The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-05-28

After attempting In vain to Induce
Jeanne to explain the message he 70.
turned to visit Effie again, in the Toll
booth, only to be compelled on his ar
rival there, to tell the whole story
lest he be convicted Of guilt in the
Porteous affair. And then he was sent
home, under bail not to leave Libber-
ton, nor to communicate with anv
member of the family of Effie Deans.
But If his experiences were to him
incomprehensible they were by no
means so to the authorities. By piec- |
Ing together his testimony with those
of others, they rightly determined that !
| the stranger in the Kings park, the |
leader Of the PorteOus mob, and the |
father of Effie's child were one and
the same person; namely, Geordie |
Robertson, comrade of Wilson the |
smuggler, and but lately escaped from
the very prison in which Effie Deans
was now confined. Accordingly, they
| planned to capture him that night at
Muschat's Cairn. But before they
could reach that place, Robertson had
time to beg Jeanne to save her sister
at the trial by testifying that Efie had
disclosed to her her condition. Then
he escaped.
Merely that slight falsehood would
have removed the case Of Effie Deans
from under the letter of the cruel
Scotch statute. But Jeanne, steadfast-
ly, devoutly truthful, was utterly I'M
able to placate her conscience In bear
| ing false witness. Nor could the dis
appointment of Effie herself, whom she
was at last permitted to visit in the
strong-room Of the prison, alter her
resolution. "He wanted that I sud
be mansworn," she said. 81 told him
that I daurna swear to an untruth."
At the trial, when Jeanie was
brought in to testify, Fife, in human
weakness, cried, 30 Jeanne, Jeanie,
save mel" But when the solemn oath,
1.-THE truth to tell, and no truth to
conceal, as far as she knew or was
asked" was administered Gin the name
of God. and as the witness should an
swer to God at the great day of judg-
ment," Jeanne, educated in deep rever-
ence for the name of the deity, was
elevated above all considerations save
those which she could, with a clear
conscience. call Him to witness. And
when the advocate came at length to
the point of asking her, "what your
sister said allied her when you in
quired?" jeanne could only answer,
| Np ~ Snntnnpn
pronounced by the doomsman, Eftie's
own eyes were the only dry ones in
the court. "God forgive ye, my lords, "
she said "and dinna be angry wi me
for wishin' tive a. need forgiveness"
The next morning found Jeanne
Deans travelling alone and afoot on
. the long road to London "to see the
, Queens face that gives grace" and
beg for her sisters pardon. Her tar
tan screen served all the purposes OF
riding habit, and of an umbrella; a
! small bundle contained such changes
r OF linen as were absolutely necessary.
She had a few guineas, and a letter
= from Reuben Butler to the Duke OF
, Argyle, whose grandfather had been
= under obligations of the deepest to
the famous Bible Butler, grandfather
of the moor observation-disclosures now
r sick at Libberton.
She passed luckily, on the whole
/ through so weary and dangerous q
l Journey, and at length, through the
: intercession of the duke, secured the
f pardon which she sought.
Before she reached Scotland again
4 Efie had eloped with her lover VINO
r was in reality George Staunton, SOL
0 of an English nObleman, The sisters
q who had last met when Ellie was SIT
v ting on the bench of the condemned
o did not meet again for many years
e though Lady Staunt0n wrote some
q times to Jeanie-now Mrs. Butler
J, wife of Mr.. Reuben Butler, pastor o.
Knocktarlitie.
e Finally, by chance, Sir George
a learned that Meg Murdockson, who nae
v attended Effie in her illness, had no
r murdered the child, as they had al
d WAYS supposed. He traced the boy Il
l. a certain troop of vagabonds, OF Whlcl
v Black Donald was the chlef. IN Ill
r affray with Black DOnald's men, 81
d George was shot by young lad calle'
II "the Whistler" who proved to be IN
l. lost son. The lad disappeared, ant
e escaped to America. Lady Staunton
> overcome by the tragedy, after vail
l. efforts TO drown her grief In society
retired to a convent In France. Al
o. +bo,,,-b che took no VOWS, she remainet
e there until her death. But her III
n fluence at court accomplished nue.
e for the children of her sister jeans
It who lived happily on in the good par
d ish with which the bounty OF Tn
# Duke of Argyle had provided her nus
IS band.
E, The Heart of Midlothian is notapi
e for having rather fewer importan
characters, a smaller variety OF inc