t
morning and stay for an hour or two. She could go quite easily, he
said, for he could put her over the river on a raft which he had made
for his own convenience, to save the walk round by the bridge. But
Katie could not be spared. The children were all expected to go with
the Scott's Corner Sunday-school to the High-School, from thence to walk
with several other Sunday-schools in procession to the Grove, and Katie
must help to get them ready and see them off. When Davie came back at
noon he had some news to give her.

"The squire and Miss Elizabeth have come home, and they have company at
Jacob's--friends of Mr Maxwell's, they say; but it is likely they would
be staying at the parsonage if they were. They have come at a good
time. They'll see folks enough in their meeting-clothes for once."

Davie had come home to put on his own "meeting-clothes," and declined
his dinner in his hurry to get away again. Katie took it more quietly.
In her joy at the prospect of seeing Miss Elizabeth again, the prospect
of seeing so many people "in their meeting-clothes" seemed a secondary
matter, and this was too openly acknowledged to please her brother.

"Katie," said he discontentedly, "I think the less we have to do with
the Holts to-day the better."

"Jacob and his wife, you mean," said Katie, laughing. "Oh, I shall have
nothing in the world to do with them."

"I mean Jacob and his wife and all the rest of them. However, there
will be so many there to-day for Clif to show his fine clothes and his
fine manners to, that he'll have no time for the like of you."

"But I'll see his fine clothes and his fine manners too, as well as the
rest. And there are some things that look best a little way off, you
know."

"That's so. And if it's Holts you want, you'd better stick to Betsey."

"Yes, and Ben," said Katie, laughing.

"Bairns," said grannie gravely, "you're no quarrelling, I hope. Are you
ready, Katie? And, Davie lad, are you sure it's quite safe for your
sister to go over the river on your raft? And will she no' be in danger
of wetting her clean frock? It would save her a long walk, and the day
is warm, if you are sure it's safe."

"It has carried me safe enough, grannie dear, and Ben Holt and more of
us. I ken Katie's precious gear beside me, to say nothing of her frock.
But it's safe enough."

"Well, go away, like good bairns, and dinna be late in coming home."

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

A TEMPERANCE S