Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-30

| to stand forward!'
| 1t was the voice of the kings advocate.
| and scarcely were the words uttered than
| Umphray Spurway pushed me up the AISLE
| and the guards making way, 1 came into
| the little open space where was a footstool
| on which l stood, and, forgetting all else in
| the kirk, looked tremblingly up at the gray
! eyed man.
AS he turned his countenance upon me
| his voice seemed to change and became ex-
| traordinarily caressng and his ewes had
such light of kindness in them that at
that moment could have told him any
thing he desired. That, they say, was the
| secret of his power. He could vile the
| truth out of q reluctant witness with a
voice caressing as that of a turtle dove.
Little man. he said, speaking like ole
who has children of his own, 81 want You
| to tell me all that took place after you
| We're laid to sleep in the blue chamber of
| the house of New Minis"
| ] began to tell the story as we'll as
cosd the advocate prompting me with cum
| ming questions. But at each answer the
dark-faced man between the guards seemed
| to approach nearer to my back. Though
| my head was turned away from him.
| seemed to see the dagger in his hand, the
| very cleaning blade which | had seen him
cleanse upon the page of Baxter his Saints
| Rest in my grandfather's chamber.
| Il cannot speak more unless that man Is
| Kept further away" l cried out. and at
| sign from the advocate they took him back
to place near the door, where the rest of
| the kings guards stood ranked in the order
| of their company.
| Fear nothing, little man, you will never
be mofested for ought You may say here
| tell all without fearr' said my lord advo-
| cate, smiling encouragement down upon
me
So, with little catches of the breath and
| occasional forgettings of the simplest
words, l told all that l had seen through
the panel and afterward by the haunted
brig. And as / spoke my voice appeared to
be sounding on and on eternally through a
kind OF tingling silence
You recognize this prisoner as the man
whom you saw in the chamber of Sir James
StanSfield?''
l turned to look at Philip Stansfield. His
eyes met mine with such a terrible look In
them that my heart failed ME completely
fell to the ground and for time knew
no more.
When I came to myself the lad with the
features like those L had seen in the mirror
was taking his turn upon the footstool and
the advocate was cross-questioning him
used to me.
My name is Jamie Johnston" he said.
claSplng his hands as if in prayer at the
kirk Il live with my mother. I was
lying cross the foot of the bed in the
Kitchen on the night when the laird died at
the big house. L heard my mither and
Janet Mark come in late, and they cam
ever to the bed to see If | was sleepin
30 l Steeklt my cen and made pretenSe"
Then, as l lay thus. 1 heard my mither
say that Ye-ken-Wha' had dune the deed
at last. and that he had a safe plan to affix
the guilt on Umphray Spurway
To which Janet Mark answered that
before the morrows morn Philip StansfieId
would be Lord o a, frae Moreham Kirk
Yeti to the High Stone Rig and that she
should be the Teddy o. it,
Aye, said my mither, he promised ever
to ride in the skirts o them that had
seorned and lightlied him and swore that
they We're to haze great rewards that
helped him with the body to the waterside,
SO mat 1t might appear that it had been
Spurway."
AS the lad spoke his mother did not cease
TO reproach him. saying that she had ever
been kind to him, and that she never
thought that he would thus swear away
her life before the kings officers
Whereat, greatly moved. the lad leaned
Gown from the stool and went and kneeled
down before his mother. beseeching her to
SPEAK the truth and that the kind man
would be forbearng with them all RIIt
pelng hardened, she struck at him with her.
Giehched hand and would have fallen UNION
MN and beaten him on the spot, but that
the guards would not permit it.
Yet more piteous ii was when little Anna
the daughter of the i'll woman, with the
1air countenance, Janet Mark was called
on 10 stand on the stool She had a SOL
uer red coat over her night apparel the
arms tapping loosely at her side ana q
curry tangle Of short locks appear ring ia
cimb over the high military collar and
es "sSi IN an intricate fleece down her back
oul or the mouths of babes and suck
ilnes. said the minister aloud as she stood
on the stool But as he spoke in his pulnit
'o .!G, NOBODY took any notice of him
Dlnna hurt my mither Draw mamie
she cried, before ever a question had been
asked, great tears, big as cherry stones
running fast down her face and falling like |
20 it l;i on the bosom of her night rail- |
-, dinna vex my minnie. She has been a
kind mither to me- 1874 "
For the strange thing is that though tbe
woman was such an evil wretch, she had
fh.. bot,
and that greatly. t'
DO not be afraid" said my lord advo-
cate. kindly. Your mothers life shall not |
bn vake END aeeanse OF you. Tell all you |
your mother most of all by speaking the |
ruin. Try and mind all she said on the |
night when she came late and your father, |
saul Mark, spoke harshly to her.
Then, in little. piteous gulps of speech, |
the Darn told her tale-how that she had |
walked with the noise of her father and |
M quarreltng and calling each other |
Ill names-aithough (poor little maiden |
that was no uncommon event in her house, |
My minnie said that father was TO |
cease his Drawing, for that they would |
soon be rich If he but held his tongue. All |
was done and well done, but not by her
Ihen they spoke so low that l could not |
near but after that my minnie said that |
she would yet be lady riding in her car
riage. and l wondered If l would get sit
ting beside the coachman. Then she told
how Him-That-D id-ft guarded the door |
with drawn sword and Blended pistols TIL
she would bring back help to move the
corpse. And that my father must come
away that instant.
Then my father called her worse thap be-
fore" murderess," "traitoress' and other
words. Swearing more terribly than before
that he would set finger to such a ploy, |
and that she must gang to the i'll place her
ain gate. So my minnie gaed ava DOT
again. and lay awake and shaking in my
bed a that uicht, saying prayers for my
minnie
AT this Umphray Spurway would have
spoken, but my lord advocate stopped him,
and the next moment, with a shrek that
rang through the kirk, Janet Mark cried |
cut, 1T is true 1t is true! L confess Take
me awayi
And SO fell forward doubled, limp and
soft over the seat back Ike twisted sheet
that is wrung out at a washing on the
green.
Then the other woman cried out also:
my Lord, my lord, say it is not unto
death. and l, too will confess all-O, say
that 1t is not unto DEATH"
But the gray-eyed man in the precentors
desk only put his pen between his teeth,
ard, rising to his feet, began to bundle up
hiSY /