J. J. Bell

“ Guid kens when I'll get the smell o' smoke oot ma paurlor. Nae mair ludgers fur me!"
A minute later Mrs. Wallace took her departure, and Jess set about tidying up, and preparing the evening meal.
Afterwards, as she and David sat in the garden enjoying the cool breeze that had risen at last, Jess referred to her aunt's visit and the subjects connected with it.
"You know, Davie," she said, "I don't blame Angus. He's getting old, and you can't expect him to be very brisk. ”

“ Wallace. "An' I'll bid ye guid-day, ye impiddent auld man!" And she turned to the door, her beaded mantle, which she wore out-of-doors summer and winter, shaking, half with wrath and half with amusement.
"Oh, ye better bide a wee," he said, more genially. "What's yer hurry?"
"I dinna want to keep ye aff yer work," she retorted, facing round and glancing meaningly at the bags of sawdust. "Wull David Houston be in the shope the morn's mornin'?"
"I wudna say he'll no'."
"But wull he no' be in the shope fur certain?" the old woman demanded, impatiently. ”

“ Ma coal-cellar door's wantin' a new lock. I'm shair I tell't Jess to tell him aboot it mair nor a month syne."
"Ay. I mind him speakin' aboot it. It was on the sclate, but maybe it got rubbit oot.... Mphm!" muttered Angus, taking down a cracked school-slate from the wall, "it maun ha'e got rubbit oot when he was writin' doon ither orders. Ye can see for yersel' it's no' there."
Mrs. Wallace examined the slate, upon which there were several jottings. "Weel, ye can pit it doon noo," she said, curbing her temper. ”

“ But you'll have to look after the orders yourself. It'll never do to put things on the slate if he's going to rub them out."
"Puir auld Angus," said David, with a lenient smile. "He does his best. Onywey, I think I can mind a' that was on the sclate the day. Dinna fash yersel' aboot it, lass."
"I'm glad you can mind the orders, Davie. But it isn't the first time it has happened. Angus told aunt that her order for a lock for her coal-cellar door had been rubbed out some time ago."
"Oh, ye're no' to blame Angus for that, Jess, for I rubbit it oot masel'." ”

“ Mrs. Wallace proceeded to retail the information received from the grocer, concluding with—"I doot it's ower big a job fur yer man, but it 11 be a peety if a jiner ootside Kinlochan gets it. I've heard talk o' anither jiner settin' up in Kinlochan, an' if the greenhoose job was gaun by yer man, it micht come to mair nor talk, an' that wud be a bad thing fur David Houston—an' yersel', Jess.... Weel, I maun be aff."
"Wait, Aunt Wallace, and I'll get you a cup of tea."
"Na, na. Never heed the tea. I've got ma ludgers to luk efter. Never tak' in ludgers, ma lassie. They're jist a torment. ”

“ But she said she didna want onythin' else, an' the peas was ower dear; but she had been passin', an' thocht she wud gi'e me a trial. An' seein' she was gaun to buy naethin' ava', I got kin' o' wild, an' I says: ''Deed, mum, it's a trial that's gey hard to bear!' But she gaed oot to her cairriage wi' her nose i' the air, as if she hadna heard me. An' she's yin o' yer simmer veesitors that brings trade to Kinlochan! Humph!"
But this was not the information which Mrs. Wallace had hoped she might gain from Mr. ”