The record-union., 1897-06-27

| DOW, said Mrs. Whln severely,
! cannot have you speaking like TINS
about my friends. You ought to be
very much ashamed"
But Dow the accuser was not
abashed
| What would your friends say, mem
and what would the Duke say-n
they knew you were getting familiar
with the son of butcher-body?
Mrs. Whin gave a gasp, and then
laughed outright.
You are out of your mind, said She
Dow shook his head in melancholy
fashion, and fixed her look with pair
of solemn eyes,
Tis Thomson, the f1esher in old
! King street." he said convincingly.
The old folks died, and Andersons
bought the shop, but they aye keep the
name to hold customers together. 1
mind it well-that is (hastily), l heard
it so often that it was as good as seeing
1t a myself. Young Archie would not
bide and mind the shop. He wanted to
shoot people, he said, it was better than
sticking Sheppard he ran away for a
soldier. And old Ann Thomson would
cry, He'll come back yet; he'll come
hame when he's weary o. the wars
and folks got shot, and somebody took
a fancy to him and showed him up,
and there was no more hopin' for him
to come home and drive the cart and
tie on the apron. Sac the old folks died,
and may be he has come home at last
to see if he can light on Ann Thorn
| sons stocking-for she kept aye put
ting by for Archie, and they couldna
| mt hoC q
look whiles in odd corners, and up
the lum; but he hasna got it-and he
is come creepin' about the old place,
| pretending to be as fine as the like
| of you"
1t was circumstantial indeed. If 1t
should be true?
| Il don't believe it," said Mrs. Whin.
do you think 1 would vex you with
a lee?'' said Dow, dropping from his
state language with relief ooh, mem,
it isna spite, and it isna jokin'. 1 made
sure 1t was truth before 1 wad trouble
you with the story. He keeps himself
10 hlmser, and he darena speak; but
there's some in the place knows him
Tor Archie Thomson, the f1esher's son,
VINO ran ava to the wars"
Mrs. Whin's bright eyes grew dull
with a sudden shock. All at once she
remembered-yes- past that old
shop IN King street-stopping to order
something that had been forgotten and
| seeing the General inside She had
wondered then what a man staying in
motel could be doing there and to her
look OF surprise he, reddening, had
| answered, Buying collops."
Mrs. Wnln was not very bold. She
hao great ideas about family and she
would run faster from ridcule than
from COW. So she gave a gasp
m awful vext," said Dow sympa-
theticaliy, looking up at her with big
round eyes, but I thought it was a
pity you and the Duke should be low
erin yoursels, mo- kennin'-"
hes a brave man and a General -
murmured Mrs. Whin in an uncertain
voice.
Ay, he's brave and a General-mav
De- They tell me he was aye figbtin'
with the bakers lad. An many a
time the foaves would lie in the mud
an legs O. mutton would need a scrub-
oin. The bakers lad aye cam bv the
worst" said Dow.
''Oh!' cried Mrs Whin.
one clenched her hands with a feel
ing or intense humiliation that brought
the tears smarting into her ewes. Her
General, her interesting, distinguished
General-a butchers son, How tho
county would laugh at her If tbav
knew! Oh, it all fitted in so well With
the little things she had noticed and
palo no attention to at the time. And
10 tnlnk that she had nearly
Ihere was lass at Henraddocb
aimee servant lass" said Dow ..and
ne used to court her at the back gate
"hen ne came WI the meat. Rut sbe
waona wait sac lang. He maun baa
oeeh salr putten about to find his amid
sweetheart grannie!"
Ihat VIII do" said Mrs. Wbin Har
morse was backing against the pa viIion
iehce ana the groom was cluckine to
keep it still ~
Low moved out of her way. and in
announcer minute she sat up in the dr;v-
Ing seat. The high red wheels flashed |
across the links and vanished: and Dow
turned 10 one of the lesser. caddies
fou see to Sir Thomas this AFTER |
llooh' ne said in his lordly English:
L hae got other business
Ihen he stalked off the ground.
Inc General marched through Mrs. |
Whlns gates cheerfully that afternoon
his head was high, and his gait con-
tented He rang the bell, and turned |
TO look out over the garden and The |
late autumn flowers, humming some |
thing martial.
Mrs Whin at homer"
Not at home"
He glanced at the servant. There |
was some mistake.
Il am General Thomson" he said |
gruffiy, expecting to be instantly let in. |
know, Sir. But my orders are to |
say that mistress is not at home"
Ihere was no mistaking this. The |
General stared blankly at the man. |
ready TO swallow him in the extremity |
or ms wrath. Mrs. Whin had made ii |
plaln-so plain that he could only won |
der at the ways Of a woman and beat |
a retreat. He had better pack I'D at |
once, and take the morning train TO |
the south.
Il will leave my card" he said with |
grim flicker in his eyes. and he wrote |
on it "P. P. c."
Ihere was a shadow in the corner
OF the gateway that the General. str:d- |
ing through, did not see. AS he passed, |
however, with chagrin written on his
countenance, the figure rose up and |
chuckled.
Creeping In the lee of some big
bushes, Dow arrived at the lowermost
windows of the house There was one
where he had seen a stirring of the
W1ndoW-curtains when the General
came away. A big laurel bush leaned |
overagainstthe window, and Dow made
himself small, stretching his neck eau