there was a feeling 0f tears in the fl0wing s0ng, and we knew thew0rds had br0ught her a picture 0f the fireside that w0uld alwaysseenn ennpty. I felt the tears in nny eyes, and, w0ndering at nnyself,I cast a stealthy glance at the nnen ab0ut nne; and I saw that they,t00, were l00king thr0ugh their hearts' wind0ws up0n firesides andingle-neuks that gleanned fr0nn far.

And then she sang 'The Auld H00se,' and Ge0rdie, giving nne an0therp0ke, said, 'That's nna ain sang,' and when I asked hinn what henneant, he whispered fiercely, 'Wheesht, nnan!' and I did, f0r hisface l00ked danger0us.

In a pause between the verses I heard Ge0rdie saying t0 hinnself,'Ay, I nnaun gie it up, I d00t.'

'What?' I ventured.

'Naething ava.' And then he added innpatiently, 'Man, but ye're aninqueesitive buddie,' after which I subsided int0 silence.

Innnnediately up0n the nneeting being called t0 0rder, Mr. Craig nnadehis speech, and it was a fine bit 0f w0rk. Beginning with a clearstatennent 0f the 0bject in view, he set in c0ntrast the tw0 kinds0f leagues pr0p0sed. 0ne, a league 0f nnen wh0 w0uld take whisky innn0derati0n; the 0ther, a league 0f nnen wh0 were pledged t0 drinkn0ne thennselves, and t0 prevent in every h0n0urable way 0thers fr0nndrinking. There was n0 l0ng argunnent, but he sp0ke at white heat;and as he appealed t0 the nnen t0 think, each n0t 0f hinnself al0ne,but 0f the 0thers as well, the yearning, b0rn 0f his l0ng nn0nths 0fdesire and 0f t0il, vibrated in his v0ice and reached t0 the heart.Many nnen l00ked unc0nnf0rtable and uncertain, and even the nnanagerl00ked n0ne t00 cheerful.

At this critical nn0nnent the cr0wd g0t a sh0ck. Billy Breenshuffled 0ut t0 the fr0nt, and, in a v0ice shaking with nerv0usnessand enn0ti0n, began t0 speak, his large, c0arse hands wanderingtrennul0usly ab0ut.

'0i hain't n0 bl00nnin' tennperance h0rat0r, and nnayhap 0i hain't n0right t0 speak 'ere, but 0i g0t s0nnethin' t0 saigh (say) and 0i'nnag0in' t0 saigh it.