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


 employments-a topic on which the two,
 though so different in rank and educa- l tion, found a good deal of mutual in l terest, for Jeanie was noted in her own l district and the Duke himself was no mean agriculturst. In return for her l lessons he promised her a couple of Dew 1 onshire cows; but what delighted her
 much more was his request that she send
 him one of her famous cheeses. l He was actually sorry when they l reached the place where the hackney
 coach was in waiting, and he sent for her within a few days and introduced her l to his wife and his daughters, who were
 as pleased with etpain-spoken, simple minded girl as he was. A plan ripened
 in his mind; he sent a messenger post l haste to the north and kept Jeannie in
 London under various pretexts, improving
 the time by many interviews, during which he led her to speak as she would l of Scotland and her life there. l At last the carriage took her away. under the care of his man Archibald, who l had been impressed by the Duke with his desire that the girl be treated with all ! respect and kindness. In his efforts to l carry out his instructions Archibald seized on a broadside sheet which was being 1 offered at the roadside by a peddler one 1 day It bore In great letters the an nouncement that it was the Last Speech and Confession of Margaret Murdockson, , Hanged for Robbing a Solder and Her l Pious Conversation with the Reverend l Minister"
 l Archibald did not dream that the Mur- l dockson woman could have any connec- l tion with any affair of Jeanie Deans, but l he thought any reference to the eXecu- l tion of woman would distress her. 1 Therefore he hid the sheet away, intend- ], ing to destroy it later.
 l It was not until the party reached Scot 1a. thok tta11 told ia hot ha Duke had ordered that she was to be | taken to his island of Roseneath. near l Dumbarton, where she was to wait Tor company to return to Edinburg. l Roseneath was a place of exquisite 1 beauty and Jeanie looked at 1t with ad- miration and delight as they approached l 1t over the Firth of Clyde. When the boat l landed she was assisted ashore and-found l herself in the arms of her father! Near l him stood Reuben Butler.
 l When the shock of the surprise had worn off Jeanie learned from her proud l father that he had been engaged by the 1 Duke to superintend his stock breeding establishment there, while Reuben had l been appointed to the ministry of the 1 church which had been left vacant by 1 the recent death of the old incumbent. l The Dukes representative conducted | them to the pretty farm house which was l to be David's home and thence to the | l busy making improvements, while others 1 were carrying in furniture that Argyle | had ordered sent down from Greenock. 1 With Reuben's future thus assured,
 making it possible for them to marry at 1 last, there would have been nothing 1 wanting to Jeanie's happiness had 1t | not been for sorrow over her sister. l Effie had been released under the par 1 don but three days after she returned to l her father house she disappeared. Jean1e | suspected what had become of her and :, the suspicion was confirmed within few 1 days. One evening as she was walking l along retired part of the shore her 1 sister stepped from a thicket and clung 1 to her, sobbing. With her was Staunton. | They acquainted Jeanie hurriedly with the l fact that they had been married and that l they were going abroad. Staunton ex- l plained that they must not even corre- 1 spond, for it would be guessed at once l that the husband Of Effle was the slayer l of Porteous.
 l Although Fife had thus married into 1 high station Jeane could not help but l grieve over the union with so reckless and l desperate evildoer as young Staunton l had proved himself to be. When he 1 offered to kiss her she shrank back with l feeling of internal adherence.
 "Well," said he, Tt does not much
 signify If you keep up the feeling of l Ill will at least you do not act upon l 1t and I thank you for your respect or
 my secret when word, which in your 1 place l would have spoken at once, would
 have cost me my life"
 l Jeanie did keep the secret. Even after l she was married to Reuben Butler she | held her tongue, deeply though she trusted 1 her husband. Gradually, as the years l went by peace came back to her minu l and, though she never forgot her errlng sister it was with a love that dwelled on
 their early years rather than on the ter l rible time that followed.
 Two boys and girl had been born to l the minister before Jeanie heard from her 1 sister Then letter arrived most beau 1 tifully written in which Effie told her l astounding news. Her husband had sue
 ceeded to his uncle's estate and was Sir l George Staunton and she moved among
 the people of her rank and had even met 1 the Duke of Argyle. Some occasion re-
 minded him of Jeanie and he told the ! beautiful Lady Staunton the whole story | of her own life, quite innocent or
 thought that he was causing her exquisite i suffering Everybody believed her to De
 the daughter of great Scotch house 1 She had spent some time in convent
 and had there received the polish and education necessary to support her po- 1 sition in society.
 Splendid as her situation had thus be-
 come, the whole letter still breathed heavy sorrow. Even Jeanle, unlutOreu dS
 she was, could perceive that Effie and
 her husband were not happy; that they ! dragged the doleful, ever-increasing bur
 den of past sins and that the fearful
 shadow of the past ever menaced them.
 The week following the receipt or the
 letter brought the Duke himself to the
 island He invited himself as guest at
 the manse and renewed his old acquaint- ] ance with Effie with intense enjoyment
 Suddenly one day, he burst out with the
 surprised exclamation:
 s'Your face reminds me of the beauty or | the year-really the most beautiful crea-
 ture that has been seen at court this
 year-Lady Staunton!''
 Jeanie turned pale. but recovered her
 self quickly. She breathed fervent
 prayer of thankfulness that her sisters
 letter had reached her in time to warn
 her.
 After this the sisters corresponded under elaborate precautions, exchanging letters
 about twice year. Lady Staunton spoke | of her husbands health as very poor | Her own seemed also to be sinking, and
 one of the topics that brought forth her l most mournfu remarks was their want
 of children.
 Thus, while the letters from the humble
 narsonage were cheerful and full of a | homely and healthy content those from
 the great hall of Willingham were gloomy and pathetic
 | David Deans died full of years and hon. | ors, praying at the last for the one that
 fe.4x I...