Newspaper Page Text
VOL. XV.
t;;.: stojy of
FRANCIS CLUDDE.
By STANLEY jJ^WEYMAN.
[Copyright. pal, cy Cassell Publishing Co All
rt„h!s reserved I
SYNOI'SH.
Cliidile -\f |ry is qiie-n of England. Francis
is living with trs uncle, Mr
Anthony, and hi*cousin Petronilla, Sir
Anthony’s daughter. Gardiner, bish
op of Winchester, pays a visit to Sir
Anthony, arid being a Catholic is dis¬
liked by Franc'*, who is at heart a
Frot38ta.it. CHAPTER li.-Gsrdi
ner tells Francis who his father is. that
[jo j, a traitor and informer, and offers
t „ make the young man’s fortune if he
will enter his service ns a spy. Francis
asks for time to reply and runs away,
iiit“nding to carve out hie own fortune.
111 .—He is overtaken by Clirence, an
am-nt-d' Gardiner, against whom he in¬
ches the mob by telling them tne man
is a press rang leader, and escapes on
Clarence’s hoise and with his dispatches
]V.—Francis goes to an inn at St. Al¬
bans. and showing the dispatches i?
thought to be a queen’s courier. Cla¬
rence arrives, and he escapes with the
aid of a waiting maid. V. and VI.— He
reaches London and renders aid to two
women. He and the women escape in
a boat, arc attacked, and Francis is stun
ned. VII.—They are re'cuml and put
in board a vessel bound for Holland.
One of the women proves to be the Ouch
ess of Stiff >lk, who has married a man
named Bertie. The other is a kinswo¬
man named Anne Brandon. Bertie is
on beard too. Being P. otestants, they
were fteeing from England. Francis
tells them his name is Carey. VIII —
They ascend tiie river Rhine in a boat
and reach the house of a friend named
Lindstrom. IX, X and XI.—Carey
saves Pymphna, Landstrom's daughter
from tiie violence of a soldier and kills
the man. They decide to bury the
Spaniard, but Carey sees a ghost. Van
Tree, Dymphna’s Hover, warns them
that they are discovered, and they flee.
XII.—They reach Emmerich bv boat.
The Dutchman’s party go to Santon,
while Carey, Bertie and the two women
start for Wesel on hors back. XIII
They are delayed by floods, and tiie
Sp niards, led by Clarence, come up
with them. Carry disperses them. The
rivers berng flooded, they turn toward
Santon. Bertie by mistake kills one of
the town guard.
CHAPTER XIV.
What wa3 to ho done? That was tho
question, ami a terrible question it was.
Behind us we had the inhospitable coun¬
try, dark and dreary, tho night wind
sweeping over it. In front, whero the
lights twinkled and the smoke of tho town
wont up, wo wero liko to meet with a
savage reception. And it was no time for
weighing alternatives. The choice had to
be made—made in a moment. I marvel
to this day at tho quickness with which I
made it for good or ill.
“We must get into tlio town!” I cried
imperatively, “and before tlio alarm is
given. It is hopeless to fly, Master Bertie,
and we cannot spend another night in the
fields. Quick, madam!” I continued to
the duchess as she camo up. I did not
wait to hear his opinion, for I saw he was
stunned by tlio catastrophe. “Wo liavo
hurt one of the town guard through a
mistake. Wo must get through the gnto
before it is discovered!”
I seized her rein and flogged up her
horse and gave her no time to ask ques¬
tions, but urged on tho party at a hard
gallop until the gate was reached. Tho
attempt, I know, was desperate, for tho
two men who had escaped had ridden
straight for tho town, but I saw no other
resource,, and it seemed to mo to bo better
to surrender peaceably, if that were pos¬
sible, than to expose the igomen to anoth¬
er night of such cold and hunger as tho
last. And fortune so far favored us that
when we reached the gate it was open.
Probably, the patrol having ridden
through to got help, no ono had thought
fit to close it, and, no one withstanding
us, we spurred our sobbing horses under
the archway and entered the street.
It was a curious entry, and a curious
scene we camo upon, I remember now
how strango it all looked. The houses,
leaning forward in a dozen quaint forms,
clear cut against the palo evening sky,
caused a darkness as of a cavern in tlio
narrow street below. Here and there in
the midst of This darkness hung a lantern,
which, making tlio gloom away from it
seem deeper, lit up the things about it,
throwing into flaring prominence peering somo
barred window with a scared face
from it, some corner with a puddle, a
slinking dog, a broken flight of steps.
Just within tho gate stood a brazier full of
glowing coal, and besido it a halbert rest¬
ed against the wall. I divined that the
watchman had run into the town with
tho riders, and I drew rein in doubt, lis¬
tening and looking. I think if we had
ridden straight on then all might havo
been well, or at least we might have been
allowed to give ourselves up.
But wo hesitated a moment and were
lost. No doubt, though we saw but one
there were a score of people watching us,
who took us for four men, Master Bertie
and 1 being in front, and these, judging
from the boldness of our entry that there
_ nioro hehir tbB was
«* J'lirjiv «w! upon thf* r.«wn. At .*uy rai tii.’y
in.-rant advantage *»f • Hir
mu, u whir an item pot came bur
ding past ins,and mistiog tho duchess by
a hand's breadth went clanking under tho
gatehouse. That served for a signal. In
a moment aq alarm of hogtiio cries rose
all round us. An arrow whizzed between
my horse's feet Half a dozen odd mis
siles, snatched up by hasty hand* came
raining in on ua out of tiie gloom. The
town S"cmetl to be rising as one mad- A
bell be sail to rim* and a hundred yards
in front where the street branched off to
Tisrlit and lefr the war seemed suddenly
alive from w-iii to wall with light-’ and
'to /
/
v
CONYERS, GA„ SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1895.
propose W uvcfTJC nb Tty.-OAfr ttr inter¬
pret.
It was a horriblo moment, the rX-aro
horrible that I had not expected this fury
and was unnerved as well as taken aback
by it. Remembering that I had brought
my companions here, and that two were
women, one was a child, I quailed. How
could I protect them? There was lio mis
taking the stern meaning of those erics,
of that rage so much surpassing anything
I bad feared. Though I did not know
that ilie man we had struck down was a
bridegroom, and that there were those in
tiie crowd in whose ears tho young wife’s
piercing scream stili rang, I yet quailed
before their yells and curses.
As I glanced round for a place of refuge
my eyes lit on an open doorway close to
rue, and close also to the brazier and hal
hurt. It was a low stone doorway, beetle
browed, with a coat of arms carved over
it. I saw in an instant that it must lead
to the tower abovo us—the gatehouse—
and I sprang from my horse, a fresii yell
from the houses hailing the act. I saw
that, if we were to gain .a moment for
parleying, wo must take refuge there. I
do net know how I did it, hut somehow I
made myself understood by tho others and
got the women off their horses and drag¬
ged Mistress Anne inside, where at once
wo both fell in tho darkness over the low¬
er steps of a spiral staircase. This hin¬
dered the duchess, who was following,
and I beard a souffle taking place behind
us. But in that confined space—the stair¬
caso was very narrow—I could give no
help. I could only stumble upward, drag¬
ging tho fainting girl after me, until wo
emerged through an open doorway at tho
top into a room. What kind of room I
did not notico then, only that it was
empty. Notice! It was no time for tak¬
ing notice. Tho hell was clanging louder
and louder outside. Tho mob wore yelling
like hounds in sight of their quarry. The
shouts, tho confused cries and threats and
questions deafened me. I turned to learn
wliat was happening behind me. The
oilier two had not coiuo lip.
I felt my way down again, one hand on
the central pillar, my shoulder against
the outside wall. Tho stair foot was faint¬
ly lit by the glow from outside, and on
tlio bottom step I camo on somo one, hurt
or dead, just a dark mass at my feet. It
was Master Bertie. I gavo a cry and
leaped over his body. The duchess, bravo
wife, was standing before him, the lialbert
which she had snatched up presented at
the doorway, and tho howling mob out¬
side.
Fortunately tho crowd had not yet
learned liow few wo were, nor saw, I
think, that it was but a woman who con¬
fronted them. To rush into the low door¬
way and storm tho narrow winding stair¬
case in the faco of unknown numbers was
a task from which the bravest veterans
might have flinched, and the townsfolk,
furious as they wero, hung back. I took
advantage of tho pause. I grasped tho
halbert myself and pushed tlio duchess
back. “Drag him up!” I muttered. “If
you cannot manage it, call Anne!”
But grief and hard necessity gave lior
strength, and despite the noise in front of
me I heard her toil panting up with her
burden. When I judged she bad reached
tho room above, I, too, turned and ran op
after her, posting myself in the last angle
just below tho room. There I was shel¬
tered from missiles by the turn in the
staircaso and was further protected by the
darkness. Now I could hold the way with
iittla risk, for only one could come up at
a time, and Jio would boa brave man who
should storm the stairs in my teeth.
All this, I remember, was done in a kind
of desperate frenzy in haste and confusion,
with no plan or final purpose, but simply
out cf tlio instinct of self preservation,
which led me to do, from moment to mo
ment, wlint I could to save our lives. i
did not know whether there was another
staircase to tho lower, nor whether there
were enemies above us, whether indeed
enemies might not swarm in on us from a
dozen entrances. I luid no time to think
of moro than just this—that my staircase,
of which I did know,*must bo held.
I think I had stood there about a min¬
ute, breathing hard and listening to the
din outside, which came to my ears a lit¬
tle softened by the thick walls round me
—so much softened, at least, that 1 could
hear my heart beating in the midst of it
when the duchess came hack to tlio door
above. I could'scc her, there being a cer¬
tain amount of light in the room behind
her, but she could not see me. ••What can
I do?” she asked softly.
I answered by a question, “Is lie
alive?” I muttered.
“Yes, but hurt,” sho answored, strug¬
gling with a sob, with a fluttering of the
woman’s heart sho had repressed so brave¬
ly. “Much hurt, I fear! Oh, why, why
did we coiuo bore?”
She did not mean it as a reproach, but I
took it as one and braced myself more
firmly to meet this crisis—to save her at
least if it should be any way possible.
When she asked again, “Can I do any
thing?” I bade her take my pike and stand
wkere I was for a moment. Sinco no en
omy had yet made Ids appearance above
the strength of our position seemed to
hold out some hope, and it was the more
essential that I chould understand it and
know exactly what our chances were.
I sprang up the stairs into the room and
looked round, my eyes seeming to take in
everything at once. It was a big bare
room, with signs of habitation only in ono
corner. On the side toward the town was
a long, low window, through which a
score of the diamond panes were broken
already—the flare of the besiegers’ torches
fell luridly ou the walls and vaulted roof,
By the dull embers of a wood fire, over
which hung a huge black pot. Master Ber
it.. I-- H' . ,»o on f’lio ■ i'\:H*t? 3
m-11- iijftill', ,5 iiiii . : , . „ (uiiLV'Cd , pH nn
lij-- ti*.'* !»• >-■ hidden^ el^d will
•
ing in her rnp.
A glance round assured me that there
was no other s taircase, and that on the
side toward tho country the wail was
pierced with no window bigger than a
loophole or aa arrow slit, with no opening
which even a boy ccuid enter, i or the
present, therefore, unless the top of tho
lower should bo cscaiaded tiom the »oja
cent houses—nnd I could do nothing to pro
vide against that—we had nothing to fear
except from the staircase and the window I
have tuefitioned. Every moment, bow
r SSifiSI
cliTld war:: - ar.v —o- ,-rrr sartTrr rr r
abjeet terror. Those sqvago yells might
well make a woman blanch. They carried
11,010 te;u ' ; < n<t <lr°«d to my heart than did
l ^ 10 Iv; d danger of our position, desperate
fli l ~ "’ as
-
And yet it was so desperate that for a
moment I leaned against tlio wall dazed
and hopeless, listening to the infernal til
mult without and within. Had -Bertie
been by my side to share the responsibility
and join in the risk, I could hove borne it
better. 1 might have felt then somo of
the joy of battle and tiie stern pleasure of
the one matched against tiio many. But
I was alone. How was I to save
women and that poor child from the yell
iug crew outside? How indeed? I did not
know tho enemy’s language; I could not
cmnmunicate with him, could not explain,
could not even cry for quarter for tho
women.
A stone which glanced from one of the
nnillions and grazed my shoulder roused
me from this fit of cowardice, Which, I
trust and believe, had lasted fi*m few scc
ends only. At the sumo moment an un¬
usual volley of missiles tore through tho
window us if discharged at u given signal.
Wo wero under cover, and they did ns no
harm, rolling for the most part noisily
about tho floor. But when the storm
ceased and a calm as sudden followed 1
heard a dull, regular sound close to the
window—a thud! thud! thud!—and on
tho instant divined the plan and tho dan¬
ger. My courage camo back, and with it
my wits. I remembered an old tale I had
heard, and dropping my sword whero I
stood I flew to the hearth and unhooked
tho great pot. It was heavy, half full of
something—broth, most likely, but I
reeked nothing of that. I boro it swiftly
to the window, and just as the foremost
man on the ladder had driven in the load
work beforo him with his ax flung tho
whole of tho contents—they wero not
scalding, hut they wero very hot—in his
face. Tho fellow shrioked loudly, and
blinded and taken by surprise lost his hold
and fell against his supporter, and both
tumbled down again moro quickly than
they bad come up.
Sternly triumphant, I poised tho great
pot itself in my hands, thinking to fling
it down upon the sea of savage upturned
faces, of which I had a brief view, as the
torches flared now on one, now on an¬
other. But prudence prevailed. If no
^Sjr
•f
m rf#P|r A- k-E r y
m v\
w
I bore it swiftly to she window.
moro blood wero shod, it might still bo
possiblo to get somo terms. I laid tlio pot
down by the side of tho window ns a
weapon to lio used only in the last resort.
Meanwhile the duchess, posted in tho
dark, had heard the noise of the window
being driven in and cried out pitifully to
know what it was. “ Stand firm! ” I shout¬
ed loudly’. “Stand firm. Wo are safe as
yet!” seemed
Even the uproar without to abate
a little as the first fury of tlio mob died
down. Probably their leaders wero con¬
certing fresh action. I went and knelt lie
side Master Bertie and made a thorough
examination of his wound. Ho had re¬
ceived a nasty blow on the back of the
head, from which the blood was still ooz¬
ing, and ho was insensible. His faco
looked very long and thin nnd deathlike;
but, so far as I could ascertain, tlio bones
wero uninjured, and lio was now breath¬
ing more quietly. “I think lie will recov¬
er,” I said, easing his clothes.
Anne was crouching on the other side of
him. As sho did not answer, I iookod up
at her. Her lips were moving, but the
only word I caught was “Clarence!” I
did not wonder she was distraught. I had
work enough to keep my own wits. But
I wanted her help, and I repeated loudly,
"Anne, Anne!” trying to rouse her.
She looked past me, shuddering. “Heav¬
en forgivo you!” she muttered. “Y'ou
have brought mo to this! And now I must
die! I must die here! In tho net they
have set for others is their own foot tak
en!”
She was quite besido herself with ter
ror I saw that she was not addressing
me, and I had not time to mako sense of
j ier wanderings. I left her and went out
to s p C -k to tlio duchess. Poor woman!
j£ vcn ], e r brave spirit was giving way. I
f e ] t j,cr c0 ; f | hands tremble as I took the
halbert from her. “Go into the room
a wliile,” I said softly. “Ho is not serioos
hurt, I am sure. I will guard this. If
al) y one appears at tho window, scream.”
.she went gladly, and I took her place,
having now to do double duty. I had been
there a few minutes only, listening, with
m y sou i j n ]n y cars, to detect the first
6 jg ns of attack, either below me or in the
room behind, when I distinguished a
strange rustling sound on tho staircase. It
appeared to come from a point a good deal
helow mo, and probably whoever made it
was just within tho doorway. I peered
j nto t j )0 gi 0O1 a l hut could see no one as
y ot _ “Stand!” I cried in a tone of warn
ing “Who is that?’
The sound ceased abruptly, but it left
Could they be eoing to blow
u,, n * : 1 * v J . tiny would Vi . ........ not «•:••*£ • to . >4 ruin ti •
'^"auU the tower wa^umig.'
It would not lie easy to Mow it up.
Yet in a short time the noise Organ
again, aud my fears returned with it
“Stand!” I cried savagely, ‘ or take care
Q f y ourself!"
The answer was a flash of bright light.
which for a second showed tho rough
stone walls winding away at my feet, a
stunning report and too pattering down
Q f half a dozen slugs from tbo root.
laughed, my first start over. You will
have to conic a little higher tip. L cried
tauntingly as I smelled toe fumes. ,,y
niu~~T.::, irpiirtssra, <nui -niyr.iCTifterns
seven feet long, so that I could reach as
far ns I could see. I had had time, too, to
grow cool.
After this there was comparative quiet
for another space. Every now and then a
stone, or, more rarely, the hall of an nrque
bus, would come whizzing . into . the room
above, hut 1 did not. fear this. It was
easy to keep under cover, And their
shouting no longer startled me. 1 began
to sec a glimpse of hope. It was plain
that the townsfolk were puzzled how to
coiuo at us without suffering great loss
They were unaware of our numbers, and,
as it proved, believed that we had three
uninjured men ntioast. I he staircase was
impracticable ns a point of assault, and
tlio window, being only tbreo foct in
height and ItO from the ground, was not
much bettor, if defended, as they expocted
it would be, by a couple of desperate
swordsmen.
I was not much astonished, therefore,
when the rustling sound, beginning again
at tho foot of the staircaso, came this time
to no mora formidable issue than a hail in
Spanish. “Will you surrender?” tho en¬
voy cried.
“No!” I said roundly.
“Who nro you?” Was tho next quostion.
“Wo aro English!” I answered.
Ho wont then, and there for tho time
the negotiations ended. But, seeing tho
dawn of hope, I was tho more afraid of
any trap or surprise, undt I cried to the
duchess to bo on her guard. For this rea¬
son, too, the suspense of tho next few min¬
utes was almost more trying than any¬
thing which had gono before. But tlio
minutes camo at last to an end. A voice
below cried loudly in English: “Holloa!
Are you friends?”
“Yes, yes,” I replied joyfully beforo
the words had well ceased to rebound
from the walls, for the voico and accent
were Master Lindstroiu's. A cry of relief
from the room behind mo showed that
there, too, tho speaker was recognized.
The duchess came running to tho door,
but I begged her to go back and keep a
good lookout, and she obeyed.
“How come you here? How has it hap¬
pened?” Master Lindstrom asked, his
voice, though ho still remained below, be¬
traying his perplexity and unhappiness.
“Can I not do something? This is tirri
bio indeed."
“Yon can come up, if you like,” I an
swered after a moment’s thought. “But
you must camo alone, and 1 cannot let
even you, friend as you aro, see our tie
fonses.”
As ho camo up I stepped back and drew
the door of the room toward me, so that,
though n little light readied tho head of
tho stairs, he could not, standing there, see
into tho room or discern our real weak
ness. I did not distrust him—heaven for
hid!—but ho might have to tell all ho saw
to his friends below, and I thought it
well, for his sake ns well as our own, that
ho should he able to do this freely and
without hurting us. As lie joined mo 1
held up a finger for sllenco and listened
keenly. But all was quiet below. No one
had followed him. Then I turned and
warmly grasped his bauds, and wo peered
inlo one another's faces. I saw he was
deeply moved; that he was thinking of
Dymplum and how I had saved her. He
held my hands as thouph ho would never
loose them.
“Well,” I said as cheerfully as I could,
“have you brought us mi offer of terms?
But let ino tell you first,” I continued,
“how it happened.” And 1 briefly ex
plained that we had mistaken tlio captain
of tho guard and Ids two followers for
Clarence and tho two Spaniards. “Js ho
dead?” I continued.
“No; he is still alive,” Master Lind
strom answered gravely. “But tho towns
folk nro furious, and tho seizuro of the
tower has still further exasperated them
Why did you do it?”
“ Because we should liavo been torn to
pieces if wo had notdone it,” I answered
dryly. “You think we are in a strait
place?” think yourself?” he
“Do you not so
said, somewhat astonished.
1 laughed. “That is as may lie,” I an
swered, with an affectation of reckless
ness. “Tho staircase is narrow and tho
window low. We shall soil our lives dear¬
ly, my friend. Yet for tho sake of the
women who are with us we are willing to
surrender if the citizens offer us terms.
After all, it was an accident. Cannot you
impress tbis on them?” I added eagerly.
Ho shook his head. “They will not hear
reason,” ho said.
“Then,” I replied, “impress tho other
thing upon them. Toll them that our
swords sharp and wo are desperate. ”
aro
“I will see what lean do,” ho answered
slowly. “Tho Duke of Cloves is expected
hero tomorrow, and tho townsfolk feel
they would bo disgraced forever if lie
should find their gate held by a party of
marauders, as they consider you.”
“The Duko of Cieves?” I repeated.
“Perhaps ho may bo better affected to¬
ward us.”
“They will overpower you beforo ho
comes, ” Master Lindstrom answered de¬
spondently. “I would put no trust in him
if I were you. But I will go to them, and,
believe me, I will do all that maD can do.”
“Of that I am sure,” I said warmly.
And then, cautioning mo to remain strict¬
ly on the defensive, he left me.
Before his footsteps had ceased to echo
on tho stairs the door beside me opened,
and Mistress Anne appeared at it. I saw
at onco that liis familiar voice had roused
her from tlio stupor of fear in which I had
last seen her. Her eyes were bright; her
whole frame was thrilling with excite¬
ment, hope, suspense. I began to under¬
stand her, to discern beneath tho disguise
thrown over it in ordinary times by a
stron
{dVTUJh ” »‘‘ ?fl D OF li'^piilMlI; v 'll - ’ll i 1?
.
vt I - ii # so kc/idv “vcrvtiiii-* ur i>
^touched iLelf. “VS ell?” the cried,
“Patience’ Patience!” I replied rather
sharp i v I could not help comparing her
cccduct r .; th that of t[K . duchess and
bj an3 j n g j, cr no $ f or her timidity, but for
’ had betrayed in
the selfishness which she
^ f( . ar r r , ol i(d fancy PetronilM treni
w ^utterly an<J a co war<l. hut not despairing,
nor cast down, nor useless when
othcrg , !W . ( | c ,i nor wrapped in her
OTn terOT to the very exclusion of rea
so[) -p a ii e ncc!” I said. “He is coining
ji c and his friends will do ail they
f or Mgt We must wait awhile and
1
,
an jitii-uft lim'fcnTonr t,r.j s~;p~r dqx r.)
me and closed it bohind her. This made
the staircase so dark that I could no longer
distinguish her face, but, I judged from
her tone that her fears were regaining pos¬
session of her. ‘'Clarence, ” she muttered,
her voice low and trembling. "Have you
thought of him? Could not ho help us?
He may have followed us here and may
ho hero now. Now! And perhaps ho docs
not know In what danger wo are.”
‘‘Clarence!” 1 said, astonished and al¬
most angry. 'Clarence help us? Co
hack, girl, go back. You aro mad. Ho
would ho moro likely tocomplotouurruln.
Go in and nurse the baby,” I added bit¬
terly.
What could sho mean? I asked myself
when she had gone in. Was there any¬
thing in her suggestion? Would Claronco
follow us hither? If so, and if ho should
come in time, would ho luivo power to
help us, using such mysterious influence,
Spanish or English, ns ho scorned to pos¬
sess? And, if ho could help us, would it
ho bettor to fall Into his hands than into
those of tlio exasperated Santoncsc? I
thought the duchess would say ‘‘No!”
So it mattered not what I answered my¬
self. I hoped, now Master Lindstrom
had appeared, that the women would bo
allowed to go freo, and it seemed to me
that to surrender to Clarence would ho to
hand over flic duchess to her enemy sim
ply that the rest of us might escape.
Master Lindstrom returned while I was
still considering this, and observing the
same precautions as before I bade him
join me. ‘ Well,” Isold, not so impetu¬
ously, 1 hope, as Mistress Anno, yet I dare
say with a good deal of eagerness, “well,
what do they say?” For ho was slow to
spook.
“I hnvo bad nows,” ho answered gently.
“Ah,” I ejaculated, a lump which was
duo as much to rage as to any other emo¬
tion rising in my throat. “So they will
give us'no terms? Then so bo it! Let them
conic and take us.”
“Nay, ” ho hastened to answer. “It is
not so had ns that, lad. They are fathers
and husbands themselves, and not lauz
knechts. They will suffer the women to
go freo mid will even let ino tnko charge
of them if necessary.”
“They will!” I exclaimed, overjoyed. I
wondered why on earth tint lio had hesitated
to tell me this. “Why, is the main
point, friend.”
“Yes,” lie said gravely, “perhaps so.
More, tho men may go, too, if the tower
surrendered within an hour—with one
exception, that is. Tho man who struck
tlio blow must ho given up.”
“Tho wan who struck tho blow!” I ro
peated slowly. “Bo you mean—you mean
tlio man who cut tlio patrol down?”
“Yes,” he said. lie was peering Tory
closely at mo, as though ho would learn
from my faco who It was. And I stood
thinking. This was as muoh as we could
expect. I divined, and most truly, that
hut for tho honest Dutchman's influence,
promises, perhaps bribes, such terms
would nevor have been offered to us by the
moil who, hours before, had driven us to
hold as if wo had been vermin Yet give
up Master Bertie? “What," I said, “will
be done to him.? The limn who must ho
given up, I mean?” Master Lindstrom
shook his head. “It, was an accident,” I
urged, my eyes on his.
He grasped ids my hand firmly, and turn
log away face seemed lor awhile tin
»hio to speak. At lust ho whispered: “lie
must suffer'for the others, lad. I fear so.
it is u hard fate, u cruel futo. But lean
do no more. They will not hoar mo on
tills. It is trim he will ho first tried by
the magistrate, hut there is no hopu. They
are very hard. i ■
My heart sank. I stood irresolute, pon
dering on wliat wo ought to do, pondering
on wliat I should say to the wifo who so
loved the man who must dio. What could
I say? Yet somehow I must break the
news. I asked .Master Lindstrom to wait
where he was while I consulted the others,
adding, “Y’on will answer for it that there
will he no attack wliilo you aro hero, 1
suppose?”
“I will," ho said. I knew I could trust
him, and I went in to tho duchess, closing
the dour behind me. A change had come
over tho room since I had left it. The
moon had risen and was dinging its cold
white light through tho twisted and shat¬
tered framework of the window to full in
three bright panels on the door, The
torches in the street had for tlio most part
burned out or been extinguished. In place
of tlio red glare, the shouts and the crash
of glass, tlio atmosphere of battle and
strifo I had left, I found this silvery light,
and a stillness made more apparent by the
distant hum of many voices.
Mistress Anne was standing just within
tlio threshold, her faco showing palo
against tlio gloom, htir hands clasped. The
duchess was kneeling by her husband, but
sho looked up as I entered.
“They will lot us all go, ” I said bluntly—
it wa3 best to toll tlio talo at once—"ex¬
cept the one who hurt tho patrol, that Is.”
It was stratigo iiovv differently the two
women received tho news. While Mistress
Anno dung her hands to her face with a
sobbing cry of thankfulness and leaned
against the wall crying and shaking, my
lady stood up straight and still, breathing
hard, but saying nothing. I saw that she
did not need to ask what would bo done
to tlio ono who was excepted. She knew.
“No,” she murmured at last, her hands
pressed to her bosom, “wo cannot do it!”
“I fear wo must,” I said gently, calmly,
too, I think. Yet it. saying it I was not
quit© myself. All odd sensation was grow
ing upon mo III tlio stillness of tlio room.
I began on a sudden, I did not know why
to thrill with excitement, to tremble with
nervousness, such as would rather have
become one of tho women than a man.
My ho ..nd t/1 v I -< o 11 ■ brc:t‘i i 'll
quick 1 ; 1 |j Uijr.-».if looking otjj.,
ii tv’jiu i v;. * * i t*i* rsotilv -t iilti'* tn ’ P
1l Wfcjj c-UIaJO*
tccmca to nw>
than tho din and crash cf the worst mu
ments of tho assault. What was it? What
j was it that was threatening my being? An
Instant and I knew.
j "Oh, no, never!” cried tho duchess
again, her voice quivering, her faco full of
keenest pain. “Wo will not give you up.
We will stand or fall together, friend.”
Give you up! Give you up! Ha! The
veil was lifted now, and 1 saw what tlio
something with the cold breath going be
fore It was I looked quietly from her to
her husband, and I asked—I fancy she
sai
NO.
mm
!
fell! ffl
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f ‘Much better. He knew mo for a mo¬
ment, " shu answered. "Then ho seemed
to sink away again, but his eyes wero
quite clear.”
1 stood gazing down at his thin fnce,
which had ever looked so kindly Into
mine. My lingers played idly with tlio
knot of my sword. “Ho will live?” 1 asked
abruptly, harshly.
Sho started at tho sudden quostion; but,
brutal as It must hnvo sounded, she wns
looking at mo in pity so great and gener¬
ous that it did not wound her. “Oh, yes,"
sho said, her eyes still clinging to mu. “I
think ho will livo, thank heaven!"
Thank heaven! All, yes, thank henvnnl
I turned and went slowly toward the
door, hub beforo I reached it sho was at
my side—nay, was on lior knees by me—
clasping my hand, looking up to mo with
streaming eyes. “What are you going to
do?” sho cried, reading, I suppose, some¬
thing In my faco.
"I will seo if Master Lindstrom cannot
get better terms for us," I answered.
She rase, still detaining mo. "You nro
sure?” she said, slill eying nio jealously.
“Quito sure,” 1 answered, forcing a
smile. “I will come back and rujiurt to
you. ”
She let mo go then, nnd I wont out and
joined Lindstrom on tho staircase.
“Are you certain,” 1 asked, speaking in
a whisper, “that they will; that the town
will keep its word mid let the others go?”
' f <im quite suroof it, ” lie replied, nod
dim- They are Germans, and hard and
pitih V but you may trust them. So far I
will answer for them.”
‘‘Then wo accept," I said gravely. "I
give myself Lot them take ino. ”
I
[TO BE CONTINUED.J
W, L. Douglas
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