"Ma son! ma son!" said the excited old lady, grasping the fragile form of her offspring into her great arms. Her kisses almost lifted the skin off her hero’s face. Indeed, she only released him on his shouting, "You’re chokin’ me, Maw." Tamson senior next tendered a hearty welcome. These formalities over, the company were invited to take seats and be merry. Of course there was a crush. But Mary Ann was given a place of honour at the miniature table, while the remainder were accommodated on the jawbox, dresser, the bed, fender, and coal-bunker.
"Ye’ll jist need tae tak’ pot-luck," was Mrs Tamson’s opening address, as she dispensed a bit of potted heid, finnin haddie, gingerbread, a cookie, and a glass of liquid refreshment all round.
"Help yersel’, Mary," said Spud to his chosen one, at the same time pressing her foot underneath the table.
"The’ll be a waddin’ here next, Mrs Tamson," piped in shrewd Mrs M’Fatty.
"It’s anither free feed ye’re efter, I’m thinkin’," retorted Spud, with a wink at his beaming Maw. "Onywey, I’ll no’ get mairret till I’m a gen’ral."
After supper there was a general entertainment. Paw Tamson danced the Fling and the Hornpipe, just as he used to do at the Hielanmen’s Corner; Maw sang—
"Spud, he is ma daurlin’, ma daurlin’, Spud, he is ma daurlin’, An’ a braw Chevalier."
This was followed by solos on the melodeon and mouth-organ, and then came the dance. The old attic fairly shivered with the rattle of the feet. Indeed, Paw Tamson sat breathlessly waiting for the surging floor to crash through to the neighbours below. An equally startling thing occurred. In the middle of a barn dance, all gave a thrilling jump and a hooch. This loosened the clothes-pulley on the roof of the house below. Down it went with a crash, tearing the clock, pictures, and dish-racks with it, as well as striking the bald and withered head of Paw Grumpie, a hereditary foe of the Tamsons.
"Thae d—— balloon an’ candy keelies," he groaned, at the same time seizing the poker and rushing upstairs. With a kick he smashed in a panel of the door, then flinging it open, he dashed in, followed by all the Grumpie clan. In a minute a joyful party was turned into a regular vendetta. Pokers, brooms, dishes, mats, and haddie bones were freely used, and it was only the cry of "Polis" which ended this startling combat. As the Tamson party heard the echo of the bobbies’ feet, they fled to their various buts and bens, leaving Spud and Mary Ann to sweep up the wreckage, and renew in private their tender endearments.