such events. Experience had taught me to allow her to enlighten me in
her own way. So I put a question to that end.

"Have you heard some news?" I said.

Bell's delight at being first in the field was evident.

"Christian Logan's come intil a fortune!" she replied, with no little
delight.

"That is good news, indeed!" I cried impulsively. For Christian was,
beyond doubt, one of the poorest of our neighbors, and the most
deserving.

"But where did the fortune come from, Bell?" I asked.

"Her mon," explained Bell, "had a cousin oot in Ameriky as fowks allays
said wes gey rich. But he niver so much as sent a word to Donal' for
years, till juist aboot a week afore the puir mon met wi' his accident,
ye ken. An' he says in the letter," continued the old woman, warming
up with the interest attaching to her subject, "as Donal' wes the only
kin left him, an' he'd find himsel' nane the worse o' that. Alexander
Gowan, they callit him."

"And so this cousin is dead, I suppose?"

"Na, na, sir," replied Bell. "Gowan's on his wye back frae Ameriky, ye
ken, an' Christian's had word to expect him. Maybe he'll be up here in
twa, three days after he lands, like."