The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-27

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Whatever fate may have awaited
Robert McGregor Campbell in the next
world, IN this his posthumous destiny
was the grandest that ever fell to the
lot Of such highway robber. pIliager
Of peacefui farms, levier OF bIackmail,
murderer and outlaw. His great dar-
Ing, his romantic escapes. his pic
turesque deviitry In general. appealed
TO the Imagination of the Wizard of
the North who waved his magic wand
and 10! the real Rob Roy--Robert the
Red--disappeared and in his place ap-
peared for all time the hero of the
great novel which bears his name.
Rob Roy IL the real hero OF the story
Frank OsbaIdistone, the nominal
hero. Is q lay figure beside the chief
tain. Sir Walter Scott, peaceful gem
tieman as he = was, could not help
ideaiizing q Highland outlaw, and It
IL fortunate for us that 1t was so: for
to this we are indebted for Roderick
Dhu and Rob Roy.
Old Sir Hildsbrand osbaldistone and
his five staiykart sons were a hard
riding, hard-@rinking lot who followed
the hounds when the scent would lie
and when 1t would not INDUCED in the
milier sports or hawking, cock-fight-
Ing, otter hunting-anything to take
them out OF doors and keep them there.
They breakfasted early and dined
until late carousing In the great "stun
hall" Of their ancestral mansion and
consuming huge quantities of beef.
mutton and venison washed down with
floods Of ciaret.
Sir Hiidebrand had received his title
from James. last Of his name and line
upon the British throne. andk In his
youth had known something of courts
and camps. He was . stout partisan
of the old royal house and professor
of the old religion. naturally. g
His hall was the centre OF all the
infrigues In Northumberland which had
for their purpose the restoration of the
Stuarts, and rife indeed were these in
trigues. Almost openly servants and
tenants wer being drilled and armed
with view TO the forcible restors-
ton OF the weil-beloved royal family
All the Northumberland gentry were
for II. and in Wales and the west Of
England there was q stirring of the
King should enjoy his own again.
In spite Of the severe laws against
Catholics, mass was openly celebrated
An the chapel OF Osbaldistone Hail, and
q certain Father Vaughn came and
went on mysterious errands.
It was with . feeling OF keen interest
and q glow OF ancestral pride that
great London merchant, gazed for the
first time upon the gray stone gables.
the clustered chimneys ami the bettla-
mented turrets Of the spacious and
ancient home of his fathers as he rode
down the avenue in the early morning.
H Franks father was the elder brother
Of Sir Hildabrand. but he had been dis
anherited by their stern old parent be-
pause they differed In politics. religion
t@ndr--worge than all--An ideas OF the
sort OF life obligatory on country
Igentlsman Of many descents.
The diainherited one had gone up to
Gcndon and waxed great and rich In
Ithe firm was named. but in reality It
Iwas elI Osbaldistone. Being q mer-
chant prince, he dealt as an equal with
lprtnces-when princes happened to be
An need Of money. But Francis, sole
child and heir Of his father, was roo
mantle, adventurous. slightly self-con-
'ceited-~and wrote poetryl When the
old merchant discovered this last crime
aae 4slt that the ultimate Ill with which
an unlkind fate could afflict him had
abesn hestpwedl
& No longer did he urge hnd command
Frank to take his place I'm the count
ing room and devote his talents and
his life TO the noble cause of trade. He
packed him of to osbaldistone Hall. a
place which he himself had sworn he
would never enter. The boy was con-
signed TO Sir Hilderbend to be 'bitted";
and from among the sons of the old
knight the merchant swore he would
select one for the place which Frank
had not only rejected, but of which
he had proved himself unworthy by
his infamous habit Of poetry writing.
Suddenly. as Frank meditated upon
all these things and upon the scene
before him. he was aware OF the sound
OF approaching hoofs. of winding horns
and the baying Of hounds. Then across
the avenue darted fox and behind
him swept along like a whtrlwind the
pack and the scarlet-coated huntsment
my cousins" Frank thought as the
hunt swept by.
The next instant his whole attention
was attracted by the sight Of young
lady dressed in q riding habit resembl-
tng in many respects that OF man
and guiding her horse with suaerb
skill over the rough and dangerous
ground through which the chase sped
Her course brought her nearer to
Frank than any of the other follawers
of the hunt. Her hair was floating in
the breeze. having escaped from the
ribbons which bound 1t. and glance
at her hne face and person, to which
an indispensable charm was added by
ahe wild gayety Of the scene. caused
Frank to stare with strange and new
emotions one instant and the next to
ride close up to her, q slight stumb BILE
of her horse being an excuse for an
0ffer Of assistance.
The fair huntress thanked him with
q frank smile. but kept her horse at
the same pace. aud Frank put spurs
10 hia steed to ride beside her.
One Of the huntsmen was seen return
ISnR. waving the. brush Of the fox In
triumph. Soon the Others came up.
Old Sir Hilberband and his big, rough
sons Weteomed their london cousin at
ter a. fashion Of obshaldistone Hall.
They seemed civil enough in their rude
way EXCEPT Thorncliffe, the second son.
who scowled at Frank and gave him
IN understand at once that between
them there could be no good feeling.
II was not until later that Frank
realized that this was because he had
been greeted too cordially by Diana
Vernon. the huntress who had so daz-
zled the wandering youth. A neice of
Sir Hilderband by his wife's side. she
had been doomed BY a family contract
90 marry one of the sons of the old
knight or else TO enter a convent.
Diana never thought of questioning the
decree. But she had chosen the con-
vent, though Sir Hilderband had pick
ed out. Thoenie as the least OBJ
jectionable of his sons. Meantime she
was having an interval of freedom be-
fore she took the veil and living a
free. wild life at Qsbaldistone Hall
That evening in the great stone hall
ans seHere's thy cousin Percie; thy