, 1874-12-06

| time or James (. Towards tho close of tho las
century, cent tue period OF my story, its prosperity
Iepresentatiyes given to dreling, gambling
| drinking, ro!}icking and unlimited hosp,tafty
had sadly diminished its resources. They wore
! raco unusually reckless for even tho ireland O.
my grandfather. While yet mere youth he
had succeeded to the healship Of tho house
| with its fortunes and liabilities. The Inter in
cluded feud with ncighboring clan, the com
nencement Of which nobody remembered bu
which had been transmitted from sire to sou
e1asperating as it went. Thrca months neve,
| passed without riot sud Observation-Disclosures or
an extensive scalc-betwocn the parties.
as it happened the Gregg chicftain Of the day
WAS also young, though some years the senior Of
Fortune wtlled that tho pair should become ri.
walls in love, both wooing tho beauty OF the prov.
| ince. She was indeed beauty. saw her fifty
years later, withered with age aud worn with
troubles OF no ordinary kind, yet still handsome
and her portrait takon in her prime, fully iusti-
| dod the high praise awarded to her attractions
in song, aud the still higher praise included in
| tho fiery affections which they excited, and in
the deeds as hety to which they impellea. Here
shall take leayo to remark that tho world con-
abound among tho higher classes of Western
Ireland. In tho case OF my grandmother. 8
strong infusion of Spanish blood had added the
dash and brilliance OF tho South to the native
grace OF the - handsome Hamiltons."
Ny grandfather, one OF the widest spirits of
llin ngo and country. WAS an enthusiastic sports
man. He delighted in high excitement, was an
! unerring shot End daring horseman, md no
less eAlfu1 in handling aa1! and oar than in guild
ing tue stoed. Indeed, +" Little" Allan Grants
] day form the theme OF freside etory in the Iaud
OF his birth. Flo was about the last OF morta]s
I whom one would think OF turning rbymer. But
love effects strange transforn1atlous. have
before me bundle OF widowed papers, written
over With verses addressed to "Pretty Fanny
Hamilton" They might he mora polished, per-
haps, but they could hardly be mor4 earnest
and original, or moro free from aGectatlon and
conceit.
Ny ancestors rival was favored Of the rela~
hves OF tue beauty, aud my ancestor was fa-
vored Of the beauty herself, whose heart was
completely carried away by the impetuosity Of
the frank, fearless rhymer. In those stormy
days, however. the relatives OF Irish beauty
were accustomed to bestow it In marriage with
ont much regard to the feeling OF its possessor.
And so Pretty Fanny" as che was called to tho
day Of her death, Was condemned to wed Mr.
Gcralu Gregg, though the fact thai her affec-
tions we're fixed elsewhere WAS notorious. Her
prayers aud her tears Tero una7aillng to move
the dcspots Of the domestic circle. Her threats
for beauty OF spirit eau threaten-wera do
spised. And whom she took to pining, they
ucroly re,nhrked with D laugh, Marriage will
soon rouso her out Of that"
But, it they treated Pretty Fanny thus lightly.
they took another course with her lovo. When
he ayoWed, as he soon did. that he would make
her his own ''1n spite OF all tho GreSgs snd
Hamiltons in existence" every precaution that
prudence could suggest was adopted This, be
it remembered. waB the era Of abduction and
u Little Allan " Was just the man to conduct an
abduction with SUCCESS. Hero, perhaps, it
MAJ be as well to explain the cognomen which,
as in tho case Of most otlec Irish gentlemen OF
tue day, attached to him. 4 man standing S
feet I. md woighius over IL stone, can hardly DO
termed "lttlo." But Allan Grant WAS so broad
in the ahouder and so massiye OF limb that
his height WAS quito out Of proportion with bis
width, md mado him look somewhat dwarfsh.
Little Allan " Mrs dar1ug, full Of etratageua.
and not to bo moved from purpose, even il
Satan and all bis host stood in the way. Tho
Hamiltoas, therefore, not considering their
country-rosideuce eafo from his practices, re-
moved to house in the centre Of the town.
This they barricaded aud garrisoned, planting
iron bars in all tho mindows, strengthening the
outer doors. stationing sentinels behind tho
house, aud keeping witch and ward within in
fact. taking all the measures Of people expecting
siege and storm i; while the beauty WAS confined
to . chamber three stories from tho ground.
Lily grandfather 1nade several attempts to en-
ter, but always Intellectually. Ills spies vera
discovered, his tampering with the servants de-
tsctcd aud cne two efforts at escalade repelied
by force Eventually it was whispered that the
discounted suitor was making preparations 10
quit tho country, If not forever at least for many
yeare,-thnt Ii, should the last desperate effort
which ho was known to mediate happen to fail
That it should fail, tho Hamiltons aud Greggs
were resolved. 10 prevent any interference
with tho martiage-ce1emony, it WAS arranged
that it should take place in tie drawingroou,,--
q common thing in tnose days ;-and, to frustrate
any attack on the house in force, or any attempt
to carry off the bride On her way home, the par
tisans OF the Greggs and HamiItons mustered by |
hundreds tho night before, keeping . watch
around from eundown. There was good dea!
OF hard drinking among the band, and not 3 lit |
tie roaring, along with q quantity Of friendly |
rioting and head-breaAing, ".juat to keep their |
hands n." Contrary to all expectation, howev-
or, the foo thoy expected did not put in an ap- |
pearance that night. But that ho wonld come /
some time or other, nobody doubted and most |
Of the reckless spirits there looked forward to
tho encounter with high CLEO.
The morning. early in March, dawned at |
length. Before it had fully expanded into daY, |
cred for the rito. and waited only the bride. |
That last night. the faithful servant who had
shared her apartment was aided In her warden
ship by married slater OF the beauty, who, for
reasons Of her OWN, WAS known to cherish the
dercess hostility towards 'sLittie Allan." and
who, therefore, was just the dame to bo in
trusted with such q duty. 4 few minutes went I
By, btit neither bride, sister, nor servant np-
pearcd- A little further DELAY rendered the COM
pany in the drawing impatient. But, when |
! I4AlLt4 III Ell A4u41 E4a1SEA "4LAoA* oIAuktk1S
my ono from the prison-chamber. Greggs aud
Eiamiltons alike began to feel alhrmed. They
ooEed ar enc another rather blankly, and then,
,eized by the same Impulse and without uttcring
one word they quilted tho drawing-room in q
oody and hastoned upstairs. They reached the
hreahoId and paused not q sound came from
within. They knocked; no answer. They
:acd, shouted. kicked, clattered; still no reply.
7len they dashed in the door.
And what think you they found? Well, they
ound the married eister bound and gagged in
,ue corner, aud the servant bound and gagged in
mother corner but not 4 trace OF the beauty.
A largo hole in the wall dividing the house |
rom tho next revesled tho manner of her es-
ape Some Of the group paused to finger the |
ubbiaL ard peer at the hole With all the solem-
>ity OF a donkey poking bis head through a
;ate Othcrs dashed through the said hole, and
licked up terrible row in the next house but
Nth no satisfactory result. The news aprend to
be friends and retainers in the street. In IN
natnnt the whole OF them, and with them the
majority Of tho townapeople were. busy search
ng in all sorts OF improbable places for tue run-
Way and her presumed companion. It is as
ontehing what queer things ercn Tho wisest
eoplc perpetrate iu such cases. The butler &C.
uAlly climbed mp and poked through dorecot;
fLi1e troop Of jolly farmers, tumbliny about
t}a 1e}iarH 1n1etat it, tina baa1 of 4 c0ak. I