The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1920-09-02
CHAPTER II-Continued.

sheep, there was my father sitting
with a letter in his hands, which was
a very rare thing with us, except when
the factor wrote for the rent. Then
when l came nearer TO him / saw that
he was crying, and l stood staring, for
/ had always thought that 1t was not
a thing that a man could do. My
mother sat beside him and stroked his
hand like she did the cats back when
she would soothe IT.
"Aye, Jeannie," said he, poor VIII
lies gone. It's from the lawyer, and
it was sudden, or they'd ha' sent word
of II. Carbuncle, he says, and flush
o. blood to the head"
"Ah, we'll, his troubles over" said
my mother.
My father rubbed his ears with the
tablecloth. Hes left a his savings
to his lassie." said he, land, by gom,
If she's not changed from what she
promised to be she'll soon gar them
fee. He doesn't say how much, but
she'll have enough and to spare, he
says. And she's TO come and blde with
us, for that was his last wish"
ITO pay for her keep" cried my
mother sharply. / was sorry that she
should have spoken Of money at that
moment, but then If she had not been
sharp we should have been on the
roadside In a twelvemonth.
AYE, she'll pay, and she's coming
this very day. Jock, lad, I'll want you
to drive TO Ayton and meet the eve
ming coach. Your cousin Edie will
be in II and you can fetch her over
to West Inch"
And so off / started, at quarter past
five, with Souter Johnnie, the long
haired fifteen-year-Old and our cart
with the new-painted tailboard that
we only used on great days. The
coach was in, just as / came, and /,
like a foolish country lad taking no
heed to the years that had passed, was
looking about among the folk in the
inn front for a slip OF girl with her
petticoats just under her knees. And
as l slouched past and craned my
neck there came a touch to my elbow,
and there was a lady, dressed all In
black, standing by the steps, and ]
knew that 1t was my cousin Edie.
knew 1t, say. and yet had she
not touched me / might have passed
her a score Of times and never known
IT, My word, II Jim Horscroft had
asked me then II she were pretty or
no / should have known how to answer
him! She was dark, much darker
than Is common among our border
lassies, and yet with such a faint
flush Of pink breaking through her
dainty color, like the deeper flush at
the heart OF a sulphur rose. Her lips
were red and kindly and firm, and
even then, at the first glance, saw
that light OF mischief and mockery that
danced away at the back OF her great
dark eyes. She took me then and
there as though had been her heri-
tage, put out her hand and plucked
me. She was, as have said, In
black, dressed In what seemed to me
a wondrous fashion, with black veil
pushed up from her brow.
"Ah, Jack" said she, In a mincing
EnRllSn IaSnlOn tnat she nau ledrneu
at the boarding school, "No, no, we
are rather old for that" This be-
cause I. In my awkward fashion, was
pushing my foolish brown face for
ward to kiss her, as / had done when
I saw her last.
'Is this our carriage1 How funny
Il looks. And where am I to STIR
"On the sacking," said l.
"And how am TO get thereT
"Put your foot on the hub" said L;
"I'1l help you" 7 sprang mp and took
her two little gloved hands in my
own. As she came over the side. her
breath blew in my face, sweet and
warm. and all that vagueness and un-
rest seemed In a moment TO have been
shredded away from my soul. I felt
as n that instant had taken me out
from myself and made me one OF the
race II took but the time Of the flick
Ing ~ the horses tail. and yet some
thing had happened, barrier had
gone down somewhere, and was lead
ng wider and wiser life. felt
u all In gush. but, shy and back