loudly. "Well, for downright pigheadedness and idiotic pertinacity,
commend me to a Scotchman every time," he cried delightedly.

He threw the lines over the dashboard, and sprang out of the buggy,
straight, alert and vigorous.

"It's no use, your trying that air of dignity on me, Jimmie McTavish!"
he cried, striding over the gang-plank. "You nearly made me lose a
train and a client into the bargain. And if I had lost him, that bit
of business of yours wouldn't have been worth a puff of smoke, my braw
John Hielanman!" He slapped the captain on the back, and a peculiar
change came over the latter's face. There was no man in Algonquin who
could remain angry at Lawyer Ed and be hammered by him on the back. He
was voted the most exasperating person in the world, by people of all
ages, and many a time an indignant individual would announce publicly
that dire vengeance was about to be launched upon his wicked head. But
when all Algonquin waited for the blow to fall, presently Lawyer Ed and
the injured party would appear in the most jovial companionship, and
once more his execution was postponed. It was as usual this time, the
captain's wrath broke, shattered by that friendly blow upon the back.
He still kept up a show of taciturnity, by a grumbling monologue
concerning the undignified procedure of Irishmen in general, but the
Irishman laughed so loud that Captain Jimmie was deceived into thinking
he had said something very witty indeed, and laughed too, in spite of
himself.

"I'm hunting a young lady," cried Lawyer Ed; "the new teacher. Miss
Armstrong hailed me in passing and said I was to drive her up."

"Oh, yes, Mr. Brians," cried Alfred Wilbur, bustling up, "she's over
there. I was going to show her the way up myself. It's too bad to
trouble you, when you're so busy."

Lawyer Ed eyed him sternly.

"What! Do you think I'd allow you, in all your magnificence, to burst
upon the vision of an innocent young girl, first go off, and have her
fall in love with you, and get her heart broken? Not much, young man!
We'll bring you on the stage gradually. A few ugly old married men
like Jimmie here, or a withered old bachelor like myself, will do as
preliminaries, and in about six months or so,--ah, well, well,--How do
you do, my dear young lady? I'm chairman of the school board and I
just drove down to tell you that you are very welcome to Algonquin."

He had pushed Afternoon Tea Willie quite out of sight and fo