The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-02-01

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masterpieces, and that he ought 10 de
vote two years 10 the drudgcrv oI
money making. in order that he NIGH;
devote many wears after them Ia traveI
and study But ut length the bailic
succeeded, the wrctche;i home was
abandoned, and Shoto took his desk in
the designing room of the great sewei
muslin firm of Bailie Archibald Allister
Ii was about six months aftcrwari
that LAWYER Brodie called one evening
mess of an important nature in the
call, but after it had been completed.
and the two men had eaten Il blackjack
and drunk glass of toddv. their con,
versation gradually drifted into a less
personal ami less selfish strain
How is Sholto MacNair getting
along. bailie!"
He is doing well-saving money
and working hard
llumph. Ii is the fourth genera
this time. nto the third and fourth
generation, that's how il reads. baile
never rightly understood the mat
ter, Brodic"
The sins of the fathers, until the
third and
"Oh. know that. of course But
what sin has Swallowed the lads fathers
and how Is he responsible for il That
cld Mosaic law is hard one. Brodie
Thank God. il is Bethlehem and not
Sinai now ;"
You'll say nothing agains; the law
OF Moses, bailie. Ii il lust and right
just and right there is no LAWYER in
the land will say different. II Ranald
MacNair chose To lay the foundation
stones of his house IN blood. Just and
right it is that his children bear the
stain of it,
For few minutes the two men sat
silently slipping their toddv and look-
ing into the blaze. then Bailie Allster
said.
This Ranald MacNair was a LAWYER
and a Judge Of the Court of Session
A scoundrel and murderer Of the
worst kind. balie Nv grandfather sat
beside him on the bench for twenty
wears
Then there was another pause. but
Bailie Allister knew better than to
break it. He let the spell of the flick.
ering freight and of the sensitive ex.
pectaE: silence tell upon the heart OF
the old lawyer: and presently. after
quietly making himself another glass o;
Glenivet. he said. in low. thoughtful
voice, I'll tell vou. bailie. what know
about il, and there is no ore knows
more, for We have done the MacNair
business nearly eighty wears. though
am free TO say it is quite against nv
ordlnar To talk about INV clients
This Ranald MacNair was a black
/ looking Highlandman; and son of Don
aid Dhu MacNair, as fierce and bad q
man as ever ruled the MacNair elan
| have naught at all to do with the
/ quarrel between him and his father and
/ elder brother: he ave boosted that i,
had not been drv quarrel but in
| those DAYS the dirk settled every dis
/ pute north of the Grampians. and civil
lied folk hardly cared to interfere.
ANY how Ranald came southwark
with dark nam". and. strangely
enough for such fierce spirit. he enter
ed term of law with the house d
1 Caldwell X Fauldcr Some folks Just
hated his dark face and domineerine
ways, but NV grandfather took to ,h,
! proud Highlander wonderful don,
know what for, unless mavbe that
! David MacMaister mated him. and
David aud my grandfather were born
) foes.
They had no personal or particular
quarrel, but David and Ranald had fol-
both Of them fell. in love with bonnie
Maggie Fauldcr-iust as mad in love
As two such proud, set-n-their-own H. way
! fellows We're like TO be Maggie kind
Of favored David, and Ranald swore il
he married her, he might buv a dirL
with the wedding ring.
Then OLD Faulder sent Maggie away
TO some southwark friends, and David
and Ranald went on to the roll Of his
Malestv's attorneys, and both Of them
settled down TO pleading causes and
attending 10 other people, business.
I But they were always watching one
another; and when David was put up
for some rich county ollice-Clcrk OF
| the Rolls, | think-Ranaid was furious
and spent both time and gold freely in
order to defeat him. suppose he did
ii. Any how, his opponent, James
Laing, won, and David was both out o.
place and pocket Soon after, James
LANG was found dead in his Office
with z dirk through his throat.
Suspicion gathered swiftly and
certainly around David MacMaister
He was. as | nave said before. a pas
sionate and proud man. /, could not
he denied that he had spoken yerv bit.
teri Y of his opponent, and many threat
uttered in anger was now remembered
against him"
His arrest and Imprisonment seemed
TO deprive him almost of his senses.
He denied his guilt in the most solemn
terms, but could give no account OF
himself during the hour in which the
murder had been committed. excep, that
he had been in liquor in his own room.
This apology added little to his defense.
and many, even OF his intimate ac.
qnaintances, believed him to he guilty. -
Probably because Of the well-knuwn
hatred between the me-. the prosccu-
ton selected Ranald MacNair To con
duet their case Nothing so exciting
a this trial had agitatcd every circle
Of society since the landing Of Prince
Charlie Houses were divided friends
quarrelled. and immense bets were laid
on its issue
While II was pending Maggie Eaul.
/ der returned, and Ranaid was now
doublv anxious for the success of his
prosecution 1t was wonderful what
acumen and industry and eIoquencc he
I brought To bear on it, His summing
up and final speech electrified every one
| There was solemn ana awful stir of ap
l I,laIt-.. ,.lf,-a nj 4,