Evening star., 1897-03-20
DRUMSHEUGH BUYS A We'd
DING PRESENT,
BY IAN MACLAREN.
Written for The EyerIu= Star.

Written for The Evelin= star.
copyright. 1897. ry John watson)
1t was Jamie Soriar who announced the
engagement to the kirky ard-by special
arrangement with his friend Carmichael
and circumstances gave him a good open
Ing. Conversation always tagged at the
beginning of summer. since the battle with
the dealers over the fat cattle had closed
for the season. and only capitalists had
still some stacks in Their yards. and the
fathers stood together in a friendly 81
lence
Aye aye" remarked Hillocks-with no
particular reference. but merely to sustain
continuity OF speech-and Gormack passed
his box Il BogleigE in general approval of
things. when Winnie. in whom there was
no reserve power of quitness. broke in
upon an old subject that had been threshed
TIL il had been abandoned through despair
OF another grain of wheat
1t d sna look weel. Lord Hay gaen' DOT
of the col ntry this Wy. a doot Miss Car
negie hesna workit him cannily eneuch.
an a m il igin' that his lOrdship is aft wi
the lire fly an a. an she's seen the laist
o him. it ill he a castdoon to the general,
for they heyna mair than they need at the
lodge.
"A canna max DOT what it means ma
sell" and Hillocks passed over Winnie s
suggestion with contempt. for he ives
terrible taen up WI her. he just scat
watch her in kirk an ae day he ives that
carried that he didna the ladle till a
Yves on him. an gin he didna pit in a sover-
eign. ma. ia. he ives clean infatuat' wi
the lassie.
The kirkyard yielded before such ir-
resistible evidence and waited for Hill
locks solution of the mystery.
Ave been wonderin'. neeburs. gin the
auld earl did drive the pige through the
garden; he's prood an maisterfu'. an he
1inhs hs. lnr J.N,l f<~r
his son: ma word. but he ill seek far an
wide afore he lichts on lass that ill carry
her head like Miss Carnegie. she passed
out Wy the nieht afore laist. an she hes
the look and the walk o a countess. There's
a kind o whrl in her walk aboot the waist
that's vera takin. It's an awfu' peety
puir lassie. but a doot she's missed it,
What think ye. Janice" for Drums
heugh noticed the keen relish with which
our cynic had been following Hllocks'
brief dissertation on gentle ladies and their
carriage. .'Whas to blame?'
''NaCbody but hersel. am judgin', an
am fair disgusted wi neF. Gin half we
hear he true. the lassie micht hae married
a lord. and lived in a castle. and been
Countess o Kilspindle in coorse o. time.
and Veested the queen. WI her tongue an
her Wy. an her blood an her position,
there's naethin' she MIGHT Ia hae dune
Ye're RIGHT there. jamie Winnie
broke in with much enthusiasm-so had
Kate fired our duIlest man-"gin she he'd
An tae think that ony woman in her
senses wud fling ava sic chances juist be-
caCse-Jamie spoke with accent of de-
liberation and the fathers hung on his lips
-'juist because she wes left tae herself
and fell in luve WI a Free Kirk
minister"
This cowes a'thing-it was proof of
"A certain native strength i'm HiIlocks that
he was the first to recover from the shock
and express the common mnd-'we a cud
see that Master Carmichael ives clean daft
aboOt the miss sin the first day she drove
him up frae kildrummie. an ElSpeth Mac
Fadyen. aye threipit there wud be a match:
but wha cud hae believit?" Then. at the
contrast between kispindie castle and the
Free Kirk nlanse of Drumtochty. even Hill
locks nerve gave way Keeps a. fouks:
this is no wiselike. it's against the vera
nature o things Are ye DRAWN leg
tfOoiing u.s.. Jamie2
locks. an think m japin ye; but sure
am stannin' here. they're pledged. an
II he married afore next winter.
It's afu illustration q the foolishness
o human nature. moralized Jamie and
makS me fair ashamed. Tae think that a
woman o full age an o guide blude sud re-
fuse a lord an fling ava fortune for nae
Thing but luve is fearsome. The Glen I'll
get shock. a wunner gin they ill hae to
leave the district
''Yere richt. Jamie. aboot the Glen" and
Drumsheugh spoke with such emphasis
that the fathers almost started: there's
no richt-minded man wumman In
Drumtochty whose blude ill no rim faster
tae ken that the last o the auld Carnegie
breed-the best fechters an loyalest family
in Perthshire-coonts silver an gold an
hooses an lands but the sma' dust i the
balance aside lUve.
Lord. haud a grip o's." was IIillocks
piOus prayer amid the general wreck of the
world. while Jamie Soutar found it hard to
sustain his air of disgust
Ic medina stare at me as If I wes a
fairlie twonder- resumed .Drumsheugh,
n = m Fts -
blind tae circumstances. Ma. ma luve hes
her rules an boundaries. an it wudna be
htjin that Cen Carnegie's daughter sud
come to a farmhouse: but a rnanse is a
It's like Carnegie tae despse a'thing but
love an honor an gentle life.
m wac tsorry) for Lord Hay. neeburs
for a N tudgin that he cooats his title an
his place no wuth havin' the day for want
o az wumman. but it may max him twice
the man he is-gin he be faithful
an masters himsel-
Jamie gave one swift searching plance
at Drumsheugh. and then turned suddenly
Its time We were in the kirk fouks in
stead o havering aboot love like whecn
l&-S and lassies-' but the fathers were so
moved by the news and Drumsheughs un-
expected Indifference to worldly considera-
tons. that HilloCks never closed an eve
during the sermon, and twice wagged his
head with amazement
The glen was stirred from end 10 end by
the news. and gave themselves up to dis
cussion at the turnips by the wayside in
the kiidrummie train and at two funerals
Without any word having the slightest sug-
L-Stion Of gossip. but rather with the gray
ity Of scientific investigation il was set
tie'i how old Miss Carnegie was how much
the general would have a year after the
Io"Se was sold and an assignment was
made from his half-pay TO the bankrup,
bank, where he would ive-in lodgings at
NU!rtown-how Mrs. Carmichael would fit
s| lElga