"Ay, Sandy," says I, "you'll go an' get the swine suppered an' your ither jobs dune, an', gin ten o'clock were here, you'll get a coo's drink, wi' plenty o' pepper in't, an' get to your bed. Thae washin'-hoose argeymints are affectin' your nervous system, I'm dootin'. Rin, noo, an' see an' stick in." 

 I raley thocht, mind you, the wey the cratur was haiverin', that he wantit tippence i' the shillin'. 

 "I wad juist like you to hear ane o' oor debates, an' you'd cheenge your opinion," says Sandy.  "Bandy promised to tell's something the morn's nicht aboot the postylate in gomitry. I juist wiss you heard him." 

 "What wud there be to hear aboot that?" says I.  "Oor ane's juist the very same; he's near-hand aye late." 

 "Wha?" says Sandy, wi' a winderin' look in his e'e. 

 "Oor postie!" says I; "he's aye late. You'll of'en hear his whistle i' the street when it's efter ten o'clock at nicht." 

 Sandy gaed shauchlin' oot at the door, chuck-chuck-chuckin' awa' till himsel' like a clockin' hen, an' I didna see hint nor hair o' him for mair than twa 'oors efter. But what cud ye expeck? That's juist aye the wey o' thae men when they get the warst o't. 

 

 

 III. 

 SANDY AND THE DINNER BELL, 

 Crack aboot holidays! I tell you, I'd raither do a day's washin' an' cleaning', ay, an' do the ironin' an' manglin' efter that, than face anither holiday like what Sandy an' me had this week. Holiday! It's a winder there wasna a special excursion comin' hame wi' Sandy's bur'al. If that man's no' killed afore lang, he'll be gettin' in amon' thae anarkist billies or something. I tell you he's fit eneuch for onything. 

 We took the cheap trip to Edinboro, juist to hae a bit look round the metrolopis, as Sandy ca'd it to the fowk i' the train. He garred me start twa-three times sayin't; I thocht he'd swallowed his pipe-shank, he gae sic a 

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