Page:Martha Spreull by Zachary Fleming.pdf/55

Rh

the growth atween them, risin’ and fa’in’ in an unco jerky and agitated wye.

“ Na,’’ I said, kind o’ hurt, “ I didna mean to mak’ a laughin’stock o’ mysel’; but if there’s real fun i’ the proposal I wud like ye just to turn roon and let me see that ye enjoy it.”

This broucht the creatur to his senses braw and quick; nevertheless, when he did turn roon his een were dancin’ and the tears were running doon his runkled cheeks at such a rate I could see that whatever notion had crossed his head he had a hraw hearty laugh at it. In a meenit he wis a’ apologies, and ran clean ower wi’ ceevility.

“ That ’ll dae, doctor,” quoth I, “ I dinna grudge ye a laugh, but I am desperate serious aboot this bursary, and as the College winna carry the thing through I mean to tak’ the business in my ain ban’s, and as ye ’re a scholarly man I want ye to conduct the examination in yer ain eless-room.”

So, efter he saw I wis in real earnest, he sat down quite serious, and we yocket to the crack in a thorough business-like wye. 1 gaed hame unco weel pleased efter the thing wis settled, and when, next day, I saw the adverteesment in the newspaper, I thocht to mysel’ that things had turned oot a’ for the best, as it wud catch the e’e o’ needy callants faster in a penny newspaper than i’ the College Calendar—a hook that I kent frae experience very few students could afford to buy. Weel, what d’ye think, there were nae less than sixteen applications, though there wisna ane bearing the name o’ Spreull. It wis just real heartnin’ to see. On the day o’ examination, Maister Fleming gaed doon wi’ me to the schule where the puir creators were thrang writing frae the papers that Dr. Threshie had set them. The doctor himsel’ sat in a high-backet chair that owerlookit the desks, to see that they didna copy frae books. I wis real interestet; and I thocht to-