The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-11

melted away as it had formed. Apart from disarming the soldiers and break ing open the prison there had been no act of violence during the whole up- rising, and the people had so far ob- served order and dignity that they had forced a minister to accompany Por- teous and stay with him to the end.
 This minister, Reuben Butler, found by the leader of the mob through chance had reasons. of his own for looking on the Heart of Midlothian with deep grief. Among the prisoners confined in it was young girl. Fife Deans, to whose sister. Jeanie. he was engaged.
 Effie was awaiting her trial on cap ital charge. She had fallen victim to a man whose name she refused to divulge, though everybody suspected that it was no other than the same Robertson who had escaped from the hangman by so narrow a chance. She had borne a child, but it was not to be found. Fife de- clared that it had been taken from her by the old hag who attended her, but this defehse was not likely to help her.
 Under the act of parliament which had been passed to check the growing crime of child murder an unmarried woman Who concealed her condition and neglected to call in the help which was necessary was held to have meditated the death of her offspring, and if she could not show that the child had died a natural death or produce 1t still in. life. she was held to have murdered it and must suffer death.
 Fife Deans father, David Deans, was a small farmer, sturdy Scotchman, hat ing the southern and the spawn of the southern, going literally and implicitly by the Bible and refusing to bend his neck to the new creeds and conformations. In his strict household where music and merriment were held as profanations and every hour had its stern admonitions, Ef- fe Deans. with her Grecian-shaped head covered with brown ringlets, her laughing Hebe countenance and her graceful form, seemed strangely out of place and felt so.
 She could not bend herself to the strict, religious life of prosaic every day duty that was pursued so cheerfully by her
  sighed in secret over the light-mindedness and worldiness of her beloved sister It had been with many misgivings that Jeanie permitted Fife to go for time to Edinburgh, and when the news came of Effie's trouble 1t was to the simple father and sister as blow that smote them nearly to death.
 For some time after the hanging of Por- teous there was excitement following that affair that kept the public attention from Effie The British court, thoroughly angered at the impudence of the people, made every effort to force the offenders to punishment The Edinburgh authorities trembling for themselves, tried their best to carry out the sovereign's behests, but neither then or ever afterward could the most zealous, investigators get particle of evidence against any one and the story of the Porteous mob lives in legal history as the most successful conspiracy on record The attack and hanging were done by torchlight in the presence of half of Edinburgh; yet all the efforts of the crown ended in causing the arrest of only two men, one of whom was half-witted. Both were discharged on trial as the evi- dence was too weak.
 Queen Caroline chose to consider the failure as a direct affront. There was talk in London of taking away the city's charter. Edinburgh rang with indignation. Then came the news that in the height of her displeasure the Queen had told John, Duke of Argyle, that sooner than submit to such an in- suit she would make Scotland a hunt ing field.
 "In that case, madam" answered thats high spirited gentleman. T will take leave of your majesty and go down to my own country to get my hounds ready"
 The meaning of the reply was too obvious to be misunderstood even by so obstinate a house as that which ruled in England. Edinburgh's charter remained unassailed, but poor Fife Deans suffered for it. It was felt that strict justice must be done in her case to prevent any further criticism from London, and it became generally un- derstood that unless she could prove that her case did not fall under the fatal act, she would be sentenced to the gallows.
 A few days before the trial, Jeanie was accosted in a wild, lonely glen by George Rob bertson, who had ven- tured there at risk of his own neck to see her. He explained the law to her and besought her to swear that Effie had confessed her condition to her. "If you do that" said Robertson. they cannot try her under the act; nd they will be glad enough to let her go without asking too many questions of you, for they do not wish 10 execute her.
 While he was speaking men ap- preached. q dare not stay" whis- pered he. Your sisters fate is in your hands" He disappeared in the thicaets, leaving Jeanie's heart shaken by the knowledge that she could save her darling sister from frightful doom by committing a perjury for which all the world would forgive her.
 Before long. lawyers, prison attend ants and at last Fife herself, desperate with fear, begged her to bear testimoHy that would save her. "Oh, if it stude wi me to save her wi risk of my iife." cried Jeanie But the word Is g griev- ous sin" The poor lass sank down on her knee in prayer
 And suddenly, as she laid all her pure