The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-10
CHAPTER IN.

0 NE of Vida Bryan's best friends, after Dick Finnan and the red O nosed 1rishman on the Skerry Light. was old Abraham Fyfe, the senior gardener at Gorm House. MT. Romer re- fused to have head gardener or ihoeOu a "head anything.
 q am head gardener he would say, ..bead cook head bottlewasher, head everything! There is no head at oorIh House CT in the Kirldown pits but Jaeop Romer. So mind you that.
 Still Abraham was the man Wlth the best pay, the longest service, the most nriyilsees and the only man about the place who at times dared to speak ms mind to his master Jacob Romer knew sincerity when he saw it. For instance he was as well aware that James hahn was busly feathering his nest, as lhat Abraham Fyfe WAS serving nm like a leal man and no hireling. But then ms business was such that James Kahn was more useful to him. Any man may be a good man. but if takes very clever man 10 be a servioeable rascal. Besides man of conscience and scrupies IS Just so much more hampered.
 Rut still Abraham had a tolerance and n respect from the ironmaster which were withheld from his cleverer tool. The latter was "Kahn" always to his master. Bnt the gardener was always "Abra- ham" and the fierce master of Gorm House would sometimes end discussion as to horticultural subjects with the ad- mission that, After all Abraham, per haps you may know more than myself about shalots!
 Vida liked well enough to see Abraham "slip doon" as he said. ''frae the Big Hoose to help her to tidy up wee!' It made her feel less lonesome down by the little Gate Cottage at the Glepe Enu' This was not the main lodge Of Corn House. but one of which the gate always stood open which led, by a narrower, longer and more sequestered avenue un- der d gloomy, almost secret archway of green. with a couch of pine needles rest ful and elastic under foot, to the stable entrance But still Jacob Romer passed ont much more frequently by the open Globe End gate than by that guarded by the huge tortured saurians which repre- scented the heraldic supporters Of his uncles family.
 See to that moo! He never so muclde as looks the road ye are on, my bonnie! said old Abraham who had his privileges with Vida, as he pointed after the smok- ing wheels of his masters Carriage. ma, na, His heart is over hard. even as the neither mllstane. There is aye something for the grace O God to work on, in a sim ner wha errs through the glamour O WeeI-faured face. There was King Daw- yid himself. ye ken. But Jacob Romer, never-I hae kenned hfm-ay for forty year. and save for self and siller, that heart in his breast has never donted the faster
 Vida turned pale as she stood listening. Perhaps she was destined to hear from this stranger that which her mother had so carefully hidden.
 sDid he never love any woman?" said Vida tremulously. slowly crumbling the leaves of blonde tea-rose between her fingers.
 Save us lass!' cried the old man. snatching the branch from her, "dinna gang spolin' the best bloom O the Pride O Burgundy that my ain hands planted for ye-ay-they did so-grafted on Ayr shire White it was, an dug aboot an watered-but what was it ye was sayin :? Ow ay aboot the maister. Was he ever in love? I.ove-love-hear to vel Is there naethng else f the heads O you young folk-but havers aboot love-"
 But, MT. Romer-you were going to tell me"
 Was l? I hadna mind that l men toned it. Howsomever-ye will maybe no hae heard tell that the maister was marriet-when he was younger man. It was doom Northumberland way where there are bonny bits O lasses-whte an delicate as bakers biscuits wi pink sugar on the tap. Ay, l served wi the auld man then-the first Maister Jacob Gorm; ye will hae heard tell O him. He was a great man in Thorsby. what they caa' Chairman O the Docks an owner O heaps O ships Him it was that sunk the first O thae Incubus pits and set up the company. It was coal he was seellin', but Jacob Romer fand the iron weel-- that has been the maxim O this country side in ae way O looking at it, an may be the perditon O it in anitherl
 'But the young maister-oh, he took a strange notion into his head ae day. Abraham he says to me, I am to be married. man never works with both hands and his head except when he has wife and family to support. So they say. I am going to try it!
 Good luck to you and your bonnie lady, sir!' says l.