rrigate with
its sweet waters the parched border land between his physical and
psychical being. And when he had once again betaken himself to the
forsaken pen, there was little reason to fear a relapse or doubt a
final victory. A playful humanity radiated from him, the result of that
powerfullest of all restoratives--_giving_ of what one has to him who
has not. Indeed his reformation had begun with this. St Paul taught a
thief to labour, that he might have to give: Love taught Mr Cupples to
deny himself that he might rescue his friend; and presently he had
found his feet touching the rock. If he had not yet learned to look
"straight up to heaven," his eyes wandered not unfrequently towards
that spiritual horizon upon which things earthly and things heavenly
meet and embrace.

To such a Cosmo Cupples, then, Thomas told the story of Annie
Anderson's five-pound note. As he spoke, Cupples was tormented as with
the flitting phantom of a half-forgotten dream. All at once, light
flashed upon him.

"And sae what am I to do?" asked Thomas as he finished his tale.--"I
can pruv naething; but I'm certain i' my ain min', kennin' the man's
nater, that it was that note he tuik oot o' the Bible."

"I'll put the proof o' that same into yer han's, or I'm sair mista'en,"
said Mr Cupples.

"You, Mr Cupples?"

"Ay, me, Mr Crann. But maybe ye wadna tak proof frae sic a sinner
against sic a sanct. Sae ye may keep yer sanct i' yer holy boasom."

"Dinna gang on that gait, Mr Cupples. Gin ye can direc' me to the
purification o' our wee bit temple, I'll hearken heumbly. I only wiss
ye war ane o' us."

"I'll bide till ye hae gotten rid o' Bruce, ony gait.--I care naething
for yer sma' separatist kirkies.--I wonner ye dinna pray for a clippin'
o' an auld sun that ye micht do withoot the common daylicht. But I do
think it's a great shame--that sic a sneak sud be i' the company o'
honest fowk, as I tak the maist o' ye to be. Sae I'll do my best. Ye'll
hear frae me in a day or twa."

Cupples had remembered the inscription on the fly-leaf of the big
Bible, which, according to Thomas Crann, Mr Cowie had given to Annie.
He now went to James Dow.

"Did Annie ever tell ye aboot a Bible that Mr Cowie ga'e her, Jeames?"

"Ay did she. I min' 't fine."

"Cud ye get a haud o' 't."

"Eh! I dinna ken. The crater has laid his ain cleuks upo' 't. It's a
sod pity that Annie's oot o' the hoose, or she micht hae stown't
(stolen it)."

"Truly, bein'