heard o' him, and syne stories came
saying he was at Redlintie, playing queer games wi' his father. His
father was gauger there, that's exciseman, a Mr. Cray, wha got his wife
out o' Thrums, and even when he was courting her (so they say) had the
heart to be ower chief wi' this other woman. Weel, Magerful Tam, as he
was called through being so masterful, cast up at Redlintie frae none
kent where, gey desperate for siller, but wi' a black coat on his back,
and he said that all he wanted was to be owned as the gauger's son. Mr.
Cray said there was no proof that he was his son, and syne the queer
sport began. Your father had noticed he was like Mr. Cray, except in the
beard, and so he had his beard clippit the same, and he got hand o' some
weel-kent claethes o' the gauger's that had been presented to a poor
body, and he learned up a' the gauger's tricks of speech and walking,
especially a droll w'y he had o' taking snuff and syne flinging back his
head. They were as like as buckies after that, and soon there was a town
about it, for one day ladies would find that they had been bowing to the
son thinking he was the father, and the next they wouldna speak to the
father, mistaking him for the son; and a report spread to the head
office o' the excise that the gauger of Redlintie spent his evenings at
a public house, singing 'The De'il's awa' wi' the Exciseman.' Tam drank
nows and nans, and it ga'e Mr. Cray a turn to see him come rolling yont
the street, just as if it was himsel' in a looking-glass. He was a
sedate-living man now, but chiefly because his wife kept him in good
control, and this sight brought back auld times so vive to him, that he
a kind of mistook which ane he was, and took to dropping,
forgetful-like, into public-houses again. It was high time Tam should be
got out of the place, and they did manage to bribe him into leaving,
though no easily, for it had been fine sport to him, and to make a
sensation was what he valued above all things. We heard that he went
back to Redlintie a curran years after, but both the gauger and his wife
were dead, and I ken that he didna trouble the twa daughters. They were
Miss Ailie and Miss Kitty, and as they werena left as well off as was
expected they came to Thrums, which had been their mother's town, and
started a school for the gentry there. I dinna doubt but what it's the
school that Esther Auld's laddie is at.

"So after being long lost sight o' he turned up at Cullew, wi' w