vie made use of his spare
minutes on rainy days to add to its conveniences. In the meantime it
was clean and cool. The Ythan burn rippled softly through it, and with
a free use of its limpid waters, and a judicious use of the limited
treasure of ice which they had secured during the last winter months,
Katie made such butter as bade fair to win her a reputation which might
in course of time rival that of her grandmother. They had two more cows
in the pasture than ever they had had before; but ambitious to do much,
and to make much money for their possible time of need, and being
perfectly healthy and strong, Katie laughed at the idea of having too
much to do, and could have disposed, in the village, of twice as much of
her delicious butter as her dairy could produce.

Everything seemed to promise a profitable summer, and a pleasant summer
too, notwithstanding the knowledge that whatever evil was to come on
them through Jacob Holt could not be long averted now.

"Katie," said Davie, "do you ken what they are saying about grandfather
now? They say that--"

"But who are saying it? If you tell me who they are, I'll soon tell you
what they are saying. Though it matters little anyway."

"Well, you needna fly out at me. I'm no' saying it," said Davie,
laughing. "And as for _they_, I might as well say _he_, or maybe _she_.
It was Ben Holt who told me. He heard his Aunt Betsey telling his
grandmother. But it came from Mrs Jacob in the first place. She says
that poor old Mr Fleming is not right in his mind, and that something
will have to be done about it."

"Davie!" gasped Katie, "how dare you?"

Davie looked up startled. Katie's face crimsoned first, and then went
very white.

"Oh, Davie, Davie! How could you say it?" and her tears gushed forth.

"But, Katie--such nonsense! I didna say it. Do be reasonable. I
shouldna have told you. But why should we heed what they say?"

It took Katie a good while to get over the shock she had received, and
Davie sat watching her a little shamefaced and sorry, saying to himself
what queer creatures girls were, and what an especially queer creature
Katie was, and he wished heartily that he had said nothing about it.

But Katie was not shocked in the way that Davie supposed. It was not
that she was indignant at Mrs Jacob for saying such a thing of her
grandfather. That there should be anything in her grandfather's words
or ways to make the saying of such things poss