The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-11-15
LAST OF THE STUARTS.
THE DlsixHERlTEp PRINCE.

B., that he VAS the dned representative and lawful her of the unfortun ate family of Scotland. do not quite know how he derived his descent, or from whom :; but feel sure that, had he lived at the beginning of the eighteenth instead of the nineteenth century, he would, with considerable confidence, have contested the righ, of Q ieen Anne and the earlier Georges to reign over the northern, if not also the southern. portion of Great Britain. He vas not born, however, until r7oo; and al that time there were in the Highlands but few people who still chAfed under Hanoverian rule When, therefore, as young man, he first went to London, instead of pl tting rebellion against the authority of King George ILL, he fell in love with an English girl named Eleanor Tudor, who also claimed. and. l ehink. not without jas,iee, ta be lineally descended from royal ancestors. A DOT. trait of this lady vas until quite recently ID the possession of her daughter, Miss Stuart. She was not beautiful: and 1 strongly suspect that Mir Stuart would not have wooed her had she borne any other name than Tudor bu, the prospec, oi once more uniting the old kingly stocks of England and Scotland proved too seductive to be resisted. and in the summer of 1877 the laird married Miss Tudor at S;. James's, Readily, and al once earned her off 10 his northern home In the folloaing year Mrs S,uart gave birth to the above. mentioned daughter, who ID due course received the name of Henrietta Maria and when in
 1920 son was also born at Balq1halloch, he was, with equal 6ttingness, baptized Charles Augustus.
 The old laird died in iS6i but in the meantime his son had grown up and married pretty and penniless governess :: and ID iS57 son, who was named Charles Edward, had been born to him. Mr. Charles Augustus Stuart, who, re- gret to say, had more respect for whisky than for his magnificent ancestry, was seized with apoplexy in is7S shortl, afterward departing this life; and in 1880. when the events which am about to narraie began, the only living representa- tives of the old laird were his daughter Henretta Maria, an eccentric lady of sixty-swo, and his grandson Charles Ed ward. lively, and, I may add, rather anscrupulous fellow of three-and-twenty
 Miss Stuart was tall and very digni- oed person. Twenty years ago the thirsty cravings of Charles Augustus had dragged him into pecun,z.y difficulties. from whion he only exricated himself by selling balquhailoch and all its contents to his sister and from tha, time Miss Stuart vas mistress of the fine old house. and maintained herself there in a style almost worthy Of the descendant of a hundred kings. She was nch. her mothers relations having a, different times bequea,hed 10 her sums amounting m the aggregate se nearly three quarters ot million, aad she ~as generous, IS all the poor of the neighhorhood would gladly testify but, as have already said. she was eccentric She regarded herself as British princess: she Insis,ed upsn her sers.-ets treating her as xuch she lived in considerable state, and Sad a large household; and whenever she had occasion 10 sign her name, she signed ii magnihcently. Henrieta Mar,a. P"
 Young Charles Edward. on the other hand. inherited no fortune worth speak, ing of. Ills father had squandered his means in dissipation and dying, left a pzltEy , 900, upon the interest of which the son, until ISso lived in chambers in the Inner Temple. Up to that time he had DO direct communication with his magnificent aunt. vho, after purchasing BAiquhalloch, had quarrelled with his father. In the spring of this year, how ever, Charles Edward happened to be oreakfasting with his friend Tom Check stone, who called his attention 10 the follo~ing advertisement in the lHoysisy posf
 A parsonage of rank requires the services of private secretary. Appli- cant must be energetic, well educated. of good address. and willing to spend the greater part of his time in the ceuntry- Send full particulars to the s,eward of the household, Balquhalloch. x B.
 Balqahalloch is your aunt's place, is ii not! l wonder who has taken itr' asked Tom.
 "No one has taken it. My aunt always lives there, and. wha, is more, she is the l parsonage of rank"
 Your aunt. Have they been making her peeress, then 2" demanded Tom in- 
 She's listle weak in her head, you knos, on the subject oi our supposed royal desce"t,' returned Charles Edward, l ' and she insists upon regarding herself As princess
 Aad if she is . princess, what are you, Charlie P
 "Oh, don't know. haven't troubled 1 myself to go deeply into the matter, but suppose shas in hes essimasioe am the ] legitimate king of England, or, rather. i of Great Britain My grandfa,her claimed | 10 be the representative of the house of Stuart, 90, of course, as the only son Of Ais oaly son, l inherit that great but barren honog."
 Well l have made up my mind to sEite to yvuI eccesrric aunt's seward of l lhe houseAold," said Tom .f have | itkle to do, and, what ; far more serious, itste b live upon; and if the princess VII give me i've hundred . year, hez i !oyal higbness shan have my services. | b she richr