Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1870-02-03

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"I will 60 right into the matter .
once. he said. "Look at me. sm th,
SOL Of Charles Eiwarl Stuart. Who N.
lawfully King Of England. Scotland ant
Ireland. and was commonly and unjust.
ly called the Pretender; man VII,
never pretended to be what he vas not
or 70 the possession Of anything but hi
own"
] certainly did start when Mr.. B'apl
uttered these words even if I did mo-
rub my eyes to be quite certain that l wa.
not asleep and dreaming. Being quit.
certain that l was awake, I looked incred.
ulous, AID replied:
''Surely. Mr.. Blank. you eanno. be the
son Of man who died nearly eighty years
ago?"
"Why not I" he inquired. .Beside,
il is not nearly so long ago since my faith
er died 20
"lIe died." I rejoined. "somewhere
about the year 1888. being then. if NV
memory does not deceive me. about &C
years of age. He was born, think, in
l720F"
"He was" replied Mr.. Blank "you
are quite right as TO his birth. quite wrong
as to his death. The truth is, he wa
the subjec, Of such persistent and cold
blooded persecution on the part Of the
British Government that false story Of
his death was circulated in 1888, and h.
emi grated to the New World. in ord.r to
pass in peace the remainder (Mr. Blank
being an American, said the balance;
of snch days rs it might please Heaven to
allot to him. He settled in the rude and
thinly. .proplcd region Of Western New
York, on the slope Of the Adirondack
mountains. aud purchased farm which
[ now occupy. Shall 60 on with my
story 7"
by all means
"Hc was hale and hearty man at that
time. and remained hale and hearty for
many years aftcrward so hale and hear
ty. that in the year l19S, being then
turned seven:y-eight. AMI having lived in
America ten years, he married a young
woman Of Scottish extraction not very
young. (she was :wo-and-thirty at ths
time AMI very beautiful. The marriage
was happy one. Three children were
born to my father before he died. He
kept his secret. Even his wife dill not
know who he was, except that his real
name was Stuart"
"And how did you come to know it,
Mr.. Stuart"--correcting myself, l said
"Mr. Blank =
"By my fathers will. bequeatLing to
me certain documents, in which | found
all the proofs Of the story l have told
YOU"
"a very extraordinary story" said I.
"But not SO extraordinary as true"
added he very sharply aud pcrcmptori-
ly.
"Do the documents exist p
They do"
evil you show them to me ?"
upon conditions" said he very slow
ly !; elf your courage does not fail you
when you know what the conditions
are"
Before we go any further" said 1
will you tell me for what reason you
have chosen me to be your couflaut?"
because 1 am prosecuted BY the Brit
ish Government rs my father was befor,
me. Because l have no JOY in my life
Because am teset by spies. Because
60 in danger Of poison or shot from &
revolver. Because think that you have
the means Of causing all this persecution
to cease"
81? Really, Mr.. Stuart. you ovcrrate
my Importance. Supposing this pcrsc-
cutiou to he real, and not Imaginary,
have no more power to help you than th,
man in the moon has. You say You have
documents 10 prove the case. If so,
can only express my firm belief that i
your documents be genuine, you have only
to bring them to the notice of the British
Government. aud that Government, il
persuaded that you are what you repre-.
sent yourself to be. and as your docu-
ments, you say, will prove. will not only
cease to persccute you-if ever they die
pcrsecute you-but. in consideration o.
your being the ncir aud representative Oi
Charles Edward Stuart. will settle on you
a very handsome pension"
The old gentleman shook his head. Il
don't want pension have q farm o
my own, and am quite independent of an,
mans favcr, or the favor Of any Govern
ment. want nothing but to be let alone
Let me drink and eat without fear Of poi
son let me turn . corner without risk o.
a pistol or bludgeon /; let me sink down
into the common herd of common men
and be at peace. That is all ask
want no pension, No money. no recogui.
tiou, no anything. from anybody. Peace,
and peace alone that is all. Aud q
you, SIR" he added, suddenly. al owe an
apology fer having intruded apou you
Ii will be kaown in q week to the Court
and Government Of Qaecu Victoria tha,
you have rec ivcd and spoken TO me
You viii be . marked maa, sir, depend
upon it, unless you go forthwith and de.
nouncc me. You may dcnouncs me il
you like; I give you full aud free per-
mission"
THAT would be gross trcachery, Mr.
Stuart" replied I, .'aad shall not de-
uoarce you. Bu. If yoa have in you
possession the documents you speak Of.
should be glad 10 see them"
"You shall see them this DAY week
he said, land without fail. Mind, wan
noshieg bat to prove to you that l an
What | say am /: aud that when couvin
eed Of the fact. yoa will exercise your in
fiacnce with the British Government b