Wee Macgreegor Enlists | Page 6

me what ye
had. I treated ye ill aboot the enlistin'. But I wasna gaun to enlist to
please you, nor ma aunt, neither.' He rose slowly and picked up his
shabby jacket. 'But, by ----, I'll enlist to please masel'!' He held out his

hand. 'There it is, if ye want it, Macgreegor. . . . Ha'e ye a match? Weel,
show a licht. Is ma nose queer-like?'
'Ay,' Macgregor unwillingly replied, and, with inspiration, added
consolingly, 'But it was aye that, Wullie.'

IV
THE RING
'Wha' was chasin' ye?' Christina inquired, as Macgregor came
breathless to the counter, which she was tidying up for the night.
'I was feart I was gaun to be late.' he panted.
'I wud ha'e excused ye under the unique circumstances,' she said
graciously. 'Sit doon an' recover yer puff.'
He took the chair, saying: 'It was Wullie Thomson. He's awa' to enlist.'
'Wullie Thomson! Weel, that's a bad egg oot the basket. Hoo did ye
manage it, Mac?'
'It wasna me,' Macgregor replied, not a little regretfully. 'He's enlistin'
to please hissel'. He says he's fed up wi' his aunt.'
'She's been feedin' him up for a lang while, puir body. But ye're a queer
lad,' she said softly, 'the way ye stick to a fushionless character like him.
I was tellin' Miss Tod,' she continued, 'aboot----'
'Oor engagement!' he burst out, scarlet.
'Whist, man!--ye've a wild imagination!--aboot ye enlistin'. She's been
in a state o' patriotic tremulosity ever since. Dinna be surprised if she
tries for to kiss ye.'
'I wud be mair surprised,' said Macgregor, with unexpected boldness, 'if
you tried it.'
'Naething could exceed ma ain amazement,' she rejoined, 'if I did.'
'I've got the ring,' he announced, his hand in his pocket.
'Order! Remember, I'm still at the receipt o' custom--three bawbees
since seeven o'clock.'
'I hope ye'll like it,' he said, reluctantly withdrawing his hand empty.
'Miss Tod canna hear us, can she?'
'Ye never can tell what a spinster'll hear when she's interested. At
present she's nourishin' hersel' on tea--her nineteenth cup for the day;
but she'll be comin' shortly to embrace ye an' shut the shop. I micht as
weel get on ma hat. . . . An' 'what did yer parents say to ye?'
'They said ye was an awfu' nice, clever, bonny, handsome lassie----'

'Tit, tit! Aboot the enlistin', I meant. But I'll no ask ye that. They wud
be prood, onyway.'
'Ma uncle's raised ma wages, an' they're to be payed a' the time I'm
awa'.'
'Shakespeare! That's a proper uncle to ha'e! But dinna be tempted to
stop awa' till ye're a millionaire. Oh, here's Miss Tod. Keep calm. She'll
no bite ye.'
The little elderly woman who entered had made the acquaintance of
Macgregor in his early courting days, especially during the period
wherein he had squandered his substance in purchases of innumerable
and unnecessary lead pencils, etcetera, doubtless with a view to
acquiring merit in her eyes as well as in her assistant's.
She now proceeded to hold .his hand, patting it tenderly, while she
murmured 'brave lad' over and over again, to his exquisite
embarrassment.
'But ye'll bate the nesty Rooshians, dearie--I meant for to say the
Prooshians, Christina--an' ye'll come marchin' hame a conductor or an
inspector, or whatever they ca' it, wi' medals on yer breist an' riches in
yer purse----'
'An' rings on his fingers an' bells----'
'Noo, noo, lassie, ye're no to mak' fun o' me! Whaur's his case?'
Christina handed her an aluminium cigarette case--the best in the
shop--and she presented it to Macgregor, saying: 'Ye're no to gang an'
hurt yer health wi' smokin'; but when ye tak' a ceegarette, ye'll maybe
gi'e a thocht to an auld body that'll be rememberin' ye, baith mornin' an'
nicht.'
'If he smokes his usual, he'll be thinkin' o' ye every twinty meenutes,'
remarked the girl, and drawing on her gloves, she came round to the
door in order to close an interview which threatened to become
lugubrious for all parties.
* * * * *
'Everybody's terrible kind,' Macgregor observed, when he found
himself alone with Christina on the pavement. 'Will ye look at the ring
noo?'
She shook her head and stepped out briskly.
After a little while he revived. 'I hope ye'll like it, Christina. It's got
pearls on it. I hope it'll fit ye.' A long pause. 'I wish ye wud say

something.'
'What'll I say?'
'Onything. I never heard ye dumb afore.'
'Maybe I'm reformin'.'
'Christina!'
'That's ma name, but ye needna tell everybody.'
'Dinna tease. We--we ha'e awfu' little time. Tak' aff yer glove an' try the
ring. Naebody'll notice. Ye can look at it later on.'
'I'm no in the habit o' acceptin' rings frae young men.'
'But--but we're engaged.'