XPost: soc.culture.scottish, soc.culture.british, soc.culture.irish   
   From: htr.@faeFife.com   
      
   "Glenallan"  wrote   
   > Tea for Two   
      
   Cute wee story Rab ... thanks  ;-)   
      
   > It was a pleasant day, and Bill Henderson  felt himself   
   > released from the toil of working life as he stepped off the   
   > bus at the beautiful little town of Bridge of Allan. He began   
   > to think that  its surrounding area was a beatiful but   
   > forgotten backwater on the tourist trail.   
   >   
   > Bill had some business in the town with his solicitor friend,   
   > Archie Cameron at his Main Street office. He glanced   
   > at his watch and it dawned on him, in his forgetfulness   
   > he was actually an hour and a bit too early for his   
   > appointment.   
   >   
   > Still, he  reasoned, this was a heaven-sent opportunity   
   > to view the town in the 9 o'clockish morning sunshine.   
   > Soon, he had walked the length of Henderson Street,   
   > taking his time, towards the little railway station,   
   > peering into shop windows as he went   
   >   
   > With time on his hands, he hung about for while watching   
   > two young back-packers and an old lady board a two carriaged   
   > little train bound for Edinburgh. He wondered for a   
   > second or two whether to take the short journey with them.   
   >   
   > As it happened the old lady was being seen off by   
   > a second old lady who had a tiny dog.  It is one of life's   
   > mysteries, he mused that if there is an old lady with a   
   > dog around, she will want to speak to him. And so she did.   
   > They struck up a conversation about dogs and soon they were   
   > making their way back to the little town's main street .   
   > The old lady informed him that she had come to live in   
   > Bridge of Allan in 1965 and was really from Glasgow,   
   > like him.   
   >   
   > In the warm sunshine he began to think that this was   
   > one of the most pleasant little encounters he could   
   > ever have.  By this time he decided that it would hardly   
   > matter if he was half-an-hour late for his appointment   
   > and invited the old lady for a cup of tea in a small   
   > cafe in the main street.  She seemed  delighted   
   > at his offer and sat down.   
   >   
   > Bill approached the waitress at the counter and   
   > ordered a two-cup pot of tea and some scones. He asked   
   > her if she would take the lady's coat .   
   > She replied, "What lady, Sir?"   
   > He turned round and felt a cool draught.   
   >   
   > “Oh, you've been talking' to Mrs Brown. She was killed   
   > in the train crash at Polmont last year. We just don't   
   > have the heart to tell her."   
   > "It was the wee dog that sniffed you out.", she smiled.   
   > “Did she stop you getting on the train.?”   
   >   
   > He was puzzled and left soon after to   
   > meet with Archie in the Main Street.   
   > "Hello Bill, come in.  Sit down man.   
   > You look as though you've seen a ghost".   
   >   
   > "Aye, Right Archie.”   
   >   
   > G   
   > --   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)