Show THE HOUSE WITH THE GREEN SHUTTERS P l BY GEORGE GEORGE- DOUGLASS D D I J Copyright Y I 1502 McClure Co o CHAPTER II H. Only a n man of or brute force torce of nt character could have o kept all the carrying trade of 01 Barbie In his ow own n lands Even In these days dag of 01 railways nearly every parish has a pair of carrIers carriers car car- tiers at the least journeying once or twice a week to the nearest town Inthe Inthe In Inthe the days when Gourlay was t o great greatman greatman man of or Barbie railways w were rc only beginning beginning be be- ginning to thrust themselves amon among the tho quiet hills and the tIme bulk of 01 Inland commerce was still being drawn by horses along the country roads Yet Gourlay was the the- only carrier In the town The wonder vonder 1 i. i diminished when we remember It had been a a. d decaying burg for or thirty years and that Its trade at the best of ot times was of ot mea meager er volume vol vol- ol ume time Even I so so It was astonishing that he should be the on only I carrier c I If you asked the natives e how he did It Ou Ou the they sold said he makes the one h hand nd wa wash h tic te other ye e know know know- meaning thereby that he had so many horses traveling In his own business that he be could afford to carry other peoples people's goods at rates that must cripple cripple crip crip- pie his rivals But nut that's stupid surely sureh said salI a n. visitor once who thought of or entering Into competition Its cutting off his hla I nose to spite his face ace Why I la is he so 80 anxious to be the only carrier In Barbie Bar Bar- le b-le that he carries stuff for fot- next to not nothing 1 the moment another man tries I to work the roads Its It's ls l's a daft like thing to do To lo be sure to be sure Just tho the o spite Oh there arc are times when Gourlay makes little or from the carrying but then ye e see ee It gics him a line fine chance to annoy annoy an nn- noy folk foU If Ie ye ask k him to bring y ye e Oh he growls Ill see ce If It It suits my m in own convenience And ye ha have hato toI to tobe tobe be content He lie has made so 80 much I mone money of at late that the pride of hims him's not to be bc endured It was waa not the In Insolence of ot sudden wealth however howe that made mate Gourlay haughty to his nel neighbors It Il was WM a n re- re natural to the man and amI anda amIa a cont pf f their em envy But It was true that ho he had made large sums of money In yearn CarH From L his father fatTier who had risen In the world he Inherited a I fine trade In cheese also the carl carrying to on n the one side and on the other When he married Miss MIs Richmond of lie G started l I as a- a acorn corn broker with the snug dowry vry that she brought ought him Then greatly to his benefit he su succeeded In establishing a n. valuable connection with It wa was partly by sheer Impact of ot oti i character that Gourlay obtained his I ascendancy o over hearty hearly and careless less I and partly by a blurt bluff Joviality which he so he-so so little cunning In I other things knew things knew to affect among the petti pett lairds The man you OU saw trIng trying tryIng try try- Ing to be joco jocose le with was a aery ery very different being from the autocrat who downed his fellows In tho time town It was M all How are ye e the day and How d' d dye doo oo Mr lr Gourlay and the Imm Imme Immediate diate production of or the big decanter More Moie than ten years years' ago now Temp gave cave Il e this Inc fine dour upstanding upstanding ing friend of or n hl a year twelve ar tack of or orthe the Red and Quarry and that was the making of ot The quarry r yielded yield yield- ed the tho the best building st stone e In a circuit of at thirty miles easy to work and hard against wind and weather When hen the main line went vent north through han and there was a great deal of or building on the fat far side and Ind Gourlay simply coined the tho money He lie could not have exhausted the quarry had ha hah h he tried he tried he would ha have haC C had to ho hok k down a hill but hill but he took thousands thou thou- thousands sands Bands of 01 loads from It for lor the han folk tolk and d the commission he ho paid the laird on on err each cach was ridiculously small He lie built wooden stables out on estate the estate the Templar had acres of ot hill land kind It was there there- the quarry horses generally generall stood tood It was was was' only rarely rarely once once In two ears cars perhaps that perhaps that thc they came In Ire to the House with the Green Shutters Last Saturday thc they had brou brought ht several loads of ot of sture bt for tOl Gourlays Gourlay's own use and that Is why they were present at the great procession on the Monday following m 1 It w was s their teo that Gourlay's Gourlays success was eras out of all proportion to his merits that made other men great way small HO so hitter hitler against him hint The They were an able lot lot and scarce one but possessed his weight of 01 brain Yet he had the hi big way of 01 doing though roost most of them w were vere rc w well 11 enough to pass Had they th-ey not been aware are of his stupidity etu stu tu- tu the they would woul never ne have minded his triumphs in tho the countryside but the they felt It with a I seD sense acute O of personal defeat that he the he-the the donke donkey as they thought hought him should him should scoop every chance that was going and leave them the long-headed long ones still muddling In their old ohl concerns They consoled th with sneers he retorted with brutal scorn and the feud l kept increasing between them They The were standing at the tle Cross to enjoy their Saturday een when Gourlays Gourlay's Gourlays Gourlay's Gour Gour- lays lay's as as the quarry horses horse had been betm named named came came through the town last week end There were groups group of ot bodies In the streets washed d from toll toil to enjoy the quiet air dun dun- dering or gossiping At t it case ease and the they all turned t to watch the stepping bravely braveh up their heads tossing toss toss- ing to the hill The bl men a men n way small glowered and nd said nothing I wouldn't mind said Sandy Toddie Toddle Tod Tod- dle die at last I wouldn't mind If he lie weren't such a n. ess Ess said the Deacon pleasantly He lIe his brow and blinked pretending not to understand Oh a cuddy ye know said Toddle color colon n nr stupid enough lisped the Deacon Wo We Ve all know that But nut one thing to be said o on hUh behalf Heth not such a a. J ess' ess ath ath to tr try to fancy English Whet When hen the Deacon w was ns not afraid of or a man he stabbed him hint straight When he was wall afraid of or him he ho stabbed him the sly He bie ie was annoyed on by the passing pats pass Ing of or Gourlays Gourlay's carts and he took It out of Sand Sandy Toddle Its blurted the Pro Pro- yost ost who was nas a man of or brosey large m mouthed large and fat tat of ot utterance speech Its Yass Its It's I mean the luck of ot that man man for for gumption he has noan Noan what hat e ever er r But If Jt the railway came here here- away I wager waler Gourlay would go down don he ho added less In certainty of 01 knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge than thau a. a as s a a. prophet of at tho the thing desired I l wager hed he'd go down sirs Likely enough said Sandy Sand Toddle Toddle- he wouldn't bo be a quick enough to Jump at the now new wa way of or doln doing Moar than that cried the thc Provost Pro spite sharpening hl his Insight moar than that Hed He'd be awre dow dour to abandon aban aban- don the auld wa way Im I'm tailing ye lie He would Just be left entirely Its It's only those like myself who approach him on err the towns town's affairs that know the full tuu extent of or his Oh hes he's a ess said the Deacon rubbing It Jt Into Toddle and Gourlay Courlay at the same time A ah but then yc ye see seo seo he ha has the that comes from rota character said Johnny Coe who was waa a sage sape phi phi- For there arc are two kinds of ot dont don't ye and T Theres There's roB 0 a Q scattered that's tS t'S of or no use usei Ulel Auld Handle Randle Donaldson was good at OCt fifty different things and he lie died In tho the poorhouse e Theres There's a dour kind of 01 though that has no cleverness cle but Just gangs tramping on and that's The easiest beaten by a flank at attack attack at- at tack said the tho Deacon snubbing him CHAPTER iii III With the sudden udden start of at a a- aman man roused from torn a dream day-dream Gourlay turned from the green reen gate and entered red the tho yard Jock Gilmour the arm orra man was washing trashing down the legs Jess of or ofa ora a 0 horse hore beside the trough It was Gourlays Gourlay's own cob which he u used II for driving rl round tho the countryside It was wasa a ablack black Gourlay black Gourlay made a poInt of or driving ln with a n black The brown for tor sturdiness the black for speed he would Say tay ay making a n maxim of hI his whim to give gl Jt Ji the sanction of ot a higher high high- er law Gilmour WAS In a n wild temper because because be- be cause causo he had been forced to get getup up at 5 o'clock In order to turn several se hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred cheeses to prevent them bul bulging out of or shape owing to the heat and so becoming cracked and spoiled lIe He did not r raise lse his head at t his masters master's ap ap- ap- ap preach And nd his head being bent the eye CC was as attracted to a patent leather Ieather collar which he wore sore glazed with black and red reel stripes 5 It Is a n collar much L affected b by ploughmen because a dip dig In the trough horse once a month suffices suf sur- suf- suf neeS nee'S for Its washing wa Between the striped collar and his hair as he stooped the sunburned redness of or his het t neck struck truck the eye vividly vividly the the cropped fair hairs on It showing whitIsh whitish whit whit- ish on the red skin The horse quivered n as the cold water swashed about Its Ic legs and turned turner I play playfully tully to bite Its groom room Gilmour still stooping du dug his elbow up beneath beneath be be- neath Its ribs The animal wheeled In L anger but Gilmour ran ron to Its Its' head with I mo most t manful bla blasphemy phem and len led It to tC the stable door deer The oft off hind leg was m still unwashed Has the horse but the three legs E said ld Gourlay sU sUel suavely el Gilmour brought the horse b back to tc p the trough muttering silently Were ye e saying anything said I Gourlay 1 sulI sulked ed out and said nothing and his master masler smiled grimly at the sudden redness that swelled his neck nechi and ears to the verge of or bursting A boy standing In his shirt and I trousers at an open window at tho the house hOUS above e had looked down at the scene with craning Interest c big d. d He lie had been alive to ever every turn and L phase of ot It the It-the the horses horse's quiver of 01 dolight de do- light and fear his skittishness the grooms groom's temper Ill and Gourlays Gourlay's I grinding will Eh Eh but his father tather was wat wasa i ia a caution How cas easy he had downed Jock Gilmour The boy was Will afraid 01 of his father lather himself but he liked to see him sent send other folk to the rIght light about For ho he was John Gourlay too Hokey Hoke Hokey but lila Ills father could down them Mr Gourlay passed on to the Inner yard which was waa close to the scullery door The paved court within Its high wooden walls was curiously fresh Cresh and clean A cock pl pigeon cock eon strutted d round puffing his gleaming gleaming- breast and rook rook- etty cooing In the sun BUn Large Lan e clear drops fell 1 from the SDI t of gr a wooden pump and splashed upon a flat st stone one The place seemed to enfold the s stillness There was waa a sense of Inclusion zi sion on and lInd peace pence There is a distinct pleasure pleas to the eye CC I in n a flu quiet I e t brick co cour court rt where whore everythIng JJ is fresh and p prim rIm In sunny weather Son you Jiu can I in n n a 1 and watch It do door r In a k kind Ind orI ot or through h an an open y Jj f standing at the I lazy hazy 1 dream I ream earn The Thc to bo fresh nh- nh blow l ab above abe e to let the round his neck aeck was sas to the pleas plea conscious of 01 the tho ore ho was intenselY ly pigeon on In its Hs bravery or of the clean yard ard the dripping pump and th theat the great eat stillnesS Ills His father on the step g beneath neath had n. n different sure pica Jre In the sight The fresh Indolence of or morning was round him hint too hut htmL it il was more than that that kept him gazing caring in idle happl happiness an He lie was clell delighting In the sense of or I his Is own property aro around nd him the most Substantial pleasure POM- POM ble We to man III Ills feeling deep though It was was' was quite vague and inarticulate If It y you u had asked Gourlay wh what t ho was thinking of at he could not have told you even e If It he had been willing to answer Is most unlikely y yb you cl Yet his whole physical and mental men men- tai tal physical Indeed rather than mental men- men Si tal 1 was wag ed with the fc feeling that the the fine building around him were his Iris that he had won Avon them by hit limm own effort and built th them m large e and significant before the world lie He was va In the thought of or It All men are arc Buiu suffused cd with that quiet t undo pride Iri In looking at al the houses houseH and end lands lInd which they have ha won h by their endea endeavors vors or vors-in vors In In looking at the hoU houses mord than at Rt the lands for tor the hose hati e which l a man rean has built seems to express hi hl his character and stand stanl for tor him heror the world a as a sIgn of his success It ii IH irE more morp personal than cold acres acre stamped with an Individuality All An Allmen men know that soothing pride in th the contemplation of or their own property But In Gourlays Gourlay's sense en e of property thero there was vas another clement an element clement peculiar to itself which endowed It with Its Us warmest slow glow Conscious al alwag always always al- al ways wag that he lie was at a disadvantage among amons his cleverer neighbors who sho could achieve a civic eminence denied to him he felt fell nevertheless that there WAS one means a material means by which he could hold his own and reassert re reassert reassert re- re assert himself b by the bravery braver of or his business namely and all nil the appointments appointments appointments appoint appoint- ments thereof thereof among among which his dwelling was the chief That was why he had spent no so 0 much mone money on th the House That was wh why he had such uch keen delight In surveying it it Every erY time he looked at the place he had harl a sense of or triumph over o what he knew in his bones to be he an adver adverse e publics opinion There was anger and pleasure pleasure pleasure pleas pleas- ure and the pleasure that Is mixed with anger often otten gives the keenest thrill It I Is the delight of or triumph in spite of opposition Gourlays Gourlay's house was a material expression of 01 that de de' light stood for It in stone and Ind lime It wa WM not that he reasoned deliberate deliberately deliberately delibe delibe- rate when he built the hou house c. c But er e every Improvement that he made and made and he was as spending money for or Improvements Im Im- im- im had had for tor its secret motive moU a more or less vague 11 e desire to score ort off oft his rivals rl be a a. slap in the face to the Provost he lie smiled when he planted his great mound of ot shrubs Theres like likes that about the Provosts Pro Ha Un ha Encased as 19 he was in his hard and insensitive nature he was sas not the man who In new surroundings would b be quick to every whisper r of ot opinion But he lie had been born and |