The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1883-04-07
THE HEIR OF FAIRLiE.
Yankee Blade

23A11N-.
Twas the last day of the year. and the
quiyering twilight had given place 20 the
sombre shades Of night. as female hs-
ure bent over the gateway and ws,cAed
the cheerful light issuing from the win
dows of Fairlie House.
Sse was a woman considerably above
the average height. and masculine in her
proportions. Her head was covered
with a red napkin or hood. pinned tightly
under her chin. while dark mantle en-
circled her entire person. and gave her a
most striking and peculiar appearance.
A few yards from her, but no means SO
deeply engrossed. was a young lad o.
fourteen or fifteen summers, amusing
himself with stick, Gisiodging few
hawthorn leaves which still clung to their
branches.
For a considerable time the woman re-
manned silent, as II Eliminating on events
that had long since passed away. At
length she maitered Curse him. curse
him." With such deep and measured
emphasis that the boy started and looked
at her earnestly.
$50 ii, Becky" said the youngs,er
there's somebody catching it, or a-going
to-
Il could wish him dead" she con-
tinued, without noticing the interruption,
and yet dare not XIII him.
. 'pese chuck him of for you, Who
ever he be- again broke in the youth ;
your enemies are mine, Mother BECKY.
and hain't so par,ic lar.
You speak ike silly boy. as you
are. and know not what you say. Ten
years ago, with the remnant of my tribe.
| visited this neighborhood. My hus-
band was newly dead, leaving me the
care # my only daughter, scarcely turned
sixteen. She MAS my hope. my comfort.
my companion in my widowhood. |
taught her, in my own rude way. 20 love
the good and beautiful and true: bu,
forgot 10 warn her that there were ser
penis on the earth in the form Of men,
under whose smile lurked death. The
tempter came in the shape Of Sir George
Buchan, to whom these lands belong
She was unsuspecting. for the contamina-
ton Of the world had not We, dimmed
Gods image in her soul: and to his vii
lainy she became a victim. From that
hour everything womanly departed from
me. watched and waited for him. but
in vain: fearing his crime, he shipped
for a foreign land. At the entreaty OF
my child, we left the place, and | have
since been what | am nova houseless,
hopeless wanderer and her voice
trembled as she finished.
Bless you, no, Becky, we're neither
houseless nor hopeless: under our can
vas castle we're all queens and princes.
But is that darned villain living YETI"
"Heis. have heard to-day that his
father is dead, and he is now lord of the
manor. He is married, too, and Heaven
has blessed him with an heir. o, curse
him. viii no, die till have wrung
his heart
As an explanation of the somewha,
stilted language of old Becky, il should
be stated that in her early years she had
been the tragedy queen Of a company
Of strolling players, and, falling in with a
gang Of gypsies, had been persuaded by
ore OF them to be the companion Of his
wandering. Henceforth she adopted the
habirs and life Of the gypsy, but the style
of speech belonging to her former avoca-
ton still chung to her, and in ordinary
conversation she talked as if rehearsinR
the hersine's part of play. The young
lad who now accompanied her, being the
constant associate of the male members Of
the gypsy encampmeni, had been taught
quite different phraseology, and less
serupulous ideas as to the rights Of prop
erty.
The threat uttered by Becky had
scarcely died upon her lips when the gate
was opened and a carriage, drawn by two
gaily-caparisoned horses, dashed by them
By the lights on the side Of the vehicle
IL 1T - II
and Becky's eyes cleaned with an un-
earthly nre as she recognized In the man
Sir George Buchan. of Fairiie.
lis he. 'tis her she exclaimed
nervously clutching the shoulder of the
boy. Il know his hlylivered face
though ten years have made the youth a
man.
:. Shall hop after EN- and bring dosr
one of the horses? could do il in the
turning of a Jenny. have always the
six-shoo,er handy" and he tapped some.
thing hard in the breas;-pocse, OF HI:
ragged coat.
mo, that would be poor revenge
A deeper plo, has dawned upon me. Sir
George and his lady are gone to some
festive gathering. The servants alone
will occupy the house. To tell their for.
tunes viii gam ready ambulance
While am reading their stars, you mus;
discover the room where the young heil
is, wrap this mantle gently around him
and leave the house unseen Have you
courage enough for that, think"
In course l have. il will be as easily
done as the robbing of = hens roosi.
But what il the young chap should OBJ
ject to travelling in the dark, and squal
out the moment have laid my innocen,
hands on him. Of course, could
make him quiet enough by putting my
thumb into his wien
Rory, you must not hurt hair Of his
head; when you have got him, use him
gently and cautiously, and leave the
house hoiselessly. Upon this depends
the success Of our whole enterprise.
..An right. Becky: I'll use the chick
as tenderiy as If was his born mother