The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-17

! bonnair and kind my grandfather was
! when he escaped fconl mis- wife'S lead
ing strings for an hour, unbinding his
wits and ungirding his waistSand in a
place where nlirth was not counted IN
godliness and laughter compared with
trite asperity) to the cracking OF
thorns under a pot.
! ''Ha, Elspie. lass" he had cried when
he came in, croOlSing a finger TO the
elder maid by the inner door, come
hither to my knee. Nay. what. never
bashful? Why, tbs but yesterday that
you would have run to it and climbed
for kisses. And today you are as wei-
come-eyery whit"
Whereat right merrily Umphray Spur
way, the Englishman. laughed, but not
so the minister. Mr.. John Bell.
The girl came slowly forward, lifting
the corner of her white apron with one
I hand and picking bashfuliy at it with
the other.
Sir James lifted one, of the tail can
dlesticks and held it up. so that it's
light fell on the perturbed face and
shrinking figure of this tail slip OF a
lass
'.Ods fish," he cried. this will never
do. I mus go find a I.atch for you. my
lady. You grow overiy handsome. we
will have heads cracked. and all the
young gamecocks of the neighborhood
sake. l am magistrate, and l will not
have the lads guarding in my parish if
can help it. Mistress Brydson. l must
have this pr tty Els eth f on Sh cG-
led and hanGcuffed ere she begin TO
breed ill-blood among our youth"
The girl tossed her head and bridled
like willful country beauty.
Il desire not to be welded" she said,
biting at a strand of her flowing dark
hair as if she had a spite at it; its
poor business. -besides''-
'"Bravoi we'll said. my lass said the
Englishman, shifting MS knee, tbs an
opinion 1 have always held myself"
Hush. Umphray! Besides what, Els
pie?" persisted Sir James wishing TO
hear how the lass would finish her SEN
tence
Besides" she hesitated, there are
many wed who would give all they
possess to be unwed again. l want not
to make one more
Sir James laughed outright. while his
two friends discreetly looked hard at
the table.
"A shrewd lass, and, faith" he said.
very true-very true. l know some
such myself But ali the same. it is not
well becoming in my jurisdiction that
such pretty one should lack a hus-
band, so long Umphray Spurway, great
English lout that he is hath neither
wife TO Keep MIN warm dn1ghtS, nor
BARN TO heir. his goods and go clad in
cloth of his weaving. Look to it. mani,
Look to it E an
AT this the great red Englishman
laughed. being well pleased, as all men
do when they are rallied concerning
women
All. Sir James," he said, speaking
with a curious burr in his utterance.
had l lands and houses, milns and
water powers like you, had not SO long
been eating the bread of an hireling's
baking. Elspie here is a pretty lass and
an honest. but LWot well she knows her
TO an old gyaybeard Englishnani''
BY this the lass had recovered from
her first daunting, and found the sharp
tongue wherewith to hold her own,
which comes naturally to women bred
and born in inns and hostelries.
Never before have / gotten tie
chance TO say either yea or nay to that,
Master Umphray Spurway,' she said,
dropping her pinafore and standing
with her hands behind her a little de-
family; but, after all. tits better late
than after dark as the saying is,'S
Sir James laughed loud and hearty.
and even the minister chuckled over
his cup of wine.
There you have it to the hilt, Umph-
ray" cried Sir James. ""Tis a rare
challenge. Speer her, man. We will
be your witnesses, bonny LASS"
And by mine Office 1 VIII wed you
here across the table if you get him to |