Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-06-01

! 81 W pray OtcI tuc uoOy VI WAS poS
RutTer."
Like enough" returned the sentry
"nut 10 go alOoe IL lot permitted you.
He leaned over the osken ohlusters az
whistled sbriIl "Ooe comesh!" ne cried
spd then motioped DICK 10 psss.
At the foot OF the steir he found 10
guard afJot aud awaiting his srrival; an
when he hsd once more repeated bi
story, the commander of the post oroere,
four men out to accompany him to In
church.
"Let him not clip, my ], L." he said
"Bring him to Sir Diver, OF your Ives!
The door wss then opened; ore Of III,
men took Dick By either arm, sDothel
marched ahead with link, and the
fourth, with bent bow and arrow on ths
string, brought up the resr. 10 this order
hey proceeded throu b the garden, under
The thick darkness Of the night and tine
scattering snow, and drew near to the
dimlv Illuminated windows of the abbey
church.
Al ne western portal picket Of arch
ers stood, taking what shelter they could
dnd In the hollow OF the srched door
waya, and al powcere with the snow;
and 1t WAS not untli Dicks conductors
mad exchanged word Nth these tina,
hey were suffered 10 pass forth and enter
The nave CT the sacred edifice.
The church wss doubifuiIy lighted by
the tapers upon the great alta, and by 9
lamp or two that swurg fr N the srched
roof before the private chspels cf illustri.
dead spy ley, MS limbs piously composed
upon bier.
A hurried mutter OF prayer sounded
sloDg the srches; cowled figures krelt In
the stalls Of the choir, and on the steps
of the hign altar a priest In pontifcal
vestments celebrated mass.
Upon This fresh entrance, one of the
cowled figures nrose, and, coming down
the steps which elevated the level of the
choir above that of the nave, demanded
from the l.ader Of the four men what
busi ess brought him to the church. Out
of resps CT for the service and the desd,
they spoke in guarded tones; but the
echoes Of that huge, empty building
caught up their words, and hollowly re-
pas;ed and repeated them along the
aisles.
"A monk" returned Sir Oliver Qfor he
1t wa }, when he had heard the report OF
the archer. "My brother, looked not
for your coming" he ADDED, turning to
young Sneiton. tin sll civility, who are
yeP and at whose instance do ye join
: our sUppiicstioDs to ours"
Dick, Beepiug his cowl about bis face,
signed 10 ST Oliver to move pace or
t"o aside from the arche,s; snd, so soon
as the priest bsd done 50, IL cannot hope
10 deceive you, sir" ne said. "My life
Is in your hands,"
Sir Oliver violently started; bis stout
cheeks grew pale, snd for a space he was
silent.
"Richsrd," he said, "whst brings you
here, know pot; 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 shsll sit there
i'll my Lord Of Shoreby is married, and
he party gone safe home; and II all
,oeth well, aud ye have planned NO evil,
n the end ye shall go whittier ye will.
But il your purpose be bloody. it shall
,eturn up n your head. Amer!"
And the pri, st devoutly crossed him
Jeff. and turned and louted to the s'tar.
With that, he spoke q few words more
o Che soldiers, and taking Dick by the
lend, led him up to the choi-, and placed
i'm in the stall beside his OWL, where, for
mere decency, the lad had instantly to
lGeei and sppeaI to be busy with his de-
'otions.
His mind and his eyes, however, were
continually wandering. Three Of the
be observed, instead Of returning
o the house, had got them quietly into 3
,oins of vantage Ia the aisle; and he
could not doubt thst they had done SO by
Sir divers command. Here, then, he
vas trspped. Here he must spend the
light in the ghostly elimmer snd shadow
" the church, and looking on the pale
ace Of him ne slew; and here, in the
morning, he must see his sweetheart
psrried to another man before his eyes.
But, for al that, he obtained COM
nand upon his mind, and built himself
10 in patience to swsin the issue.
CHAPTER w.
IN THE ABBEY CHURCH.
In Saoreby Abbey church the prayers
we're kept up Sll night without cessation.
low with the singing OF psalms, now with
note or two upon the bell.
Rutter, the spy, was nobly w.ked.
There ne lay, meanwhile, IS they had ar |
'anged him, his dead hands crossed upon |
lis bosom, his dead eyes staring on the |
'oof; and hard by, in the stall, the lad !
Who had slain him waited, in sore dlequi- |
.tude, the coming Of the morning.
Once only, in the course OF the hours,
Sir Oliver lesned across to his captive
"Rlcbsrd,n he whispered, "my son, If
re mean me evil, will certify, on my
Ioul's welfare, ye design upon an inno-
,ent man. Sinful in the eve Of heaven
10 declare myself; but sinful ss against |
,ou l an not, neither have beenever."
"My father" returned Dick, in the
,ame tone Of voice, "trust me, I design |
nothing but as for your innocence, may |
lot forget that ye clea-ed yourself but
amely."
"A man may be innocently guilty." re.
,lied the priest. "He may be set blind
clded upon a mission, ignorant Of its
rus scope. So it was with me. I did
!ecoy YOUR father 10 mis- death; but as
lesyen sees us In this sacred place,
new not whist did"
TIt msy be,n returned Dick. "But gee
What strange web ye have woven, that
should be, at this hour, ct Ones your
prisoner and your Judge; that ye should
10th thres.en my days ard deprecate my
.pger. Methinks, II ye had been all your
lie true man and good priest, ye would
neither thus fear nor thus detest me.
Ind now to your prayers. lido obey you.
ir re- needs ynusf: Init will not be bur-