The Argosy — page 337: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

318 The Man from C——. “Tt wasn’t half as snug, though, until she came!” he said one day. “The landlord wasn’t much of a manager. He only married a few years ago, and a queer story it made, that wedding.” Of course I asked for the story, there being nothing else to do till the hissing noise at the kitchen fire should result in the serving of our dinner. ‘Well, Donald was a confirmed bachelor, and might have been one now, but for the industrious perseverance of an old friend of his. own, whom we will call the man from C He never met Donald. without pointing out how much better the inn would thrive if he gave it a mistress. Donald was a very silent man, and a good listener, but in reply to the invariable remark of the man from C ‘ E-h, mon, ye should marry!’ Donald never said more than a careless ‘Ou-aye.’ “At last, however, the stone began to show signs of being worn. away with perpetual dropping, and Donald cautiously relented. “<Tf I’m to get married, then, ye’ll just hae to find a wife for me !’ “¢ Ah, noo! That Ill do, and gladly !’ said the man from C——. ‘‘ A few weeks later he returned from a place some twenty miles. away, and hailed Donald with a zeal that couldn’t have been warmer if he had been securing a partner for himself. “Noo, Donald, [ve just found the very wummin for ye !’ Donald. puffed silently at his pipe, and looked stolidly across the loch in front here. ‘“¢Ve’ll come over and see her on Thursday. I’m gaein’ mysel’ that day.’ ‘“¢“ Na,’ said Donald in a determined voice, ‘ I'll no come to see her ! but ye can ask her if she'll marry me.’ ‘The man from C was aghast, and tried in vain to alter Donald’s resolution; the landlord knew his own mind, and con- tinued. ‘ Ye’ll ask her if she'll hae me, and if she says yes ye'll just ask her when, and when it’s sattled Pll go and get married, and that’s a’ aboot it.’ ‘“¢ Accordingly the devoted friend procured the bride’s consent, and on the day appointed Donald went over, and the ceremony proceeded. When it was ended, he turned to the man from C , who had pre- sided like a benevolent fairy at the scene, and said, ‘I dunna like the wummin at a’!? ‘Tn horror the friend clutched his arm, and with a hushed and pro- longed ‘ E h !’ endeavoured to smooth matters, the bride, let us. hope, not hearing. ‘¢< T’m sure she’s a very nice wummin, Donald.’ ‘¢¢T dunna like her,’ said the relentless bridegroom. ‘““¢Tt’s no right o’ ye to say sic things, Donald! Ye'll just gae awa’ wr your wife, noo “<Then ye must come awa too!’ said Donald, in a determined voice ; and the man from C—— met his required fate.” ECORNICLOOKSn.6O