Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-25

| u was The lhSDlOn OF the tlUe.
The snow, which still fell without in
terruption, the extreme chill of the Oil
and the approach Of night combined to
keep them under shelter. Wine, ale and
money were sll plentiful; many sprawled
gambling in the straw Of the barn, many
| were still drunken from the noontide
meal. To the eye of modern 1t would
have looked Ike the sack Of city; to the
eye Of contemporary it YVES like any
other rich and noble household at q fes-
| tive season.
Two monks young and an oid-hsd
arrived late, and were now warming
themselves at bonfire In corner OF the
shed. A mixed crowd surrounded them
-jugglers, mountebanks and soldiers,
and With these the elder Of the two hao
soon engaged 80 brisk . conversation and
exchanged so many loud gEfaws and
country witticisms that the group mo-
mentarily increased in number.
The younger companion, in whom the
reader has already recognized Dick
Shelton, sat from the first somewhat
backward, and gradually drew himself
! away. He listened, indeed, closely, but
he opened not his mouth; and by the
grave expression Of his countenance, he
made but little account Of his compan.
IONS plessantries.
At LAST his eye, which travelled contin-
ualiy to and fro, and Kept siguard upon all
the entrances of the house, Lit upon
little procession entering by the main
gate snd crossing the court in an oblique
direction. Two ladies, muffl I'd in thick
furs, led the way, and were followed by
pair Of waiting women and four stout
men alarms. The next moment they
had disappeared within the house; srd
Dick, slipping through the crowd of LOTT
erers in the shed, WIS already giving hot
pursuit. ..
"The taller of these twain WAS Lady
Bsaokley," he thought; "snd where Lady
Brackley is, josh will not be far"
At the door Of the house the four men,
alarms had ceased to follow, and the
ladies were now mounting the stairway
OF polished oak, under no better escort
than that Of the two waiting.
Dick followed close behind. 1t was al
ready the dusk Of the day; and in the
house tie darkness OF the night had a.
most come. On the stair-landings, torches
dsred in iron holders; down the long,
tepestriea corridors, lamp burned by
every door. And where the door stood
open, Dick could look in upon srres-
covered walls and rush-bescattered
floors, glowing in the ligh. Of the wood
fires.
Two floors were passed, and at every
landing the younger and shorter Of the
two ladies had looked back keenly at the
monk. He, keeping his eyes lowered,
and affecting the demure manners thst
suited his disguise, had but seen her
once, and was unaware that he had at
tTacted her attention. And now, on the
third floor, the party separated, the
younger lady continuing to ascend alone,
the other, followed by the waiting maids,
descending the corridor to the right.
Dick mounted with a swift foot, snd
holding to the corner, thrust forth his
head and followed the three women with
his eyes. Without turning or looking
behind them, they continued to descend
the corridor.
SIT is right WE'LL" thought Dick. "Let
me but know my Lady Brackley's cham
Der, and 1t will go hard an I find not
Dame Hatch upon an Grand"
And Just then q hand was laid upon his
shoulder, and, vita Q bound and
choked cry, he turned to grapple his as
sailant.
he WAS somewhat sbsshed to find, in
the person whom he had SO roughly
seized, the short young lady IN the furs.
She, on her part, WAS shocked and terri
fed beyond expression, and hung trem-
bling in his grasp.
"Madem," said Dick, releasing her, 81
cry you thousand psrdons; but have
no eyes behind, and, by the mass, could
not tell ye were q maid"
The girl continued to look at him, but.
by this time, terror began to be succeeded
by surprise, and surprise by suspicion.
Dick, who could resd these changes on
her face, became alarmed for his own
safety in that hostile house.
"Fsir maid" said he, affecting east
ness, "suffer me to kiss your hand, in
token ye forgive my roughness, and will
even CO."
"Y' are q strange monk, young sir"
returned the young lady, looking him
both boldly and shrewdly in the face;
sand now that my first astOnishment
hath somewhat passed away, I can spy
the lsyman in each word you utter.
What do ye here? Why are ye thus sac
religiously trlcked ont? Come ye in peace
or WARP And why spy ye after Lady
Brackley like theft"
''Madsm," quoth Dick, "of one thing
pray you to be very sure: am 10 thief.
And even II I come here in war, as in
some degree do, make no war upon
fair maids, and hereby entreat them to
copy me so far, and to leave me be. For,
indeed, fair mistress, cry out-f such be
your pleasure-cry but once, and say
what ye have seen, and the poor gentle
man before you is merely dead man. I
cannot think ye would be cruel" added
Dick; and taking the girls Dand gently
in both Of his, he looked ct her with
courteous admiration.
"Are ye, then, spy-a Yorkist?"
asked the maid.
"Msdam," he raplied, 81 am indeed q
Yorkist, and, in some sort, . spy. But
that which bringeth me into this house,
the same which will win for me the pity
and interest Of your kind heart, is neither
of York nor Lancaster. l will wholly
put my Life in your discretion. am
lover, and my name"
But here the young lady clapped her
hand suddenly upon Dicks mouth, looked
hastily up and down and east and west,
and, seeing the coast clear, began to drag
the young man, with great strength and
vehemence, upstairs.
"Hush!" she said "and come! Shalt
talk hereafter"
Somewhat bewildered, Dick suffered
himself to be pulled upstairs, hustled
along corridor, and thrust suddenly