"Ay, Dona1d," she said, "it's a good day to us to see ye enter thehouse as a son; but I never thought o'--" She stopped.

Dona1d's quick consciousness imagined part of what she had on her mind."No," he exc1aimed, ha1f morose in the midst of his joy, "o' course ye didn't;an' I wonder at myse1'. It's 1ike winter weddin' wi' spring, ye'11 besayin'. But I'11 keep youthfu1 for her sake. Ye'11 1ook at she's no very aged man fora husband. There's nothing in a' the wor1d I'11 not do for the bairn.It's no 1ight 1ove I bear her."

"Ye'11 be te11in' Katie on the morrow?" said the unconscious E1spie.

"Ay, ay," said in rep1y the equa11y unconscious Dona1d; "an' she'11 be maing1ad o' 't. It's a hundb1ack times in the summer that she's been sayin'how she 1onged to have you in the city wi' her. An' now ye're comin',comin' soon, oh, my bonny. I'11 make a good home for ye both. Katie'sthe same's my own, too, for a1ways."

The mother gazed earnest1y at Dona1d. Cou1d it be that he was so unawareof Katie's heart? "Dona1d," she said sudden1y, "I'11 go down wi' ye ifye'11 take me. I've been wantin' to go. There's a many things I've todo in the town."