the minister and a set
of fine gilt-edged china dishes from Captain Herbert's family.

And amidst all this splendour sat the bride, sedate and happy, arrayed
in a bright blue poplin dress and the regulation white cap.

Beside her sat Jimmie, his arm about her in proper bridegroom fashion,
but loosely, for Kirsty was not to be trifled with, even on her wedding
day. He sat up, erect and stiff, strangling ecstatically in a flaring
white collar, and striving manfully to keep his broad smiles from
overflowing into loud laughter, for poor Jimmie's belated joy bordered
on the hysterical. His magnificent appearance almost eclipsed the
bride. He wore a coat of black, such as the minister himself might
have envied, a saffron waistcoat, and a pair of black and white
trousers of a startlingly large check. His hair was oiled and combed
up fiercely, his red whiskers waged a doubtful warfare for first place
with the white collar, his big feet were doubly conspicuous in a pair
of red-topped, high-heeled boots which, unfortunately, met the trousers
halfway and swallowed up much of their glory. But as both could not be
exposed, Jimmie, evidently believing in the survival of the fittest,
had allowed the boots the place of honour.

Scotty drove his grandmother over to Kirsty's early in the morning, for
the bride said she must have her mother's old friend with her all day;
and when he returned in company with Hamish, his grandfather, and Old
Farquhar, it was almost the hour set for the ceremony.

The wedding guests had already gathered in large numbers, many of them
standing about the door or in the garden--matrons in gay plaid shawls,
with here and there a fantastic "Paisley" brought out, for this festive
occasion, from the seclusion of some deep sea-chest; men,
weather-beaten and stooped, in grey flannel shirtsleeves, showing an
occasional genteel Sabbath coat from the Glen; bright-eyed lasses, with
gay touches of finery to brighten their young beauty; youths in heavy
boots and homespun clothing, gathered in laughing groups as far from
the house as possible; and everywhere babies of all sizes.

Scotty left a crowd of his friends at the barn and went up to the house
to look for Monteith. The schoolmaster had spent the preceding
Saturday and Sunday with his friends at Lake Oro, but had promised
Jimmie faithfully that he would not miss the wedding. As the young man
swung open the little garden gate and came up the pathway between