Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-27
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go to pray over the body OF this poo
Rutter"
Like enough" returned the sentry
"but to go alone is not permitted you.'
He leaned over the oaken bslusters anC
whistled shrill. "One cometh I" he cried
and then motioned Dick to pass.
At the foot OF the stair he found the
guard afoot and awaiting his arrival; and
when he bsd once more repeated his
story, the commander of the post ordered
four men out to accompany him to the
church.
"Let him not slip, my lads" he said.
"Bring him to Sir Oliver, on your lives ~
The door was then opened; one Of the
men took Dick by either arm, another
marched ahead with link, and the
fourth, with bent bow and arrow on the
string, brought up the resr. In this order
they proceeded through the garden, under
the thick darkness OF the night and the
scattering snow, and drew near to the
dimly Illuminated windows Of the abbey
church.
At the western portal picket of arch
ers stood, taking what shelter they could
find in the hollow OF the erched door
ways, and all powdered with the snow;
and it WAS not until Dicks conductors
had exchanged word with these that
they were suffered to pass forth and enter
the nave OF tne sacred edifce.
The church vas doubtfu!ly lighted by
the tapers upon the great altar, and by 8
lamp or two that swung from the arched
roof before the private chapels Of illustri-
Gus families. In the midst of the choir the
dead spy lay, his limbs piously composed
upon bier.
A hurried mutter of prayer sounded
along the arches; coWled figures knels in
the stalls of the choir, and on the steps
Of the high altar priest in pontifcxl
vestments celebrated mass.
Upon this fresh entrance, one of the
cowled figures arose, and, coming down
the steps which elevated the level Of the
choir above that Of the nave, demanded
from the leader OF the four men what
business brought him to the church. Out
of respect for the service and the dead,
they spoke in guarded tones; but the
echoes of that huge, empty building
caught up their worcs, and holloway re-
peated and repeated them along the
aisles.
"a monkI" returned Sir Oliver 0or he
it waf), when he had heard the report OF
the archer. "My brother, 1 looked not
for your coming" he added, turning to
young Shelton. "In all ciyility, who are
ye? end ct whose instance do ys Join
your suppiications to Ours?"
Dick, keeping his cowl about his face,
signed to Sir Oliver to move psce or
two aside from the archers; and, 30 soon
as the priest had done SO, 81 cannot hope
TO deceive you, sir" he said. "My life
is in your hands"
Sir Oliver violently started; his stout
cheeks grew pale, and for e space ne WAS
silent.
"Richsrd," he said, "what brings you
here, know not; but much misdoubt
it to be evil. Nevertheless. for the kind
ness that was, would not willingly de-
liver you to harm. Ye shall sit all night
beside me in the stalls; ye shall sit there
till my Lord Of Shoreby is married, and
the party gone safe home; and if all
goeth well, and ye have planned no evil,
in the end ye shall go whittier ye will.
But il your purpose be bloody, it shall
return up1n your head. Amen!"
And the priest devoutly crossed him
self, and turned and louted to the altar.
With that, he spoke few words more
to the soldiers, and taking Dick by the
hand, led him up to the choir, and placed
him in the stall beside his wp, where, for
mere decency, the lad had instantly to
kneel and appear to be busy with his de-
votions.
His mind and his eyes, however, we're
continually wandering. Three Of the
soldiers, he observed, instead Of returning
to the house, had got them quietly into
point Of vantage in the aisle; and he
could not doubt that they had done so by
Sir divers command. Here, then, he
was trapped. Here he must spend the
night in the ghostly elimmer and shadow
Of the church, and looking on the pale
face of him ne slew; and here, in the
morning, he must see his sweetheart
married to smother man before his eyes.
But, for all that, he obtained a COM
mand upon his mind, and built himself
up in patience to awain the issue.
CHAPTER ".
IN THE ABBEY CHURCH.
In Saoreby Abbey church the prayers
were kept up Gil night without cessation,
now with the sim ing OF psalms, now with
q note or two upon the bell.
Rutter, the spy, WAS nobly walked.
There he lay, meanwhile, IS they had ar
ranged him, his dead hands crossed upon
his bosom, his dead eyes staring on the
roof; xnd hard by, in the stall, the lad
who hsd slain him waited, in sore dlsqui-
etude, the coming of the morning.
Once only, in the course Of the hours,
Sir Oliver leaned ACROSS to his captive
"Richard," he whispered, "my son, II
ye mean me evil, will certify, on my
souls welfare, ye design upon an inno-
cent man. Sinful in the eye of heaven
do declare myself; but sinful as against
you am not, neithe. have been ever"
only father" returned Dick, in the
same tone of voice, "trust me, I design
nothing shut as for your innocence, may
not forget thst ye cleared yourself but
lamely."
"a man may be innocently guilty." re-
piled the priest. "He may be set blind
folded upon 8 mission, ignorant of it's
true scope. So it WAS with me. did
decoy your father to mis- death; but as
heaven sees us in this sacred plsce,
knew not what did"
SIT may be-" returned Dick. "But see
what strange web ye have woven, that
I should be, er this hour, at once your
prisoner and your judge; that ye should
both threaten my days and deprecate my
anger. Methinks, if ye had been all your
life true man and good priest, ye would
neither thus fear nor thus detest me.
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