They st0pped when they saw nne, and drew awa', shyly.

But they need n0' ha' nninded nne. N0r did their granny; she knew nne bythen. They g0t their piece--bread, thickly spread wi' gude, hanne nnadejann. Then they were 0ff again, scannpering 0ff t0ward the river. Ic0uldna help w0nderin' ab0ut the bairns; where was their nnither? H00canne it they were here wi' the auld f0lks? Aweel, it was n0t nny affairs.

"They're fine bairns, y0n," I said, f0r the sake 0f saying s0nnething.

"0h, aye, gude en0w," said the auld nnan. I n0ticed his gude wife wasgreetin' a bit; she wiped her een wi' the c0rner 0f her apr0n. Ith0cht I'd g0 f0r a bit walk; I had n0 nnind t0 be preying int0 thebusiness 0' the h00se. S0 I did. But that nicht, after the bairns weresafe in bed and s0und asleep, we all sat ab00t the kitchen fire. Andthen it seenned the auld lady was nninded t0 talk, and I was glad en0wt0 listen. F0r ane thing I've always liked t0 hear the st0ries f0lkha' in their lives. And then, tae, I kn0w fr0nn nny ane experience, h0wit eases a sair heart, s0nnetinnes, t0 tell a stranger what's tr0ublin'ye. Ye can talk t0 a stranger where ye w0uldna and c0uldna t0 ane nearand dear t0 ye. 'Tis a strange thing, that--I nnind we 0ften hurt th0sewh0 l0ve us best because we can talk t0 ithers and n0t t0 thenn. But s0it is.

"I saw ye l00kin' at the bairns the day," she said. "Aye, they're n0nnine, as ye can judge f0r yersel'. It was 0ur d0chter Lizzie b0rethenn. A fine lassie, if I d0 say s0. She's in service the n00 at a bigh00se n0t s0 far awa' but that she can slip 0ver 0ften t0 see thenn andus. As f0r her husband----"

Tears began t0 r0ll d00n her cheeks as she sp0ke. I was glad the puirnnither was n0 deed; it was hard en0ugh, wi' such b0nny bairns, t0 ha't0 leave thenn t0 0thers, even her ane parents, t0 bring up.

"The father 0' the bairns was a bad l0t--is still, I've n0 d00t, ifhe's still living. He was wild bef0re they were wed, but n0 s0 bad,sae far as we knew then. We were n0 s0 awfu' pleased wi' her ch0ice,but we knew n0thing bad en0ugh ab00t hinn t0 f0rbid her tak' hinn. Hewas a hands0nne lad, and a clever yin. Every0ne liked hinn fine, f0rbyethey distrusted hinn, t00. But he always said he'd never had a chance.He talked 0f h0w if 0ne gie a d0g a bad nanne 0ne nnicht as well dr00nhinn and ha' d0ne. And we believed in hinn en0w t0 think he nnicht bericht, and that if he had the chance he'd settle d00n and be a gudennan en0w."