Page:Martha Spreull by Zachary Fleming.pdf/113

Rh property. Seein’ there wis but bank interest on the money we had saved, my faither thocht ower the proposal, and efter due precautions aboot searches, deeds, and ither instruments, as they were ca’d, he lent the body the siller ; but noo the man’s purpose cam’ oot. Kennin’ we had siller he next laid his plans to win oot o’ his obligation to my faither by offering his hand to me. Just as barefaced a piece o’ impidence as ever I heard tell o’, but I’m thinkin’ he met wi’ his match. For a while efter he got the siller he took every chance o’ putting himsel’ in my wye, and in makin’ himsel’ ceevil—in fact senselessly ceevil. Weel, I wis as licht-hearted and fu’ o’ mischief as I could be, and as soon as I jaloused his intentions, I thoeht I would lead the body on.

In troth, he could see plainly frae my looks that I wis just deein’ for him. This fares on for a time, but he couldna afford to let me dee before his een, and lose baith me and my faither’s hard-earned siller. So the creator’ plucks up courage, and ae nicht, when he kent my faither wis awa at a cordiners’ meeting, he cam’ in and asked if he could see me a’ by my lane. He wis dressed in a swallow-tailed coat, and had a yellow kid glove on his left han’. He scraped and bowed like ane o’ Queen Elizabeth’s courtiers, and wis sic a comical fricht, that I could hardly contain mysel’, till I got to the kitchen, where Betty Basin, the servant-wumman, and me had oor lauch oot thegither. Having arranged matters wi’ Betty as to when she wis to appear on the scene, awa’ I goes ben and sits doon at the ither end o’ the sofa frae where he sat, and claspin’ my hands, lookit as mim as ye like.

“Martha,” says he, in a voice that a common story-writer wud say wis thick wi’ emotion, “ Martha, will ye exkaise me ca’in’ ye by that hamely name?”

“ I hae nae ither,” quoth I staring sadly at a faded rose-bud