ge, where the
Crumpets turned, while the Campbells kept on beside the river.
The children were silent, too, only calling out "Good-bye" to
Sandy as they parted, Jock adding, "Come on by to-morrow if you
can," and Sandy, waving his hand, calling back, "Aye, will I."

As the Twins and their father neared the "wee bit hoosie," Tam
came bounding down the brae to meet them, and in less time than
it takes to tell it Jean had run into the house, taken off her
Sabbath dress, and put on her old one, with her kitchen apron
over it, had mended the fire and heated the broth, and the little
family was seated about the table eating their frugal meal with
appetites sharpened by their long walk.

The afternoon seemed endless to the children, for they spent it
trying hard not to do any of the things they wanted to do. They
studied the catechism while their father sat with his bonnet on
his head nodding over the Bible, and the wag-at-the-wall clock
ticked the hours solemnly away. Jock whispered to Jean that he
didn't see why Sunday was so much longer than any other day, and
didn't believe her when she said it wasn't really that it only
seemed so.

IV. THE NEW BOY

Usually Jean and Jock went to school in summer, for in winter the
snow made the roads impassable, but at this time the Dominie was
ill and until he should get well they had the long days to
themselves. When breakfast was over the next morning and the
Shepherd had gone with Tam to the hills, Jean decided to wash the
clothes. Sandy Crumpet came early, and the two boys went off to
play, leaving Jean standing on a stone in the middle of the burn,
soaping the clothes and scrubbing them on the flat surface of a
rock. The water was so cold it made her arms ache, and she soon
decided to let the fast-running stream do the washing for her.
She soaped the garments well, weighted them down with stones, and
then went to join the boys. She found them flat on their stomachs
by the stream, gazing down into a pool of clear water.

"What do you see?" she called out to them.

"Trout," answered Jock, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Let me take a keek," said Jean, flopping down beside them and
craning her neck over the edge.

They were all three peering with breathless interest into the
water when a strange voice behind them made them jump. For an
instant they thought it might be Angus Niel.

"Hello!" said the voice.

The children whirled around, and there before them sto