Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1920-12-24
CHAPTER ll-continued.

One day, when l came in from the
sheep, there was my father sitting
with letter in his hands, which was
a very rare thing with us, except when
the factor wrote for the rent. Then
when came nearer TO him saw that
he was crying, and stood staring, for
/ had always thought that it was not
a thing that 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 Will
. lies gone. It's from the lawyer. and
it was sudden, or they'd ha' sent word
Of it. Carbuncle, he says, and a flush
O. blood to the head"
"Ah, well, 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,
II 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 bide with
us, for that was his last WISH"
ITO pay for her keep" cried my
mother sharply. l was sorry that she
should have spoken Of money at that
moment, but then II 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 1t and you can fetch her over
to West Inch"
And so off l started. at quarter past
five, with Souter Johnnie. the long
haired fifteen-year-Old, and our cart
with the painted tailbOard, that
we only used on great days. The
coach was in. just as came, and l,
like 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 / slouched past and craned my
neck there came touch to my elbow,
black, standing by the steps, and
knew that 1t was my cousin Edie.
knew 1t, say, and yet had she
not touched me I might have passed
her score of times and never known
It. MY word, IL Jim HorscrOft had
no ! should have known how to answer
him. She was dark. much darker
than Is common among our border
lassies, and yet with such faint
flush Of pink breaking through her
dainty color, like the deeper flush al
the heart of sulphur rose. Her lips
were red and kindly and firm, and
even then, at the first glance, l saw
that light Of mischief and mockery thai
danced away at the back of her great
dark eyes. She took me then and
there as though had been her herr
tage, put out her hand and plucked
me. She was, as l have said, In
a wondrous fashion, with a black vel
pushed up from her brow.
"Ah. Jack" said she. In mincine
English fashion that she had learned
at the boarding school. mo. 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 wher
] saw her last.
"Is this our carriage? How funn.
II looks. And where am I to sit?"
"On the sacking," said I.
"And how am to get there?"
PUT your foot on the hub" said ]
"I'll help you" sprang up and tool
her two little gloved hands in IN.
own. As she came over the side, hen
breath blew in my face, sweet and
warm. and all that vagueness and un
rest seemed in a moment to have beer
shredded away from my soul. | felt
as IL that instant had taken me out
from myself and made me one of the
race. It took but the time Of the flick
ing of the horses fail, and yet some
thing had happened, barrier had
gone down somewhere, and l was lead
ing a wider and wiser life. | fell
Il oil in a suSh Init Shy and back