Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-12-20
By ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON,
or OF Cdr. Je1<y11 and MIR. Hyde

came later on. 1t TOOK the three whole
days disputation before they agreed to steer
middle course, one son going forth to strike
blow for King james, my lord, and the
other staying at homo to s.eep in favor with
King George. Doubtless this was my lords
decision; and. as is well known, it was the
part played by many considerable families.
But the one dispute settled, another opened
For my lord, Miss Alison and Mr.. Henry all
held the one view: that it was the cadets
part to 20 out; and the master, what with
restlessncss and vanity, would at no rate cou-
sent to stay at home Ny lord pleaded, Miss
Alison wcpt, Mr.. Henry was very plain spo-
ken; all was of no avail.
at is the direct hoir of Durrisdeer that
should ride by his kings bridle,' says the
master.
IF we were playing manly part" says
Mr.. Henry, "there might be sense in such
talk. But what are we doipsl Cheating at
cardsn
1--WE are saving the house Of Durrisdeer,
Henry" his father said.
"Ani see James said Mr.. Henry, eff I
go, and the prince has the upper hand, it will
he easy to make your peace with King
James. But If you 60, and the expedition
fails, we divide the right and the title. And
, what shall be them"
You will be Lord Durrisdeer," said the
master. 81 put all l have upon the table"
81 play at no such game cries Mr.. Henry.
1 81 shall be left in such situation as no man
OF sense and honor could endure. l shall be
neither fish nor flesh, he cried And little
after he had another expression, palmer per-
haps tnan he intended. 1T is your duty to
be here with my father" said he. "You
know well enough you are the favorite."
"Ay,n said the master. And there spoke
Envy! Would you trip up my heels-JacobW
said he, and dweled upon the name mali
ciouslv.
Mr.. Henry went and walked at the low end
of the hall without reply; for he had an ex-
cellent gift of silence, Presently he came
back.
! II am the cadet and should 60" said he
"And my lord here is the master, and he says
l shall go. What say we to that, my bro
therf
Il say this, Harry" returned the master,
shat when very obstinate folk are met there
are only two ways out; Bows-and | think
none of us could care to go so far; or the ar
bitrament Of chance-and here is guinea
piece VIII you stand by the toss of the
coinN
Il will stand and fall by it," said Mr.
Henry. "Hcads, l go; shield, l stay"
The coin was spun and it fell shield $50
there Is lesson for Jacob" says the master
ave shall live to repent of this" says Mr.
Henry. and flung out of the hall.
As for Miss Alison, she caught up that
piece of gold which had just sent her lover to
the wars, and flung it clean through the
family shield in the great painted window.
"If you loved me as well as l love you, you
would have stayed, cried she.
II
not honor more,'" sung the master
"Oh!" she cried, you have no heart; l
hope you may be killed." and she ran from
the room, and in tears, to her own chamber.
1t seems the master turned to my lord with
his most comcal manner, and says he, This
looks like a devil Of wife"
II think you are a devil of a son to me- ~
cried his father, you that has always been
the favorite to my shame be it spoken.
Never good hour have I gotten of you
since you We're born; no, never one good
hour" and repeated it again the third time.
Whether it was the masters levity, or his ill.,
subordination, or Mr.. Henry's word about
the favorite son, that had so much disturbed
my lord, l do not know; but | incline to
think it was the last, for have it by all ac-
counts that Mr.. Henry was more made up TO
from that hour
Altogether 1t wns in pretty i'll blood with
his family that the master rode TO the north;
which was the more sorrowful for others to
remember when it seemed too late BY fear
and favor he had scraped together near upon
dozen men, principally tenants SONS; they
were all pretty full when they set forth, and
rode up the hill by the old abbey roaring
and singing, the white cockade in every hat.
1t a desperate venture for so small a
tt,n tofS Go,
ported; and what made folk think so the
more, even as that poor dozen was gathering
up the hill, great ship of the kings navy,
that could have brought them under with q
single boat lay with her broad ensign stream
ing in the bay. The next afternoon, having
given the master a fair start, it was Mr.,
Henry's turn; and he rode Off all by himself
to offer his sword and carry letters from his
father to King Georges government. Miss
Alison was shut in her room and did little
but weep, till both were gone, only she
stitched the cockade on the masters hat and
las John Paul told me- it was wetted with
tears when he carried it down TO him
In all that followed, Mr. Henry and nv
old lord were true to their bargain That
ever they accomplished anything is more
than ! could learn; and that they were any
way strong on the kings side more than
believe. But they Kept the letter OF loyalty
corresponded with my lord president sat still
at home, and had little or no commerce with
the master while that business lasted. Nor
was he, on his side, more communicative
Miss Alison, indeed, was always sending him
expresses but do not know if she had many
answers Macconochie rode for her once
and found the Highlanders before Carlisle
and the master riding by the princes side in
high favor; he took the letter $50 Maccono-
chic tells, opened it, glanced it through with
a mouth like man whstlng, and stuck it in
his belt, whence, on his horse passageing, il
fell unregarded to the ground, 1t was Mac
conochio who picked it up and he still kept
it, and indeed have seen It in his hands.
News came 10 Durrisdeer of course, by the
common report, as it goes travelling through
"A country, thing always wonderful TO me
By that means the family learned more OF