Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-27


! this did not tell to my mother.
So, without further thought of my school
ing, accompanied Will to his stable at the
Kings Arms in the High street of Aber-
eairn. AS he went he told me his business.
II am going board snow to examine
bills of ladng with the captain. He is from
Hull with cargo of looms and foreign
yarns. The customs themselves will take
full day. Then there are his charges and
allowances to be gone over. Now. l was
bid to tell you that Little Anna Mark
would fence You for a silver dollar at the
back of the Min house, and that Gmphray
Spurway would be all day wool buying at
Morehanl fair You can put the two and
two together 1 nope"
Will Bowman kept his countenance as he
spoke. Indeed, it sounded very like a tryst-
ing of lad and lass. But neither Anna nor
L thought at all of that We COM
rades-that was ALL But. nevertheless, l
longed to see her. and did not believe that
she could fence me. Indeed. l chuckled to
myself for had been taking lessons in the
art from one Sergt. Robert Arthur some
time of Buchan's foot. but who. as he put
it. had been promoted for drunkenness, and
was now living in taverns and passing as a
veteran of the wars.
1t was tas l have elsewhere saidD a good
twelve miles by the ordinary Well-trodden
reads to New Milns, but there was pass
or slip through the hills behind Abercairn
by which the distance was not more than
seven. good hours ride only TO one that
knew the path. So, when Will had baited
his horse and rested it half an hour, l got
across the saddle and rode out of the town
oy devious ways, so that my mother would
not hear of my evasion.
1t was not my habit to go home to din
ner, for which indeed there was no time
my mothers house lying at me far end of
the town from the grammar school of Mich
olaS kldston. So the day was mine own till
bedtime.
In little more than an hour found my
self at New Milns. For as soon as the beast
got its head homeward there was no need
CT. and
manger-or perhaps simply the desire for
home-pulled the rein so that presently the
great square of Umphray Spurway's mill
lay beneath me, and there, by the mill
wheel (as Will had said), was little Anna
Mark. At sight of her 1 could hardly get
my steed quick enough into the stable and
can on Robin Green to take the care Of the
beast off my hands. l wanted so greatly to
run to my comrade. to tread my old pas
lures. and forget all In the clean downward
thresh OF the water from the mill wheel,
the singing of the weir, and little Annals
voice scolding me for minding ner foolish
message and coming at all.
Now. If any one thinks this is going to
turn out love tale she is srerousiy mis-
TAKEN For. indeed, Anna and l were far
above that kind of thing.
On the contrary, we did nothing but spar
and taunt one another, and for long time
there was scarce a civil word spoken be-
tween us But these 1 need not write
down. though 1 can remember them well
enough.
but Aiit SSIiOuS part L Will write. And
In the aftercome that proved grave enough
for me.
1t was not our custom to shake hands
when We met, much less-but of that we
had not as much as at that time ROT
at least.
So little Anna and I sat down down on the
broad wooden edge of the pool below the
mill wheel, the same into which the man
had fallen the night of the attack Here
we swung our legs and watched the min
nows circling calmly in the cool back-wash.
TIL at a certain point they dived heels over
head under the impetuous down rush of
the mil! stream were tumbled deep in the
brown turmoil of the pool and after
time emerged beaten and breathless in the
shadows once more. 1t seemed so good to
be tsh and wear no clothes such a
day For 1t had grown hot as l rode over
the hills, and down in the sheltered val
ley there was not breath of air stir
ring.
How will you like it," / said, when Won
come to Abercairn to live with my mo-
fher? There are no weirs to sing or pools
TO dabhIe your feet in there, excepting salt
water once out among the dulse and the
send Jumpers"
Il might like it well enough" she replied,
very composedly, only ] am not coming TO
Abercairn to live with you or your mother
either"
could NOT conceal my establishment.
But 1 demonstrated, 81 know il has
been settled so. For l heard nv mother
persuade Umphray Spurway to it,
oh. she made answer, without looking
at me, so your mother persuaded Umph-
ray to i-agairst his will. did she?"
Certainly, Little Anna I made answer,
Il heard il with my own ears
Through the keyhole. | suppose " she
said scornfully. But as that was her man
ner. paid no heed. Qt was true all the
same.)
WELL she went on, at will surprise
you to hear that ] not coming to
Abercairn. 1 do not propose to exchange a
house where l am welcome for one where
| | am not. Beside, my father has come back
! 10 this country. And l not going to
AGercairn to be snapped off in some for
eign ship to help Saul Mark at his dice
| tables or to mind his monkey in his sleep
| ing BOOTH
Both these things came like n thun1ar-
clap on me.
Anna Mark would not come to US. Her
father was back in Scotland.
And now, so curious is the heart of q
| bOy-I had cared little or nothing hitherto
| about Anna coming to our house in the
| Nennel, save to consider how she would
| agree with my mother. and how late the
pair of US would be allowed to play on the
| quay But now, so soon as I knew that
| she would not come, | was in a mighty
| taking to make her promise-nay even to
! take her back with me there and then upon
| the beast had left in the stable
| You would go to school in Abercairn 5"
| urged. .and learn also those things which
I-Whlch lasses ought to learn. For you
know; after all, you are lassie. You can
Il
| Yes" she answered with great scorn
| turning up her nose. Il am a lassie And
| because ] do not wear knee breeches
| must forsooth sit all day stitching at a
| sampler-so fine-'Great A. plain-C;reat Y,
plain--little r, fourished B-Anna Mark Her
| Sampler. Be good girl and you will sue
| coed In life and be a nuisance to all your
| loving friends No. l thank you Philip
Stansfeld l would rather a thousand
times go help my father with his cartes
and his monkey
OF course her father possessed no monkey.
| had. viz shi
! So we talked and talked, nor did we mako
| airy better of II. Anna would not come 70
be pressed in mold like jelly She could
| not be fitted 20 Mistress Priscilla Allan's
set of ladylike manners. The day might
| come when my mother would put her ont
OF the mill house, but that day had not
! come.
A. this last insinuation / fred up and
asked her what she meant by speaking so
OF my mother. that my mother was a good
woman, as she ought to know.
Which was true enough, but 1 had not
learned then that the best of women are
not always fair to one another-especially
when the same number of years which will
bling one of them TO nineteen will land the
| other at forty.
| SO Anna and swung our legs and talked
\ taI - pl1 am