Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-11-22
HIS SON-IN-LAW

| a great price was set upon Prince Charles
I! Edwards headI think it was as much
| as $1500OO-and King Georges troops
/ looked everywhere after him.
Among the places they searched was
my ancestors, who. though a royalist,
was suspected to be a relation of the abb
dictated family, and so they left hand
full of soldiers there to keep a lookout,
commanded by Captain (afterward Sir)
| Arthur Brankley. He fell in love with
| Caroline, and they were privately mar
ried one fine morning at Lauder church
! They made Romeo and Juliet affair Of
1t, and Caroline was always with her hus-
band, for she could get to his apartments
by the terrace, and nobody but an old
woman who had nursed her father, as
they said, was in the secret
One highland in the middle of the
! night, too-thrre was a sudden uproar at
the moat at Bridgegate. Some silly re-
port had reached the headquarters that
the young pretender had come to Stuart's
house and was then concealed there, so
when the troops were admitted, under
the command of Captain Edward Wuth
ering, there was a regular search.
Brankley, who had been called up on
the first alarm, took them all over the
house, but of course they found nobody.
At last Captain Wuthering said to
Brankley: Captain Brankley, we are
quite satisfied, and l am sorry that l
have disturbed you. OF course we have
respected Miss Stuart's chamber, but
only by way of form-I must walk round
yours, and then | will draw off with my
men,"
J Well, do you know, this was terrible,
, the worst of anything that could have
happened, for the young bride was in his
room, and / do believe her father who
had a terrible temper, would have shot
them both on the spot had he known it.
captain Wuthering," cried Brankley,
nearly beside himself, 'you must not go
in there.'
You may suppose how dreadful the mo-
ment was, for the other now made sure
that the young. pretender was there and
, determined upon going in. and Brankley
was determined to prevent him.
II give you my word of honor, as an
officer in the kings service" he said,
shat there is no cause for suspicion in
that chamber"
Twill you give me your word that there
is no one there?" asked the other, who
saw that he was not speaking with q
straightforward meaning.
"Nov' cried Brankley out loud and at
once placing himself in the doorway, for
he was fine and bold young gentleman.
"But you shall not go in" And. do you
know, he drew his sword.
Captain Wuthering drew back and was
silent for moment or two, for Drank
, ley's behavior quite astonished him, and
then he said: "Sir, let us understand one
another and for Gods sake, do not mis-
take the spirit in which ] address you. 1t
would embitter all my future life to know
, that l had been the cause of the death Of
so gallant gentleman as Captain Arthur
Brankley, but must obey my orders. If
} you will not let us pass by you. we must
scramble over you."
"Stopv' cried Brankley. Zone moment,
and you shall enter. You need not fear
an escape. The window of the room is
J 80 feet above three yards of walls, with
, goodness knows how much mud below
that. Captain Wuthering, by the time
you have counted out 30 sheep from the
. fold you shall enter"
, The other put back his men, who were
getting ready the dreadful Gathering
guns they carried at that time, and
Brankley went into the room. 1t was
lucky for him that the laird had overtop-
ped that night and was slow to be aroused.
If he had come down, no one can tell
what would have happened.
snow, sir, you can come in" said
Brankley when he appeared again at the
door.
Captain Wuthering entered and 10 or
IL of his men with him, who formed, all
in line, along the wainscot where the
door was. He advanced first to the bed,
and there he saw beyond all doubt a
human form lying on it, but covered up
! like corpse. He went toward it to turn
} down the sheet that was over the face,
, when Arthur Brankley stopped him once
more.
. "You must not do that" he said. "On
my honor, you must not"
| sour notions of honor may be differ
ent, SIR" replied the other, with half
sneer.
"You will not say that tomorrow, Cap
tain Wuthering!' exclaimed Arthur, al
2 most trembling with rage, as he left the
, bedside and came to the foot. "Now,
look here" he added "and respect me-"
Well, do you know, he took the clothes
4 at the foot of the bed and rolled them
3 gradually back and back until he showed
, Captain Wuthering-and / have heard
that his heart beat like gong as he did
1.-THE most beautiful pair of feet and
E ankles in the world. There could be no
doubt on the matter. They were not
those of Prince Charles Edward, thor
oughbred as he was.
"There," said Arthur Brankley, 81
think, sir, this does not look much like
the young pretender."
: Captain Wuthering saw how affairs
o were in minute. He did not press the
investigation further.
After time Caroline's father knew all
about it. There was great to do at
! first, for Arthur Brankley had no mon
ey, and they say that people whose names
, are properly recollected never have any.
But when in after times he earned a
: great name with Colonel Monckton in
I America-where, indeed, we were terri
bly, beaten, and that is the truth, as my
dear lord often confessed, but Brit
ish defeat is always called negative
victory-when this came, Caroline's IA
Their thought greatly Of him, and I am
sure he was exceedingly proud at last
t Of his son-in-law, Sir Arthur Brankley.
/ But there was a joke against Lady
, Brankley about the story to her dying
day.-London Evening News.