Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-07-15
HHE Duries Of Ballantrae were a
strong family IN Scotland from

@S$AASAJ
the days of David l. Their ups
and downs pass over, to come to that
year 1745 when the foundations Of this
tragedy were laid.
There was my lord, studious, tact.
full and retired from the world. There
was the master (James in baptism)
with his fathers love Of study; but
what was tact in the father changed to
black discrimination in him. Though
ever in broils, invariably he left his
partners In mischief to pay the piper
The second son, Mr.. Henry, was
neither able nor bad; an out-of-doors,
solid sort, who had had an active hand
from a boy In the management Of the
estate. In the house also was Miss
Alison Graeme, an orphan, comedy and
self-willed, heireSs to fortune and,
because Of my lords necessities,
pledged in marriage to the master.
Then came the uprising for Prince
Charlie. Against the wishes Of the
other three the master elected to ride
with the prince; which left Mr.. Henry
to take King Georges side, this being
common policy Of great houses in
that day. So the master rode to the
North. Then came the word of CullO-
den and the masters death. After a
decent time Mr.. Henry, to preserve the
estate. married Miss Alison, although
he no more than any other doubted
her love for the masters memory.
But the master was not dead. He
had escaped to sea, his escape being
not to his credit. At sea he was cap
tured by pirate ship. BY the most
ingenious deviltry he secured the
treasure Of the pirate ship as she was
about to fall into the hands of kings
cruiser, and escaped with it to the
swamps on the American shore. One
man he took to guide him out of the
swamp, and dirked him to death after
they were safely clear Of 1t. Thence
he continued his march to French
Canada, although forced on the way to
hide his treasure in the wilderness.
This we learned from a Colonel Burke,
an Irish soldier Of fortune, who came
In the night to plead money for the
support Of the master, who was then
in France.
There was a letter from the master
which threw Mr.. Henry In a passion.
"He calls me a niggardly dogi" he
cried. "But II / ruin the estate / shall
stuff him, the blood-suckerl And all
this fOresaw when he elected himself
and not me to 60 with Prince Charlie"
The gap made in our accounts by
the masters demands became a sore |
embarrassment. As steward Of the es-
tate must needs ride to Edinburgh |
and there raise new loans on hard |
terms to keep old ones afioat; and this |
held for seven years, Mr.. Henry shaw
ing everything to the last farthing to
raise more money, and yet more
money; winning for himself thereby |
no better title than miser with the
countryside as well as at home; for
aever a word Of this business did he
wen tell to the old lord or Mrs. Henry,
It being the devilish malice Of tho mas
ter to require this secrecy and the
loyal nature Of his brother to comply.
The odium attaching to Mr.. Henry
and the knowledge. which came to me,
that the master all this time had also
a pension from the Scotch fund In
Paris. became too great a burden for
me. took 1t on myself to tell Mrs.
Henry how her husband had already
sent 1000 to the master. Thereafter no