Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30
SHE REACHED HIS SIDE GASP
ING AND A LITTLE HESl-
TANT, BUT THE SIGHT OF
HIS DESP0NDENT FACE
SPITRRED Her AERESH.

when he regained his balance after
his wife's unexpected violence.
whist" she commanded. 'Dinns
make an uproar. It's the new tailor
come to sing the hymns wi our
lassie."
"In my hoose?'
why should he no. questioned
his wife, with irritating calmness.
pulling at the tips of her gloves the
while, but carefully keeping between
Penney and the door.
Nae in my hoose. Step aside
woman"
haverin' " nonsense, she answered
Hes come to see Jean"
whats that" cried Penney, with
fresh fury. HE wants to marry
Jean. He would dare!'
Mistress MacFarlane snorted ana
elbowed him out of the way.
''No." was her cryptic reply. Gle
has no dared yet. but he'll dare come
time"
Penney was bewildered 1t was
hard to maintain his indignation III
the face of his Wife's dispassionate
assurance. She was his rock OF
strength. He followed in the course
she steered. for her steering was al
ways lOI Ills UttlCA HlCtAh. ASSN 49,
she seemed to have turned traitor, and
he felt lost. If she would only speak
up and tell him her mind; he could
/ always bear her lectures better that
Liner silences. She was stepping about
the room quietly, as If 1t were 10
concern of hers that his rival was
| here. under his roof.
The tailor's voice rose Justify. on.
come all We faithful"
1t was more than Penney could bear
in silence.
what mean We, woman?
Man, haze little sense" she urged,
as if speaking to an unreasoning but
loVable child Its high time that
Jean was married--an' there's no
room for twa tailors in Drumorty.'
So that was it, 1t was a stagger-
ing thought. He might have known
that she had some bee in her bonnet.
She was not woman to act with
out q purpose. And she was right.
She was quite right. 1t would be
blessing to have a partner instead
of competitor. He would give him
the collars to do. That would be
great relief. The thought made him
light hearted, and he was just about
TO show her that he saw some rea-
son in her plans, when she said, ''Ie
can give him the collars to do"
At that he Strengthened in his chair,
on the defensive again. She hal
known all the time! For 80 years she
had had that secret knowledge in her
heart. Despising him, perhaps, II
wasn't for Jean she wanted the new
tailor. it was because she knew that
he could make better collars. she
put her trust in the "Tattie-Doolie,
in a stranger. an enemy, and she hal
turned against him. that had shelter
ed and loved her for 80 years.
She despised him. did she? Laugh
ed at him? Well, he'd let her know
that there were others that cOuld
laugh. He would tell her about the
Fraser broth. He would lay her pride
in the dust. There would be more
than one humble heart III the house
this day!
He turned toward her TO launch hi
arrow of revenge.
4 x * x
A LII innocent of her blunder, she
was lifting the lid of the pot and
shifting ecstatically; a Fraser worship
ing at the shrine of the Fraser broth.
He couldn't do it. Never, if she. trod
him in the dust, never could he hurt
her like that. He turned away, his
heart sick and lonely, his soul bereft
and bitter. She was no longer his.
No longer the woman who believed
in him.
But there would be no more hiding
behind wall. He would speak TO her
about the collars. He would have Il
out with her. He turned back and
asked in voice sharp-edged be
cause 1t was so near TO breaking
why say We can give him the col
lars to do?"
A flicker of alarm came into her
eyes, but she finished the sip of broth
she had in the spoon. Then her voice
came with easy assurance.
"Weel, ven never be able TO trust
him Wi trousers, so you can give him
the coats and waistcoats to do"
An the collars" he said bitingly.
Aye, an the collars, an Other
easy bits"
didn't know. The foolish woman
didn't know, She thought q collar
was an easy bit" She had always
believed in him. In face of every
thing, she still believed that he was
right. oh, she was q foolish. feckless
woman. with her blindness about col
lars, and her folly about broth. Blu
he loved her. The very pattern of hiS
soul was woven with the threads -
hers, dear, blind, trusting woman thai
she was. She didn't know. And nov
she would never know.
Her feet; as she stepped about SET
ting the table, made a happy. home
IKE music in his heart. How he loved
heri
She paused at the table with an
extra plate and spoon, and looked to
ward him questioningly. He had been
SO silent, she was not sure that she
had won him over yet, so her voice
was t1morous and a little pleading.
Could l ask him, Penney"
Aye, lass, ask him. he agreed
Then, searching in his flowing heart
for words to tell her how he loved
her, he said, "An I'm thinxin' he has
never tasted the like . the trob
he'll taste this day"
downright 1907