Year: 1875




pack opened out at once, in spite of re-
quests to the contrary, every declaration
that nothing more was wanted being
passed over as if not spoken; for Donald
Kamish was well up to his trade and
knew what he was about, and now, hav-
ing firmly secured his victim, he was
looking to his profits.


And so time went ON till Donald had
by degrees sucked out of his captive
probably the prime cost of his goods,
still holding heavy balance against her
in his books, and "planting any other
thing he iked-probably tea, which
went very quickly, since it always took
spoonful more than the shop tea to make
it as Tom liked; for he grumbled if his
tea wasn't good, and, being man who
took little beer, he could hardly be
blamed for his complaint.


At last, to her surprise, Mrs. Ellis
was visited by younger and very raw
boned man-very blunt, very hard, and
very awkward to deal with-Mr. Alex
ander MacTammy, in fact, and he in
formed her that he had taken Mr..
Kamish's business and bought his debts,
so that future payments must be made to
him. And now it was that poor Mrs.
Ellis found out her mistake, and would
have done we'll to have told Tom; but
she did not; only struggled on, poor fly
as she was, futtering and beating about,
while at every effort she made there was
piece more web spun round her, till
she was quite in despair. Sandy Mac
TamA1y could be as smooth and polished
as one of his native pebbles, but he could
also be as rough and hard; and when
Mrs. Ellis thought that q little firmness
would help her, she found out that it
was the right article, but that she was
bringing it into play too late, for it ought
to have been used in the days of Sandy's
predecessor. With Sandy it was pay up,
or take something else; and that rascal
at last grew so abusive, and led the poor
woman such life, that she was glad, as
I said before, to apply to my wife for
help, and got her at last to come and
stay with her when she expected Sandy's
visit


And then the fellow tried it on with
Betsy; but he'd got hold of the wrong
customer there, as he soon found; for
she isn't above giving any one piece of
her mind, Betsy isn't, and she made Mr..
MacTammy present of a small piece
more than once. So that the upshot of
it all was that the packman threatened
poor Mrs. Ellis that if she would not
take what he wanted to leave, or pay him
off, which he knew she could not do, he
would inform her husband and apply to
him at the workshop; and then he took
himself off.


That was the last straw that broke the
camel's back; for as soon as he was gone
Mrs. Ellis pumped herself on the floor,
threw her apron over her face-Betsy
told me-and had good cry; then she
ran upstairs end popped her bonnet on,
asked Betsy to mind the children, and
if she didn't come and fetch Tom out of
the shop and into the yard, and tell him
allabout it. Of course he was put out, but
they soon made it up, and he came back
nto the shop and told me all about it
fine and vexed, but at the same time
glad his wife had done what was right
at last. And so we talked it over to-
gether, and the end of it all was the
county courting, for Tom wouldn't pay;
while, after being nonsuited, Mr.. Mac
Tammy was glad enough to come and
take the goods back, but not half SO
glad as Mrs. Ellis said she was to get rid
of them.


Soon after Mr.. Alexander MacTammy
sold his business to one Mr.. Nicol Baird
but he has never been allowed to put his
head inside Ellis's place, for Mrs. Ellis
says if there's anything she "can't
abear, it's tallyman."