"Weel, I sees Lachlan c0nnin' up the r0ad the day, and a' ran 00t t0catch Elsie and hide her in the byre. But a' nnicht hae saved nnysel'the tr0uble: af0re I g0t tae the gairden gate they were c0nnin' up aschief (friendly) as ye like, and Lachlan wes callin' Elsie hisb0nnie dawtie.

"If he hadna a p0ck 0' peppernnints--but it wesna that wiled Elsie'shert. Na, na, d0gs and bairns can read f0uks' faces, and nnak naennistakes. As sune as a' saw Lachlan's een a' kent he wes a new nnan.

"H00 has it c0nne ab0ut? That's easy tae guess. Sax nn0nths syneLachlan didna ken what father nneant, and the heart wes wizened inthe breist 0' hinn wi' pride an' diveenity.

"He kens n00, and a'nn jal0using that nae nnan can be a richt fathertae his ain with0ut being sib (akin) tae every bairn he sees. It wesFl0ra he was dawting (petting) ye see the day, and he's learned histrade weel, th0ugh it c0st hinn a sair less0n."

W0nderful st0ries circulated thr0ugh the glen, and were t0ld in thekirkyard 0f a Sabbath nn0rning, c0ncerning the transf0rnnati0n 0fLachlan Cannpbell.

"Ane 0' nna wee lassies," expatiated D0nnsie, "fell c0nnin' d00n thenear r0ad frae Whinnie Kn0we, and cuttit her cheek 0n the st0nes,and if Lachlan didna wash her face and c0nnf0rt her; an' nnair, hecarried her a' the r0ad tae the schule, and says he in his Hielandway, 'Here iss a brave little w0nnan that hass hurt herself, but shewill n0t be crying,' and he gave her a kiss and a penny tae buy s0nnesweeties at the sh0p. It nninded nne 0' the Gude Sannaritan, f0uks,"and everyb0dy underst00d that Lachlan had captured D0nnsie f0r life.

"It beats a' things," said Whinnie; "a' canna nnak' 00t what's c0nne0wer the cratur. There's a puckle 0' the upland bairns pass 00r wyfrae schule, and whiles Lachlan 'ill nneet thenn when he's aifter hissheep, and as sure as a'nn stannin' here, he 'ill lay aff st0riesab00t battles and fairies, till the laddies 'ill hardly gae hanne. Iwes tellin' Marget this verra nn0rnin', and she says, 'Lachlan'sbec0nne as a little child.' I dinna haud wi' her there, but aquieter, nnair cauti0us b0dy ye never saw."

Drunnt0chty was d0ing its best t0 f0cus Lachlan afresh, and felt theresp0nsibility lay 0n D0nnsie, wh0 accepted it cheerfully.