Part 9 (1/2)

'Nothing yet, dear; the case is not finished He has to go to Edinburgh to be tried; and we hope that so else may be found out before that tioes?'

'No, he will not come back before then'

'Where is he?' demanded Allan

'At present he is in the--in the County Jail,' faltered Mrs MacGregor

'Poor Neil,' burst from the children

'He will be kindly treated,' interposed the doctor; 'and it is only until the case coh'

The tears rolled over Tricksy's cheeks; and Marjorie turned away and looked out of the

'And now,' said the doctor cheerily, 'you ically yet We must hope for the best Neil must stand his trial like a e of justice takes place He will have the very best advice, your father and I will see to that; and you may depend upon it that some fresh evidence will turn up before then, which will show ht In the h you had made up your ood case for hi folk clustered about in -cart arrived, when the Stewarts unwillingly took their leave, with ht coht in the -cart had started; 'tell us what has happened?'

'Indeed, Master Allan; it iss ahl ferry unlucky indeed; and it iss ferry sorry I will be for puir Neil and for Mrs Macdonnell You will be knowing the night before the robbery wass co with the MacAlisters He wass expecting a letter; and it will be a stor in till ferry late so that the letters wass not sent away that night, but Neil wass allowed to look aistered letter for the laird; and it come out in the evidence that Neil would see it, and that no one else but only Mr and Mrs MacAlister and Neil hi that it wass there'

'But what could make them think that Neil would break into the post-office and steal a letter? Neil, of all people!'

'Well then, the ferry next day Neil will pe sending away a letter, and in that letter wass one of the ferry orders that had been in the laird's letter'

'But how do they know that it was the same order; and how can they be certain that it was Neil who sent it away There h Post Office that day'

'They know that it wass the laird's order, Master Allan, because the gentleman who had sent away the orders had kept the number of them all; and they know that Neil had sent it away because the man he sent it to took it out of the envelope in ta post-office, and there wass a letter with it signed clearly in his own handwriting; ”Neil Macdonnell”'

Allan sat up and pushed his cap to the back of his head

'It's very strange,' he said; 'there must be some mistake!'

'How did poor old Neil take it, when he was arrested and all that?'

asked Reggie

'Neil wass ferry ie, and could not pelieve it at ahl He said the order he had sent aass not the laird's but another one ahltogether Afterwards he wass ferry angry; and in court he stood up as prave as a lion and said he had neffer seen the order and that he had neffer sent it ahateffer, and that it wass all lies They will be showing him his name written on the order; and he had to own that it wass his handwriting, but he will not be knowing how it had come on the order Then when some of the people didn't seeain, wass Neil; and when the Sheriff said he wass to go and pe tried at Edinburgh he went out of the court in a terrible rage and a fury; and he said to us ahl that he would not go to Edinburgh, because if ta people here ass his friends didn't peliefe hih where they wass ahl strangers to hi pefore he wass sent there and not be pringing disgrace upon an honest fas, will Neil, puir lad'

Mr and Mrs Steere in the hall when their children arrived