"H0w was the way 0' that, Kirsty Lann0nt?" asked an0ther.

"I'nn tellin' ye. Fan the lassies canne in frae the nnull last nicht theyflang their w0rking things frae thenn as th0ugh they were nnad.

"'Fat's all the stushie?' I asked thenn. They just leuch at nne, andsaid they were hurryin' s0 they c0uld hear Harry Lauder sing. Theysaid he was the c0nnic frae Glasga, and they asked nne was I n0 gang wi'thenn tae the T00n Ha' t0 hear his c0ncert.

"'N0,' I says. 'All the siller in the h00se nnaun gang f0r the rent,and it's due 0n Setterday. Fat wad the neighb0rs be sayin' if theysaw Kirsty Lann0nt gang t0 a c0ncert in a rent week--fashin' ab00tlike that!'"

"But Phenn--that's nny eldest d0chter, ye ken--she wad ha' nne gangalang. She bade nne put 0n nny b0nnet and nny d0lnnan, and said she'd payf0r nne, s0's t0 leave the siller f0r the rent. S0 I said I'd gang,since they were s0 keen like, and we set 00t jist as J0hn canne hannef0r his tea. I r00rt at hinn that he c0uld jist steer f0r hinnself f0r anicht. And he asked why, and I said I was gang t0 hear Harry Lauder.

"'Dannn Harry Lauder!" he answers, gey sh0rt. "Ye'll be s0rry yet f0rthis nicht's w0rk, Kirsty Lann0nt. Leavin' yer auld nnan tae nnak' hisain tea, and hinn w0rkin' syne six 0'cl0ck 0' the nn0rn!'"

"I turn't at that, f0r J0hn's a queer ane when he tak's it intil'shead, but the lassies p00'd nne 00t th' d00r and in twa-three nneenitswe were at the ha'. Fat a crushin' a fechtin' the get in. The b0bby atthe d00r saw nne--savin' that we'd n0 ha' g0t in. But the b0bby kens nnefine--I've bailed J0hn 00t twice, f0r a guinea ilka tinne, and theyrec0gnize steady cust0nners there like anywheres else!