The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-02-07
.NHE Heart of Midlothian, by

L. Waverley Novels, was pub
lished anonymously in 1918. It takes
its name from the Tolbooth, or old city
Jail, in Edinburg (pulled down in
1870, the "stony heart" of Midlothian,
which reared it's ancient front in the
very middle Of the High street of the
city.
On the afternoon of September s,
1876, Reuben Butler, assistant-master
Of the school ar Libberton, and licensed
minister of the gospel, found himself
in unexpected trouble. First of all,
he had become entangled with the
crowd Of good citizens of Edinburg
in the Grassmarket, murmuring at the
poStpOnement of the execution of Cap
tain John POrteous of the City Guard.
They were still in the heat of anger
from the events of the preceding day,
when POrteOus had ordered his men
to fire, and had fired himself, upon
the crowd, some of whom were at
tempting to cut down the body of
Scotch" Wilson, the famous smuggler.
Several innocent citizens had been
killed. Now that the chief offender
seemed likely to escape, there was no
knowing what the mob might do. The
quiet young pedagOgue would gladly
have returned to Libberton. Then, to
his CONSERVATION, he learned that Effie
Deans, the younger and more charming
sister of his sweetheart Jeanne Deans,
was imprisoned in the Tolbooth.
l.
than a year before, she had been a
beautiful and blooming girl, the lily
of Saint Leonard's. Many a traveller
past her fathers cottage had stopped
his horse on the eve Of entering Edin-
burg, to gaze at her as she tripped by
him. with her milk-pail poised on her
head, bearing herself SO erect, and
stepping so light and free under her
burden that it seemed rather an orna-
ment than an encumbrance. Now the
poor girl. scarce eighteen years of age.
lay in the Tolbooth, charged with child
murder.
The facts were that after working
for time in shop in Edinburg, the
unhappy prisoner had disappeared for
the space of a week, and then made
her appearance before her sister at
Saint Leonard's in a state that had
rendered Jeanne only too certain Of
her misfortune. But to all questions
she had remained mute as the grave,
until the officers of justice had come
to apprehend her.
Before Reuben Butler could see her,
the TolboOth was closed; and before
he could escape from the city a crowd
of rioters compelled him to return with
them to the Jail and administer the
last rites to PorteOus, whom they
dragged forth to death.
The leader of the mob, q young man
disguised in wOman's clothes, seized
a moment in the midst of the turmoil
In the jail to beg Ellie to escape. For
Gods sake-for your own sake-for
my sake-fee, or they'll take your
life" was all that he had time to say.
The girl gazed after him for a mo-
ment, and then, family mutterlng,
Better tyne life, since tint is guide
fame" she sunk her head upon her
hand, AMI remained, seemingly, as I'M
console IL s a statue, of the noise and
tumult which passed around her.
In the morning, on his way to see
jeanne and her father at Saint Leon
ards, Butler encountered in the Kings
park young man of noble bearing,
but strangely agitated, who babe him
tell Jeanne Deans that, when the moon
rises, l shall expect to meet her at
Nicol Muschat's Cairn, beneath Saint
Anthony's chapel"
After attempting in vain to induce
jeanne to explain the message, he re
turned to visit Effie again, in the Tol
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 Lfbbe"-
ton, nor to communicate with any
member of the family of Effie Deans.
But if his experiences were TO hin
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 Elites 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 Efie 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
ct the trial by testtfying that Ellie had