t and awoke her husband to partake of the meal she
had prepared.

Never a word was spoken between them, and at last Sanny, after washing
and dressing, walked out without a word, but fully determined in his
heart to get equal with Walker before the day was over.

He went straight to Rundell House, and ringing the bell asked to see the
mine owner.

He was shown into a room and Mr. Rundell came to him almost before he
had been comfortably seated.

"Well, Sanny," he began genially. "What brings you here this morning?"

"A business that I'd rather no' been comin' on," replied Sanny uneasily
shifting on his chair.

"Oh, nothing serious, I hope, is it?"

"Ay, it's serious enough," returned Sanny. "Mair serious than you think,
Mr. Rundell; an' I dinna ken what you'll think o' me after I hae telt
you."

"Oh, well, in that case," said the mine owner, becoming serious, and
speaking with slow deliberation. "Just let me hear what it is all about,
and we'll see how matters stand after you have told me," and he sat
down in a chair opposite Robertson as he spoke.

"I hae lost my contracts, sir," began Sanny, not knowing how else to
open up the subject. "But I'm gaun to tell you the hale story just in my
ain way, so I want you to sit quate and no' interrupt me; for I hinna
jist the knack of puttin' things maybe as they should be put. But I'll
tell you the hale story an' then leave you to do as you like, an' think
what you like."

"Very well, Sanny. Just go on. I did not know you had lost them. But
just let me hear about the trouble in your own way."

"For gey near twenty year," began Sanny, "I've had maist feck o' the
contracts in your pits back and forrit--me an' Tam Fleming. Walker an'
us were aye gey thick, an' though it maybe was putten doon to you that
oor offer to work ony special job was the cheapest, I may tell you that
I never put in an offer in my life for yin o' them. Walker an'--an'"
here Sanny stammered a little, "Walker an' oor Mag were gey thick, an'
I'm ashamed o' this part o' the story; for I should hae been man enough
to protect her frae him. But the money was the thing that did it, Mr.
Rundell, an' I'm no' gaun to mak' excuses noo aboot it. But every
bargain I had, I had to share the pay, efter the men was payed, penny
aboot, wi' Walker. That was ay the bargain. He gaed us the job at his
ain feegure, an' we shared the profits wi' him.

"Noo, jist keep yoursel' cool a bit," he said, holding up his hand a