et Jenny hersel' gaun awa' tae Rundell Hoose. She was
greetin' an' I couldna' get oot o' spierin' at her what was wrang, an'
she telt me her ain self."

"You dinna mean tae tell me that Mysie Maitland has disappeared? In the
name o' a' that's guid, what has happened to bring aboot sic news?"

"Aye, it's true, Nellie," replied Mrs. Johnstone, feeling very important
now that she knew Mrs. Sinclair had not heard the news.

"When did this happen?" asked the latter, still incredulous. "Are you
sure that's true? Dear me! I dinna ken what the world's comin' to at
a'!"

"Ay, it's awfu'! But it's true. You never ken what thae quate kin' o'
modest folk will dae. They look that bashfu' that butter wadna' melt in
their mouths; an' a' the time they are just as like to gang wrang as
ither folk."

"But wha said Mysie Maitland has gang wrang?" enquired Mrs. Sinclair,
flaring up in Mysie's defense. "I wadna' believe it, though you went
down on your bended knees to tell me. A modester, weel-doin' lassie
never lived in this place!"

"Weel, I dinna ken whether she has gane wrang or not; but she has ran
awa', an' it is gey suspeecious conduct that for ony lassie that is
weel-doin'. She is jist like the rest of folk."

"It canna' be true," said Mrs. Sinclair, still unable to believe the
news. "I canna' take it in."

"Ay, but it is true," persisted her neighbor with assurance. "For I tell
you, it was her ain mother what telt me hersel'. It seems she has been
missing since the day afore yesterday. She gaed awa' in the afternoon to
see her mither, an' as she hadna been keepin' very weel for a day or two
an' no comin' back that night, Mrs. Rundell jist thought that Jenny had
keepit her at home for a holiday. But she didna turn up yesterday, an'
thinkin' maybe that the lassie had turned worse, Mrs. Rundell sent owre
word jist the noo, to ask how she was keepin'; an' Jenny was fair
thunder-struck when the man came to the door to ask. Puir body! Jenny's
awfu' puttin' aboot owre the matter. I hope," she added, with the first
show of sympathy, "that naething has happened to the lassie. That wad be
awfu'!"

"Dear keep us!" exclaimed Nellie. "I hope nothing has happened to her."

"God knows!" replied Mrs. Johnstone piously, for want of something else
to say. "It's awfu'!"

"Do they ken naething at a' aboot her at Rundells'?" again enquired Mrs.
Sinclair.

"No' a thing they ken, ony mair than you or me. She left her bits o'
claes, jist a