with a laugh, "is that
when I was a laddie auld Peter Smith and John Wylie keepit homers and
they were aye trying compeetitions in fleein'. John was gaein' to
London for his summer holiday, and so him and Peter made a bargain that
they wud flee twa homers from London. Weel, John he got to London, and
he thocht to himsell that seein' they had a bet o' twa pund on the
race, he wud mak sure o' winnin', and so what does he do but tak a pair
o' shears and cut the wing o' Peter's doo.
"When John cam hame after a fortnight's trip he met auld Peter at the
station.
"'Weel, Peter,' says he, 'wha won the race?'
"'You,' said Peter; 'your doo cam hame the next day, but mine only got
hame this mornin'. And it has corns on its feet like tatties.'"
* * * * *
To-day was Macdonald's Inspection Day, and at dinner time he brought
over Mr. J. F. Mackenzie, H.M.I.S., a middle-aged man and Mr. L. P.
Smart, assistant I.S., a cheery youth fresh from Oxford. When
inspectors dine with the village dominie they never mention the word
education. These two talked a lot, and all their conversation was
about mountain-climbing in Switzerland. They swopped long prosy yarns
about dull incidents, and I was very much bored. So was Mac, but he
pretended to be interested, but then he was to see them again, and I
wasn't . . . at least I prayed that I might not. After a time I began
to feel that I was being left out of the conversation, and I waited
until Mackenzie paused for a breath.
"Switzerland is very beautiful," I remarked, "but you should see the
Andes."
Mackenzie looked at me coldly.
"I haven't been to South America," he said.
"Same here," said I cheerfully, "but I remember seeing pictures of them
in the geography book at school."
Mackenzie looked at me more coldly than before. I don't think he liked
me, and when the younger man chuckled Mackenzie glared at him. Smart
had a sense of humour.
"I'm afraid we have been boring you," he said to me with a smile.
"I'd rather listen to you two talking education," I confessed.
Mackenzie waved the suggestion away.
"I leave education behind when I walk out of the school," he said in
grand manner. "Most excellent rhubarb, Mrs. Macdonald. Home grown?"
And then we had ten minutes of garden products versus shop greens. I
admit that this inspector had a genius for small talk. We dismissed
greens and I led the conversation to hens and ducks. Macken
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