Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-07-20

aye, and yo1r everlasting bishop, too-ficd
before handful Of Protestants like sheen
before wolves. A fig for your emperor,
never feared him young, and fear him
less now that he Is old and dccrepit and.
is men say, mad. Let him get to his
watches and you TO your prayers II there
were not this table between us, l would
pull your cars, Master Churchmnnv'
But tell me, asked Master Berthe as
/ stood beside his couch an hour later.
how did the duchess manage 1t. Ieath.
cred from something you or she said q
short time back that you had no Influence
with the Duke of Clcvcs.''
Not quite that" he answered. INV
wife and the late Duke of Suffolk had
much to do with wedding the princes sis
ter to King Henry 1914 years back, is It,
And so far We might have felt confident
Of his Protection. But tho marriage
turned out i'll, or turned out short. and
Queen Anne Of Cleves was divorced. and
well, We .elt a little less confident ON
that account, particularly as he has the
namo of u hoadstrong, passionate man."
Heaven keep him in it.' said, smil.
ing. But you have not told me yet what
happened.
The duchess was still asleep this morn.
ing, fairly worn out, rs you may suppose.
when great noise awoke her. She got nm
and went Co Dymphna and learned it was
the dukes trumpets. Then she went to
the window, and seeing few people I'm the
streets TO welcome him inquired why this
was. Dymphra broke down at that and
told her what was happening to you, and
that you were to die ut that very hour
She went out straightway, without cover
ing her hcad-you know how impotuous
she is-and flung herself on her knees in
the mud before the dukes horse rs he en-
tered. He knew her, and the rost you can
guess. :"
Can guess? Ah, what happiness It was!
Outside tho sun fell hotly On the steep rcd
roofs. with their rows of easements, and
on the sleepy square in which knots Of
people still fingered, talking of tho morn
ing's events. could SEQ below mo the
guard which Duke William, shrcwdly
mistrus,ing the suhdcan, had posted in
front of tho house, nominaIly to do tho
duchess ho!.ur. l could hear in the next
room the cheerful voices of my friends.
Whit happiness il was to live. What hap
pincss tn be loved! How very, very good
and beautiful and glorious a world seemed
49,
in that quaint German town which we had
entered so oddly!
As ! turned from the window full of
my eyes mot those of Nils
tresS Anne, who was sitting on the far
side of the sick mans couch, the baby in
a cradle beside her. The risk and exposure
of the last week had made a deeper mark
upon her than upon any of us. She was
palcr, Grayer, older, more of a woman and
less, much less, of a girl. And she looked
very Ill. iier eyes, in particular, seemed
to have grown larger, and as they dweIt
on mo now there was a strange and SOL
emn light in them, under which grew
uneasy.
You have been wonderfully preserved"
she said presently, speaking drcamiIy,
and rs much to herself as to me-
Il have, indeed answered. thinking
she referred only to my escape Of tho
-,
But she did not
There was, firstly the time on the riy-
er when you Were hurt with the oar" she
continued, gazing absently mt me, her
hanlA in her lap, "and then tho night
when you saw Clarence with Dymphna.
Or, rather, saw him without her." 1
ntcrposcd, smiling. 1t was strange that
'he should mention it as fact, when ut
Inc time she had so scolded mo for making
The statement
And then" she continued, disregard
ing my interruption, there was the time
when you were stabbed in the passage,
and, again, when you had tho skirmish
~ the river, and then today you were
within minute of death. You have been
preservedr'
Il have, 1 assented thoughtfully.
The more as I suspect that 1 have to
hank Master Clarence for all these little
adventures. ~
''Strangc-very strangc!" she muttered,
emoving her eyes from me that she might |
TX them on the floor.
What is stranger
Tho abrupt questioner was the duchess,
Who came bustling in at tho moment
What is STRANGE" she repeated, with
heightened color and dancing eyes. shall
tell you:" She paused and looked
rightly at me, holding something con-
eaicd behind her. 1 guessed in a mo-
nent, from the aspect of her face, what |
{ was-the letter which l had given to
dastcr Lindstrom in the morning, and |
which, with pardonable forgetfulness, / |
iad failed to reclaim.
turned very red. 1T was not intended |
or you now" said shyly, for in the let
or had told her my story.
Pooh, pooh!" she cried 1T is Just as |
thought. a pretty piece of folly! No."
he continued Us l opened my mouth, Il |
m not going 10 keep your secret, sir You l
nay go down on your knees 1t will be of l
10 use. Richard, you remember Sir An
hoDy Cludde of Cotton End in Warwick |
hire?''
"Oh, yes" her husband said, rising on l
is elbow, while his face lit up, and / /
tcod bashfully shifting my feet
II have danced with him a dozen times.
cars ago. she continued, her eyes spar
ling with mischief well, sir, this gen
lcman, Master Francis Carey, otherwise
'on Santonkirch, is Francis Cludde, his
ephew!"
Sir Anthony's nephew.''
Yes, and the son of Ferdinand Cluddc,
7hom you also have heard Of, of whom
no less
She stopped and turned quickly, inter
nptcd by half stified scream 1t was a
cream full Of sudden horror and amaze
lent and fear, and it came from Mistress
nnc The girl had risen and was gazing
me with distendel eyes and hianched |