Evening star., 1926-05-16

all the time the poor lass had been
| too mazed to cry out against him
! Oh. prideful popinjay that he was, he
| had frightened the lass out of her
wits. and now she was crying as If
| the heart Of her would break in two.
"Oh, Sally Ann" he cried, II didna
mean t fright ye so. Dinna greet
dinna greet, my wee lamb. I'm lout
that's no. worth the hangin'. but I'd
bake on a griddle afore I'd do aught
t. harm ye. Sally Ann"
She stopped sobbing. wondering at
the trouble in his broad flushed face.
Yer mo- a lout," she said, ignoring
all his protestations save that one.
Eager to drive away the signs of
weeping, he was daubing awkwardly
at her face with his red.spotted hand.
kerchief. But more tears kept fall
ing, for Sally Ann was so full Of hap
piness It had to overflow.
sally Ann" came shrilly from the
house.
MY mither," cried Sally Ann.
Wait" begged the Gype. Twill
ye meet me at gloamin'? Come along
the Bracken lane. I'll be waitin',
Sally Ann"
II canna," and she darted away.
y X
IT was a day Of mazement past all
telling. What pans Of candy were
left to burn. What pals of water left
to overflow. What questions left
without answer. Well might Mistress
Macintosh cry out upon her for a
needless thinner. No warlock upon
the moors at evening ever went its
way with less direction than did Sally
Ann. At cleaning she sought her
hA hot ~, t-1, ,f,,sx
her hair with hands that flew aimless.
ly and got tangled. And when at last
she was ready, dressed In her Sunday
best taken by stealth from the kist
on the stair landing, she found that
no feet OF hers could take her one
step from the shelter OF her room.
Could she go boldly down the lane
to meet a lad at evening time? Could
she walk up to him with lightsome
words upon her lips as he stood wait
ing there? Oh. no. she could not.
Lasses there were that could go with
high heads and light laughter. and
go. and go again. But she could not.
T'rysts in the cleaning were not for
her.
oh, to be glib-tongued like Brans-
bog's lasses; to toss a lightsome head
when lads were havering; to swing by
in rustltng petticoats, confident that
they were admiring. Oh, TO be any
body but Sally Ann Macintosh. so
that the Gype might love her. Oh, to
know that he loved her. So that she
might be bold enough to go to him,
And what had made her believe that
the like OF the Gype, proudfooted as
he was, could love Sally Ann Mac
Intosh? What folly was it that made
her think that he was waiting for her
now: Why would the Gype. sought
as he was by every lass in Drumorty.
why would the Gype love her?
oh, 1t was we'll she had come to
her senses! Food for laughter, if she
found him with Bransbog's lassie
waiting to see her come; or with the
Mackenty lass that had so sharp
a tongue. Well was it that her feet
were wiser than her head and kept
her home where none could see her
folly. She began to undo the black
ribbon at her neck. which was
clasped by the brooch of twisted
gold.
BY sunset the Gype had reasoned
with himself that no lass could cry
over a kiss of his. The little limmer
had tricked him, had made him go
further than he meant. Oh. well, he
was not unwilling TO make her
happy for time. She was a bonnie
wee lass. He turned his horse into
the Bracken Lane with a sense that
he was being very kind to Sally
Ann. He had come early, for he
knew that in her eagerneSS to see
him again she would think gloamine
had come when the sun had barely
set and it would not be the gallant
thing to keep her waiting. He was
pleased with himself. He liked to
make lass happy.
Dismounting, he found a place to
tie his horse, not so near that every
passer-by could see it from the road.
He sat where he could see Sally Ann
approaching. 1t got darker and he
had to change his seat to see the
road. He had been wrong to think
that she would come early. OF
course she would come late. They
always did for the first tryst. Lasses
were so retiring to begin with, and
80 demanding at the finish. He
wished that they worked the other
way, it would save him many a
weary hour. 1t was getting we'll past
cleaning. Sally Ann could come
now without any blame of being
hasty at a tryst.
The moon was coming up. This
was past a joke. The lass must be
moonrise. She must set high store
by herself to think he'd cool his
heels for two hours waiting for a
kiss of hers. Did she think that
James Minty of Skillymarnoc was
sore put-to to get lass to meet him
at cleaning? What had she to COM
mend her that she set such value
on herself? Little that he could see.
Nothing for looks, and never a penny
to her name. Was he going to sit
till he took root waiting for such q
lass?
No, he was but waiting 10 let her
see how little store he set on any
kiss of hers. He'd make her rue
this high handed work. He had set
down higher-headed wenches than
Sally Ann Macintosh. When she
came, he would kiss her light-like,
and he'd talk while cheerily, then
he'd say canty and smiling at her,
"Weel, my lass, it's getting late. 1
maun be gaun' back to Skilly." And
he would be forgetful to kiss her
good night, but very friendly with 1t
all for fear she thought that he was
vexed. And when next he saw her
he would call her miss Macintosh"
as If naught had been between them.
But she wasn't coming that was
clear. How could he lower her pride,
for her If she didn't come near him?
He'd go after her. Just at first it
would give her more reason for her
pridefulness, but the higher he made
her think of herself, the greater
would be her downcome when he
passed her by.
X X "
SALLY ANN was braiding her hair
when she heard tap upon the
window that opened upon the roof Of
the peat-shed. Her heart told her
who it was, and she snuffed out the
candles.
But how could he come without a
sound? How climb the roof without
her brother hearing?