atever."

But a sudden ominous silence fell over the breakfast table; this was to
have been Callum's wedding day, and Callum had not appeared. The
stillness was broken by Bruce, who rose up from underneath the table
with the short bark that announced a well-known visitor. A shadow fell
over the threshold, still pink in the glow of the rising sun. Big
Malcolm looked up in surprise.

"You will be early, Jimmie!" he called heartily as the Weaver stood in
the doorway, "come away, man, and be having a bite!"

But Weaver Jimmie shook his head; he stood at the door struggling with
feet and whiskers, and apparently more than usually overcome by
embarrassment.

"I would like to be speakin' to you, Malcolm," he said. There was a
look in his face that brought the three men instantly to the doorway.
Scotty, straining his ears to catch their low remarks, could hear only,
"Run-away--Lake Simcoe." Granny arose, her face white.

"Malcolm," she whispered, "Malcolm, what is this about our son Callum?"

Big Malcolm turned. There was a look in his eyes that had not been
there since the day the Orangemen were defeated; but it suddenly faded
at the sight of her white, pained face.

"It will jist be nothing, whatever," he said gently. "They would be
saying the girl was off this morning, but Jimmie will not be sure.
Come, lads."

The four men went away without another word, passing quickly through
the barnyard and up the path that led into the woods. The mother arose
and knelt by the bedside in the corner so long that Scotty could bear
his burden of guilt no longer. He crept up to her, and when she put
her arms about him he sobbed out his dreadful secret; how he and Isabel
and Danny had carried a letter to Nancy, and another one back to
Callum; and perhaps that was what made Callum run away. And oh, oh, he
didn't know it was wicked or he wouldn't have done it; only she must
not blame Isabel; it wasn't her fault.

But Granny blamed no one. She listened gravely to his story, and to
Scotty's supreme relief seemed a little comforted by it. And she
comforted him, too, patting his head lovingly and declaring that he was
Granny's own boy with the big heart, indeed, and together they watched
and waited through the long dreary day for the men's return.

But Scotty was tired out and gone to bed long before they came. He was
half-awakened in the night by the sound of voices; strange voices, too;
not angry or clamorous, but hushed