop
judged by sight from the street. for it had
only one window, and a person coming In
saw lOlnlllS Dul q nat StdHu, d ldDlt Oi
which MacCailum used to sit, and pile of
cane-bo.tomed chairs piled in corner; all
of which articles had stood there in the
same position for a generation. Nor had
the window any vain display. a bale of
| carpet and two footstools suggested rather
than displayed the nature of the business
carried On within, and the mere addition of
a. chair would have been disturbing. The
bdllie-for MacCallum mad once Filed that
high place. and therefore retained the title
| for life-being IN carriage and appearance
altogether worthy-was always clothed as
became an ex-magistrate, in fulP blacks
with vast expanse of fairly) white shirt
an Impressive stock, also white, and a tall
land very shabby hat set well back on the
forehead Passers-by could generally see
the bailie sitting on his throne. with one
hand in a trouser pocket, where he jingled
money without ceasing. and the thumb of
the other hand In the opposite pocket of
his WaS tcoat, and he sat at that angle to
the door that he could just watch the peo-
pie going in and out of a bank across the
street and return the salute of friends
which he did by jerking his head in a for
bidding manner, as If warning them that
his eye was upon them, and they had bet
ter take care. He was not of the race
which stands cap in hand at a door and
rubs ats hands before the public with ser
vile observances. If any householder in
Nuirtown or district desired new table,
then the bailie could be found in his place
any day of the year, except Sabbath, and
any hour between 10 and .. to excepted
and would sell him that table on fair terms,
or anything else the householder might
want within the bounds of the bailie's de-
partmen;, for he drew the line rigidly. and
would only supply a coal scuttle If il were
cased in wood and used to send purchasers
OF washing stand to a neighboring china
shop for the ever and basin. When a
Glasgow firm opened a place. and aston
ished Murtown by showing the furnishing
of different room in their window every
week. neighbors dropped in to inform the
bailIe.
After bed room has been in the sun
for week, an the streets have had their
till OF, l coont that furniture second hand,
an 1t wouldna suit my customers" And
from that day to the closing of the foreign
shop, through sheer want of business the
bailie never again alluded to the subject.
His hold on the town was only broken by
the fastidiousneSs of few persons who
purchased In Edinburgh and in one pre-
posterous case in London-the bailie refused
10 repair that furniture on its arrival in
pieces stating that IL would corrupt his
mems morals-and the country folk he lad
in his hand His father established he
business In the days when boxbeds began
10 be taken down, when there was a brisk
demand for canopied beds. His son had
bull; II up on the growing ambitions of
farmers wives who had spare bed rooms
and in "A few cases wera attempting draw
ing rooms, which were never used and had
| for their solitary ornament baskets of wax
fruit under glass. Sons came their ia
| theirs had done before them, and the baiie
nothing ever passed out Of that door that
was not of sound wood and good workman
| ship. The calculated and unabashed power
4 ty of the front shop had its justification in
| the rooms behind-just as shabby coat
almost proves millionaire-for every one
| knew that from his treasure house the
| bailie could supply any article from kitch-
| en- dresser to mahogany bookcase, and
| that on one floor the bedsteads stood twen-
| ty In row and the chests Of drawers were
| piled to the roof. So vast was the space.
| and SO Intricate the passages which wound
| IN and out among the furniture, that 1t
| was freely told how Carse woman, hay-
| Ing fingered behind her party to admire a
| wardrobe, lost her way utterly. and was
| found by search expedition, after an hour.
| indifferent TO circumstances, and affably
addressing her own likeness in a looking
/ glass.
On the way Drumsheugh went over their
| directions with Burnbrle and pledged that
worthy man 20 cooperation In the cam
paign.