The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-21

alexis crew-for the Kings ship had not
taken them, the lugger was abandoned
when she had caught it. The news of the
disappearance of her son being suddenly
told to Mrs. Bertram, who was about to
become mother for the second time, re-
suited In premature birth. which left
the distracted and heartbroken father a
widower with an infant daughter on his
hands. AS the years passed the story of
the lost heir Of Ellangowan passed into
local history and many fanciful traditions
grew up around 1t. Some were of the
opinion that the gypsies had carried him
off and that he would yet appear to claim
his own. A sort OF rhymed prophecy re-
garding him gained currency In the re-
gion to the effect that
Dark shall be light and wrong made right
When Bertrams right and Bertram's
might
Shall meet on Ellangowan's height.
1t was seventeen years after the disap-
pearance of Harry Bertram when Colonel
Guy Mannering, having retired from the
der of his life in his native island, came
riding north into Scotland to revisit those
scenes which he had first viewed as a
young man and toward which he had ev-
er since felt strangely drawn. At the inn
at Kippletringan he heard the rustics
discuss the affairs of the Laird of ELAN
gowan, subject of conversation which
4 ill.,,
estate of Mannering's former host. which
lay nearby. was advertised to be sold the
next day-his house over his head and all
that was in 1t. The colonel heard from
them. too, the story of the lost heir and
of the part he himself had played in cast
ing the horoscope of young Harry upon
the night of his birth-though, to be sure,
legend had by this time transmorrified
him as he appeared on the birth-night
into an ancient man strangely habited,
with bare arms and legs and beard
three feet long, who vanished into space
as soon as he had finished his mystic
calculations.
From the talk of the rustics and from
inquiries which he made of the landlady
Colonel Mannering gathered the follow
ing story: After the loss of his son, Ber-
tram had become more careless than ever
about his affairs and under the manage
ment of Glossin matters had gone from
bad to worse until the final catastrophe
was pending. Shaken by advancing years
and accommodating misfortu1es 1t was not
thought that the laird would long sur
vive the wrecks of his fortune and his
hopes. His daughter, Lucy had grown
to be a girl OF great beauty and had de-
voted her life to the care of her invalid
of Sir Robert Hazelwood of Hazelwood,
the wealthy baronet. was In love with
her, but his father frowned upon an all
lance with fallen house. Dominic Samp-
son. who, after the birth Of Harry, had
been installed as his tutor and attendant.
had remained faithful to the family of
Ellangowan through all its vicissitudes
and had attended 10 the education of
Lucy. Dirk Hatteraick and his snug
slers and Meg Merilies and her sypses
he'd not been seen since the disappear
ance of Harry Bertram.
Mannering inquired closely as to the
exact time of the disappearance of Harry
and the memory OF the fatal horoscope
came over him like chill, for It brought
up also a recollection OF tho one he had
made for his dead wife when she was