The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-02-18

something Of growl. "It's livn' sac lang
amang sic folks, it's likely ye've forgattan
muckle o. mcr mither tongue"
Nonsense" returned the Laird, with a
laugh. "You mustn't throw my English
schooling In my face old man, nor yet your
daughters. But 60 on, jimmy, am tell't
me.n
You'll be mindin'," said the girl, nothing
loath to relate the story TO her young mas
ter; you'll be mindin' that Jamie was aye
glover an stern-like. An there was ilka
reason, for u, you'll say, Laird. He was a
lonely old man. His daughter, they say,
married against his wishes -
Yes, remember that" interrupted the
young man. She married three or four
years before went away to school. It was
a sad blow to jamie, ken. He was more
silent than ever after her going, though
was always welcome up there just the same
Many's the time I've eat my bit oat cake
an drank sup Of milk VII him. But 60
on, girl"
"Well, SIR" pursued the girl, drawing her
plaid more closely about her as she stood at
the open door, for the night wind was raw,
"mindin' that, yell ken how hard he took
the girls running away. Then-'twas some
eight or nine years ago, not long after you
left us, sir-she died, an sent her child back
to its grandfather. The husband poor
nae-do-well-had died before but shortly.
So Jamie took th' child-a bit boy it was
an bonnie.
"Willie they call't him-Wee Willie
and he was sweet little laddie, if he was
Black Jamie's grandson. The old man wor-
shipped him, sir. There was naught he
would not have done for him, an twas a
pleasure tae see th' little hop-o'- -my-thumb
didderin' after th' old man across th' moor or
oop tn hillsides.
Jamie quite thawed out, sir" continued
the girl, striving to use the English alto
gether; you'd hardly have known him
yourself Although he was so good to you.
he was aye bugbear to we children o. th'
village. But after Wee Willie come we
might 90 to his house wi'Out ever a word
from him. Or we could rim all over th'
sheep pastures and he'd not send us home,
as he used.
"But the second Winter after the laddie
came to Roman hills he was big enough to
rim aboot mair, and as he was afraid of
naught, it was a bonnie work tae keep track
of him. When it was pleasant jamie let
him follow after the sheep wiz himself and
the big hoond-you remember th' hoond,
Laird?"
Yes, / remember Jamie's big dog. He
was the ooly shepherd owned such beastie,
/ mind. More wolf than dog it was"
Aye, an is, for th' hoond is alive yet an
as glover as his MASTER" said the girl.
Well, day coom-an' sad day it was for
tn whole o. Kirk Ronan-when Wee Willie
followed after the sheepies for th' laist time
His grandfather telPt him taa stay by th'
door, for there was storm comm But for
some reason the laddie wandered off-an'-
an that's all, Laird"
The farmers daughter was crying softly.
WAS be lost?n
"Aye, he was sac. LAIRD broke in the
gruff voice of the old farmer. Wandered
over tn hills, an we dinna find him till th'
snaw passed in tn Spring. 1t set Black
Jamie beside himself, and he wondered oop
an doom th' moors crying for tn wee bit
laddie. An it's all tn mons done sim then.
Just tae wander aboot an cry after the BARN,
an send tn hoond oop intae tn hills, like as
th' sheepies might be lost lis pitifu'
sairs,n
Poor Jamie." was the young mans com.
ment - must see him soon."
Twill dae ye nae good, Laird declared
| the farmer, shaking his head. BLACK Jamie's
nae an easy man tae git alang vii since tn
bairn was lost AM th' old hoond's that
vicionsi"
"1'll see him, though. A good man he
was in his better days, and it would be a
shame 10 our name for us to pay no more
attention 10 him as though he was heastie "
"But you'll nae 90 that way th' NIGHT ? u
queried the girl.
Surely ] will. Not TO see Jamie, though
I'll take the old path over tn moorland, and
be home in a wink. Your claver was over
lang, jimmy, an ye maun keepit me-" he
added with a roguish smile.
The Laird set off on his rough walk al
once, and half an hour after leaving the farm
OF Ben Roman he was well up among the
hills which, in his youth, had been his IA