Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-03-14

while | tell you. killed James LANG.
= / killed him because, while he was
| shooting on the braes of Angus last
year, he wronged my sister so deeply
that ] behooved TO kill her too. l
watched until all his new followers had
gone, then l walked into his room and
put my dirk through his throat. mad
wrongs to right, and l righted them;
but yon man you spoke against to-day
knows nothing of the matter. don't
want to murder him too. Tell the po-
| lice that the man who killed James
Laing is Alexander Campbell. They
can look for HIM in Bute-maybe they
will find him, and maybe they will not
Without another word he was gone,
and Ranald was too shocked to detain
him, even if he had had the power.
However, he made no spontaneous eff
| fort, and when reflection came he de-
termined not to do it. He could not
bear to give up his triumph; he knew
the temper of popular feeling, and was
sure that, David's innocence assured,
David would become the popular idol.
He had labored for his ruin-how could
he now give up his objectP And then
he thought of Maggie, and that thought
decided him. No, nothing should now
induce him To retrace his steps.
"The next morning in court he had
another chance to clear his soul. The
prisoner had received from some per-
son in the press a paper assuring him
that Ranald had been notified of his in
nocence, and would proclaim it in the
court. David begged the officer tn pass
this paper over to Ranald, and he
eagerly scanned his face while he read
it. The two enemies looked moment
into each others eyes, and then Ranald,
with scornful smile, tore the paper
into fragments.
$50 David was sentenced that day,
and in due time hung with all the cir
cumstances of barbarity and indignity
then common to the last act of the law.
If Ranald felt himself a murderer, he
did not show it, and no visible judg-
,ment followed his crime, He rose
rapidly in his profession, married Mag
gle Faulder, built yon house at Cross
basket, and was finally made one of the
Lords of Session.
But long before this some people
had begun to notice that he was
haunted man. l say 'some people,
because there are men and women that
are Just Jumps of clay, and never see
anything beyond their own meat and
money Matters
"A haunted man, Brodie! What do
you meanP"
"Just what say, Allister. The man
he had hung called him from bed and
board and bench, and he was compelled
to go. His face turned gray as ashes
with terror and mortal agony; and the
servants told strange tales of cries and
voices and of fierce struggles, which al
ways left their master more dead than
alive. The doctors gave these attacks
some grand Latin name; but the man
was far beyond their help.
lone night he was awfully wretched
and restless, and insisted on having
son, bright lad of three years old. At
midnight there was the old struggle
and the old cries, and the child ran
sobbing down the great stairs, half
crazed with a terror that he never could
explain; for it was not likely he could
describe in the language of this world
things that belonged to another one"
"And Ranald MacNair?n
"Was found dead this time, and his
room is locked to this day. The little
lad present at that last awful struggle
was Sholto's father. He carried the
memory of that hour into every hour
of his life, and l think that he never
either hoped OF tried to avert the poverty
and sorrow he believed to be the Just
Judgment of his house. He was pious
man, but he held this worlds goods
with a loose grip. Sholto, you say, is
prudent and world-likeP"
81 have nothing against him but his
constant hankering after work that will
never pay him. Nobody cares for his
torical paintings and picture castles,
Brodie.n
"No, no; and why should theyP Tell
him to paint portraits; every one thinks
his own face makes the best picture
But in a few months Bailie Allister
had still graver cause of disapproba-
ton. Among the girls in his factory
was one of extreme beauty, known
generally by her companions as Lady
Jennie" Popular nomenclature is
rarely wrong, and Jennie's stately
beauty deserved the title given her.
Sholtos admiration was so marked that
his old friend could hardly avoid inter-
fering in the matter. So he made the
inquiries he thought proper, and then
asked Sholto to come and dine with him.
Sholto was quite prepared for the dis
cussion, and when Bailie Allister pro-
posed that he should now 90 to Rome
and pursue his studies, the proposition
had been foreseen and considered. He
answered, quietly, that he had been
preparing for such step some, that he
had finished designs sufficient for the
houses need until his place could be
properly filled, and that he was now
only waiting for his marriage, which
would be performed the following week
"You know WhO you are going to
marry, Sholto, l suppose"
"Yes, l know. | was afraid she
would not have me; but she is an angel,
and has forgiven all"
"Sbe has heard, then, of the wrong
your great-grandfathe did her houseP"
"She has heard that Ranald Mach air
deliberately kept back facts which
would have saved her great-uncle from
a shameful and early death; but she
knows that Sholto MacNair had neither
part nor lot in that sin, and that he
would die himself rather than hurt a
hair of her head"
"She is but working-girl, Sholto." :"
81 am not lit to touch her hand,
bailie, she is that nobly born; and l
hope, for my mothers sake, you will
bless our bridal"
So Sholto and his wife went to Rome,
and the old house of Crossbasket grew
every year more dreary and melan-
choly-lOoking. Nobody asked to rent
it, nobody asked to buy it, and the
marsh grew so upon the garden every
year that people began to prophesy the
place would eventually be swallowed
pup by the bogs and water.
For some time little was heard of
Sholto. The bailie thought it a good
| sinn % Tho lnd - hn snid l. hn.nr,rr