Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-27
CHAPTER XIII.
"VLTHo are your" said 1. in no very
wv gentle tons.


Stuart"
"And what do you want here. Donald
etuart7'
a''The verra question she'd asSin' ye'ser'
what gars va tae come gowkin' an
spierin' aboot here at sic an hour?''
TT is my intention TO live here, for
the future" said I.
"Hoot toot ven be no meanin' itY"
But I do mean IT," said l.
''Eh, mani but ye maun ken the place
Is no canny. what wi pixies, an war
locks, an kelpies. forbye-"
Indeed. they told me It was haunted,
but determined to see for myself"
''weel7''
''well. I am glad to find It haunted by
nothing worse than a wandering Scots
piper"
The Highlander smiled his wry smile,
and taking out snuffbox, inhaled q
pinch. regarding me the while.
"Ye're the first as ever stayed-after
they'd heard the first bit squealvie, tae
find out II t were a real boyle or no.
"But how in the world did you make
such awful sounds?'
be meanin'7" he inquired.
''Yes; how did you do it1'
"oh, It's juist the pipes!" he answered
patting them affectionately, will I show
ye the noo?'
pray do" said I. Hereupon he set
the mouthpiece to his lips, inflated the
bag. stopped the vents with his fingers
and Immediately the air vibrated with
hal OF Il haU alr dxy =
tempted to describe.
"oh mani" ne exclaimed. laying the
still groaning instrument gently aside
"oh, man! Is 1t no juist won'erful?'
"But what has been your object in
terrifying people out of their wits in this
manner?'
sir it's a on account o. the snuff"
Snuff" repeated.
"Juist that! he nodded.
Snuff" said 1 again; what do you
mean?"
The piper smiled again-a slow smile.
that seemingly dawned only to vanish
again; it was, indeed, II 1 may so ex-
press II, a grave and solemn smile. and
his nearest approach to mirth, for not
once in the days which followed did
ever see him give vent to a laugh.
The piper smiled, then, and, unwind
ing the plaid from his shoulder, spread
"Ye maun ken," he began, that hae
muckle love for the snuff an snuff is
unco expenseeve in these parts"
'Well?" said l.
"Ye maun ken, in the second place,
that ma br1ther Alan Gamma abide the
snuff"
your brother Alan!" said 1 wonder
ing
ma brither Alan" he nodded gravely.
But what of him, what has he to do
with"
MAN, bide a wee. I'm comm tae that.
go on. then" said 1, I'm listening"
''weel, I'd hae we tae ken I'm Draw.
bonnie piper an ma brither Alan, he's
bonnie piper, too-no sic a fair graund
piper as me. bein' somewhat uncertain
WI his 'warblers,' ye ken, but a bonnie
piper whateffer Aweel, mebbe, a year
syne I fell IN love wi a lassie. which
wad ha' been a richt If ma brither Alan
hadna' fallen in love wi her, too. so
that she, puir lassie, didna' ken which
tae taxi 'Donal,' says Alan, can ye no
love anither lassie; she can no marry the
twa o. us, that's sure! Then Alan
saws T. wen juist play for her. Which
] think yen own was graund idee.
only the lassie couldna' Juist max up her
mind which o. us piped the best. So the
end of IL was we agreed, ma brither
Alan an /, to pipe oor way through
England for a year, an the man wha
wed the lassie."
"'And a very fair proposal" said ],
(but--'
"wheest man! just here's where We
eome to the snuff. for. look ye, every
time bought a paper o. snuh minded
me that ma brither Alan. not takkin It
himself, was much siller tae the guide
fan'--oh mani IL used tae grieve me sair-
ktill, one day. l lighted on this bit hoosie."
= "Well?' said l.
"What. dye no see it?'
mo, indeed" / answered.
"Eh. man! ma brither Alan doesna'
buy the snuff but ne must hae a roof tae
shelter him an a bed tae lie in O. nights,
an pay for II, too. ye ken. fourpence.
or a bawbee. or a shillin', as the case
may be. whiles here hae bath for the
taikkin'. An, oh, man! many's the NIGHT
I've slept the sweeter for thinlKin' o that
saxpence or shillin' that Alan's a-partin'
WI for a bed little better than mine. 80,
wfshfu' tae keep this bit hoosie tae my
sel-seein' Z was haunted as they ca it
juist KEEP up the illusion on account o.
trampers. wanderin' gipsies. an sic-like
dirty tykes. En- but twas fair graund
tae see 'em rinnin' ava as II the de'il
were after them. spierin' back DER their
shoulders, an a by reason OF a bit
squeahie O. the pipes. here. An 30. sir.
ye hae t."
the ar during which the Scot drew a
packet Of bread and cheese from his
sporran, together with a flask which,
having uncorked, he held out 10 me with
the one word, "Whuskeyw
Thank you, Donald, but rarely drink
anything stronger than ale" said l.
"Aweel" said he. III ye Wilma, ye
Wilma. an there's but a wee drappie left,
tae be sure" Whereupon, after two or
three generous gulps, he addressed him
self TO bis bread and cheese. and ], fol-
lowing his example. took out the edibles
Simon had provided.
AN ye'rO minded tae bide here. ye tell
me9'' he inquired. after a while
Yes" nodded. "but that need not
interfere with you-two can live here as
easily as one. and. now that 1 have had
a good look at you. think We might get
along very well together"
Sir said he. solemnly my race IL
royal-I am a stuart-here's a stuarts
hand and he reached out his hand TO
mo across the hearth with a gesture that
was full OF a reposeful dignity. Indeed.
] never remember 10 have seen Donald
anything but dignihed.
f'How do you nnd life p these partsY"
/ inquired.
"Indeeferent slr--ve indeenerenti
Tae be sure, al fairs n' sic-like I've
had a. MUCH as 10 shil IN ma bonnet
At a time; but as iuist he kiltles that
draw EN-; they hae no real love for the
n|nes. uhotener' "A ranun reel pieasee
'sm well enough. but en- iAey hae no
h.nkslin fo9 iRe fll9s s.. mya,s .,s ~,
VI II tca I...,l,,,,,ls