by J. J. Bell
XVII
'FONDEST LOVE FROM MAGGIE'
Morning brought no letter from Christina, but at breakfast timeMacgregor received the astounding intimation that he was grantedthree days' leave, the same to commence with the very next hour.
'What's the guid o' leave wi' a jaw like this?' wailed thelop-sided William who, with several other members of the billet,had been included in the dispensation.
'I'll tell ye what it means, onyway,' said Lance-corporal Jake; 'itmeans that we'll be gettin' a move on afore we're mony days aulder.'
Macgregor did not enter into any of the discussions which followed.Having hurriedly made himself as smart as possible, he took car forGlasgow, and there caught the ten o'clock train for Aberdeen. Hespent the ensuing four hours in wondering--not so much what heshould say to Christina as what she would say to him. For himself,he was determined to make a clean breast of it; at the same time,he was not going to absolve Christina of all responsibility. Hehad behaved like a fool, he admitted, but he still had a justgrievance. Yet it was with no very stout heart that he alighted inthe big station, where everything was strange except the colour ofkhaki, and found his way to the quiet hotel where his friends hadrooms.
And there on the steps was Uncle Purdie sunning himself and smokinga richly-banded cigar--by order of his spouse.
'Preserve us!' exclaimed Uncle Purdie in sheer astonishment at thesight of his nephew. 'Preserve us!' he repeated in quite anothertone--that of concern. 'But I'm rael glad to see ye, lad,' he wenton somewhat uneasily, 'an' yer aunt'll be unco pleased. Come awa'in, come awa' in! Ye've gotten a bit leave, I preshume. An' ye'llbe needin' yer denner--eh? But we'll sune see to that. 'Mphm!Ay! Jist so! Eh--I suppose ye hadna time to write or wire--butwhat's the odds? Ye're welcome, Macgreegor, rael welcome.'
'Jist got leave this mornin'--three days,' Macgregor explained, nota little relieved to have found his uncle alone to begin with.
'So I catched the first train I could.'
'Jist that, exactly so,' said Mr. Purdie with a heavy sigh thatseemed irrelevant. 'Weel, ma lad,' he resumed hurriedly, 'if yetak' a sate here, I'll awa' up the stair an' get yer aunt. Shegenerally has a bit snooze aboot this time--efter her meal, yeken--but----'
'Dinna fash her aboot me, Uncle Purdie.'
'Oh, but it--it's necessary to get her doon here. She'll maybe beable to break--I meant for to say----' Mr. Purdie stopped shortand wiped perspiration from his face.
'Jist a meenute,' he said abruptly, and bolted upstairs.
Macgregor gazed after the retreating burly figure. Never beforehad he seen his uncle nervous. Was Aunt Purdie not so well? Itwas news to hear of her napping in the middle of the day. Then alikelier explanation dawned on Macgregor, and he smiled to himself.Uncle Purdie had been too shy to mention it, and now he had retiredsimply to allow of Christina's coming down by herself. SoMacgregor prepared to meet his love.
And while he meditated, his aunt and uncle appeared together.
'Yer aunt'll explain,' said Mr. Purdie, looking most unhappy. 'Icouldna dae it.'
'How do you do, Macgregor?' said Aunt Purdie, shaking hands withstiff kindliness. 'I am delighted to perceive you in Aberdeen.But what a deplorable catastrophe!--what a dire calamity!--what anironical mishap!----'
'She means----' began Mr. Purdie, noting his nephew's puzzleddistress.
'Hush, Robert! Allow me. I must break it gently to the boy. Whata cruel fiascio!--what a vexatious disappintment!----'
'Whaur's Christina?' Macgregor demanded.
'Courage, boy!' said Aunt Purdie in lofty tones. 'Remember you area sojer--soldier--of the Queen--or rather, King!'
'But----'
'Christina left for Glasgow per the 1.10 p.m. train, one short hourbefore you arrived.'
'Weel, I'm----'
'She decided very suddenly this morning. She did not hand me theletter, or p.c., for my perusual, but I understood her to observethat Miss Tod was not feeling so able and desired her presence. Wewere real sorry to let her go----'
'Ma impression,' Mr. Purdie put in, 'is that she was wearyin' forher lad. But for ill-luck this is the maist confounded,dampest----'
'Robert, behave yourself!'
'Weel, it's a fair sickener. But there's nae use talkin' aboot it.Come awa', lad, an' ha'e something to eat. Ye canna keep up yerheart on a toom kyte.'
They were very kind to him and pressed him to remain overnight, buthe was bent on leaving by the 3.40 express, which is due at Glasgowabout 7.30. With good luck, he told himself, he might catchChristina at Miss Tod's. Meanwhile youth and health compelled himto enjoy his dinner, during which Aunt Purdie insisted on refundingthe cost of his futile journey.
'Ye're ower guid to me,' he said awkwardly.
'Not at all, not at all, Macgregor. It is quite unmentionable,'she returned with a majestic wave. 'Robert, give Macgregor some ofyour choice cigars.'
In the train he smoked one of them, but finding it a trifle heady,preserved the rest for presentation to his sergeant, whom hegreatly admired.
* * * * *
At 5.30 Christina was in Glasgow. Mrs. Purdie had commissioned herto deliver two small parcels--'presents from Aberdeen'--toMacgregor's sister and little brother, and she decided to fulfilthe errand before going home. Perhaps the decision was notunconnected with a hope of obtaining some news of Macgregor. Hispostcard had worried her. She felt she had gone too far and wantedto tell him so. She would write to him the moment she got home,and let her heart speak out for once. Pride was in abeyance. Shewas all tenderness.
At the Robinson's house she received a warm welcome. Mrs. Robinsonhad almost got over her secret fear of her future daughter-in-law.Jeannie admired her intensely, and wee Jimsie frankly loved her.Aunt Purdie's were not the only gifts she delivered.
'Ye're hame suner nor ye intended,' said Mrs. Robinson, during tea,which was partaken of without Mr. Robinson, who was 'extra busy'over munitions. 'Was Miss Tod wantin' ye?'
'Macgreegor was wantin' her,' piped Jimsie. 'So was I.'
'Whisht, Jimsie,' Jeannie murmured, blushing more than Christina.
'We jist got hame frae Rothesay last nicht,' said Mrs. Robinson,'so we ha'ena seen the laddie for a while.'
'He hasna wrote this week,' remarked Jeannie. 'But of course_you'll_ ha'e heard frae him, Christina'--this with respectfuldiffidence.
'He's been busy at the shooting' Christina replied, wishing she hadmore news to give.
'I wisht I had a gun,' observed Jimsie. 'I wud shoot the whuskersaff auld Tirpy. Jings, I wud that!'
'Dinna boast,' said his mother.
'What wud you shoot, Christina, if you had a gun?'
'I think I wud practise on a cocoa-nut, Jimsie,' she said, with asmall laugh.
After tea Mrs. Robinson took Christina into the parlour whileJeannie tidied up. Presently the door bell rang, and Jimsie rushedto meet the postman.
'It's for Macgreegor,' he announced, returning and handing a parcelto his mother.
'I wonder wha's sendin' the laddie socks,' she said, feeling it.'I best open it an' put his name on them. Maybe they're fraeMistress McOstrich.' She removed the string and brown paper.'Vera nice socks--- a wee thing to the lairge side--but vera nicesocks, indeed. But wha----'
'Here's a letter!' cried Jimsie, extracting a half-sheet of whitepaper from the crumpled brown, and giving it to his dear Christina.
In bold, untidy writing she read--
'With fondest love from Maggie.'