The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1922-08-11

farthing challenged. Even while he
was driving me, l had begun to find
my heart go out to Mr. Henry; no
doubt partly in pity, he was man
SO palpably unhappy. He would fall
into deep muse over our accounts.
staring at the page or out of the win
dow; and at those times the. look of
his face, and the sigh that would
break from him, awoke in me strong
feelings of curiosity and commisera-
ton. One day. | remember, we were
late upon some business in the stew
ards room. This room is in the top
of the house and has a view upon the
bay, and over a little wooded cane
on the long sands; and there, right
over against the sun which was then
dipping, we saw the free-traders with
a great force of men and horses
securing on the beach. Mr.. Henry
had been staring straight west, so
that | marveled he was not blinded
by the sum- suddenly he frowns, rubs
his hand upon his brow, and turns to
me with a smile.
You would not guess what I was
thinking" says he. 81 was thinking
| would be a happier man if l could
ride and run the danger of my life
with these lawless companions"
| told him had observed he did not
enjoy good spirits; and that it was a
common fancy to envy others and
think I'VE should be the better of
some change; quoting Horace to the
point, like young man fresh from
college.
Why, just so, said he and with
that we may get back to our ac-
counts
1t was not long before | began to
get wind of the causes that so much
depressed him Indeed a blind man
must have soon discovered there was
shadow on that house, the shadow
of the Master of Ballantrae. Dead or
alive (and he was then supposed to
be dead that man was his brothers
rival: his rival abroad where there
never was a good word for Mr.. Henry
and nothing but regret and praise for
the master; and his rival at home,
not only with his father and his wife,
but with the very servants.
They were two old serving-men,
that were the leaders. John Paul,
little, bald, solemn, stomachy man,
great professor of piety and (take him
for all in alb a pretty faithful serv-
ant. was the chief of the masters fac
ton. None burst go so far as John.
He took a pleasure in disregarding
Mr.. Henry publicly, often with
sighting comparison. My lord and
Mrs. Henry took him up, to be sure,
but never so resolutely as they
should: and he had only to pull his
weeping face and begin his lamenta-
tions for the master-'his laddie,' as
he called him-to have the whole con-
doned. AS for Henry, he let these
things pass in silence, sometimes with
a sad and sometimes with black
look. There was no rivaling the dead,
he knew that; and how to censure an
old serving man for a fault of loyalty
was more than he could see. His was
not the tongue to do it.
Macconochie was chief upon the
other side; an old, ill-spoken swear
inc, ranting, drunken dog; and | have
often thought it an odd circumstance
in human nature that these two serv-
ing-men should each have been the
champion of his contrary, and black
ened their own faults and made light
of their own virtues when they beheld
them in a master. Macconochie mad
soon smelled out my secret lnchna-
t;on took me much into his conf
dence. and would rant against the
master by the hour, SO that even my
work suffered. They're a daft here,
he would cry, land be damned to
theml The master-the deil's in their
thrapples that should call him sac
it's Mr.. Henry should be master now
They we're name sac fond o the mas
ter when they had him, I'll can tell we
that Sorrow on his name! Never
guid word did hear on his lips, nor
naebody else, but just feering and
flying and profane cursing-de1i nae
him. There's name kent his wicked
ness. him a gentleman Did ever ye
hear tell. Nh. Mackellar, O. Wully