made tae begin wi'," Drumsheugh explained in the kirkyard
next Sabbath, "and ye ken he's been terrible mishannelled by accidents,
sae ye may think what like it wes, but, as sure as deith, o' a' the
Hielan flings a' ever saw yon wes the bonniest.

"A' hevna shaken ma ain legs for thirty years, but a' confess tae a turn
masel. Ye may lauch an' ye like, neeburs, but the thocht o' Bell an'
the news that wes waitin' her got the better o' me."

"THE DOCTOR WAS ATTEMPTING THE HIGHLAND FLING"

Drumtochty did not laugh. Drumtochty looked as if it could have done
quite otherwise for joy.

"A' wud hae made a third gin a bed been there," announced Hillocks,
aggressively.

[Illustration]

"Come on, Drumsheugh," said Jamie Soutar, "gie's the end o't; it wes a
michty mornin'."

"'We're twa auld fules,' says MacLure tae me, and he gaithers up his
claithes. 'It wud set us better tae be tellin' Bell.'

"She wes sleepin' on the top o' her bed wrapped in a plaid, fair worn
oot wi' three weeks' nursin' o' Saunders, but at the first touch she was
oot upon the floor.

"'Is Saunders deein', doctor?' she cries. 'Ye promised tae wauken me;
dinna tell me it's a' ower.'

"'There's nae deein' aboot him, Bell; ye're no tae lose yir man this
time, sae far as a' can see. Come ben an' jidge for yersel'.'

"Bell lookit at Saunders, and the tears of joy fell on the bed like
rain.

"'The shadow's lifted,' she said; 'he's come back frae the mooth o' the
tomb.

"'A' prayed last nicht that the Lord wud leave Saunders till the laddies
cud dae for themselves, an' thae words came intae ma mind, 'Weepin' may
endure for a nicht, but joy cometh in the mornin'."

"'The Lord heard ma prayer, and joy hes come in the mornin',' an' she
gripped the doctor's hand.

[Illustration]

"'Ye've been the instrument, Doctor MacLure. Ye wudna gie him up, and ye
did what nae ither cud for him, an' a've ma man the day, and the bairns
hae their father.'

"An' afore MacLure kent what she was daein', Bell lifted his hand to her
lips an' kissed it."

"Did she, though?" cried Jamie. "Wha wud hae thocht there wes as muckle
spunk in Bell?"

"MacLure, of coorse, was clean scandalized," continued Drumsheugh, "an'
pooed awa his hand as if it hed been burned.

"Nae man can thole that kind o' fraikin', and a' never heard o' sic
a thing in the parish, but we maun excuse Bell, neeburs; it wes an
occasion by ordinar," and Drumsheugh made Bell's apology to Drumtochty
f