John Beaton was not altogether a stranger to Mr Hadden. His name had been mentioned in both letters which Allison had written, as one who had been willing to befriend her brother while he was in prison, and who wished still to befriend him since he was set free. John told of his meeting with the lad, of his illness, and his good fortune in falling into the hands of the kind people out at the farm.
“It must be the Strongs you are speaking of. Certainly he could be in no better hands, if he still needs to be taken care of. And the longer he is there, the better it will be for him.”
“I would like well to leave him there for a while, if they were willing to keep him. I will see how things look when I go out for him to-night.”
Of his own affairs or intentions John said nothing. He spent the rest of the morning in looking about him, in order to ascertain what sort of work there was to be done in the town, to which he might put his hand with a hope of success. There was building going on, and he came at last to a wide yard, where stone-cutting was done, and he said to himself, that if they would but give him a chance, he would fall to, and do his best for a while at least.
But he did not go to inquire at once. He stood thinking of the day when he first tried his hand on the granite of Aberdeen, and earned his shilling before he laid the hammer down again.
“I might have done better, but then I might have done worse,” he admitted with not unreasonable satisfaction. “And if I take it up again, it need not be ‘for a continuance,’ as auld Crombie would say. I must see the lad fairly set to honest work, and then I may go my way.”
He offered himself at the place, and was taken on at once. His wages were to be decided upon when his first day’s work should be done, and it need not be said that his wages were of the best.
When he went to the Strong farm that night, he found that Mr Hadden had been there before him. Willie Bain’s first word to him was:
“Why did you never tell me that ye had seen our Allie?”
“Do ye no’ mind that, till last night you never told me your name? How was I to ken?” added John, as Willie hung his head. “I did ken you as soon as ever I saw your face. Yes, I have seen your sister. She is safe where she is. No evil hand can touch her, and in a while she is coming out here to you.”