The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-11-30
THE STORY or
FRANCIS ClUDDE
BY STANLEY o. wEYMAs.
lCopyrishl iai, hy Cas.en rubiishins % An
riehts reserved.


Ne nodded. and while he held The taper
shove We descended one by one without
much difficulty. though ! admit that hall
way down the old wuinan's words, Go ON
and perish came hack disquictinriy 90
my mind However my foot struck tho
bottom before I had time 20 digest thoin
and streak of light which seemed o.
issue from under a door forced my thoughts
the next moment into n now channel
Whispering TO Muster Berthe 10 pause
minute Tor there was only room for nno
OF us TO stand at the bottom OF tho shaft
| knocked in the fashion prescribed
The sound Of loud voices, which I had
already detected, ceased ON sudden and
| heard shuillinp on the other side Of the
boards This was followed by silence and
thcn the door was flung open, and blinded
for the moment by blaze Of light |
walked mechanically forward into room
! made out as | advanced a group Of mon
standing round a rude table, their figures
thrown into dark relief by flares stuck In
sconcos on the walls behind them. Some
had weapons In their hands, and others
had partly risen from their seats and
| stood la pastures Of surprise. What do
I you seoki" cried a threatening voice from
among them.
Lace, answered.
what laccf'
French lace
Then you are welcome-heartily wei
comet was the answer, given in q tone of
relief. But who comes with your"
Master Richard BERTHE Of Lincoln.
shire" l answered promptly, and at that
moment he emerged from the shaft
A still more hearty murmur Of welcome
hailod his name and appearance, and we
were borne forward to the table amid a
chorus Of voices, the greeting given TO
Master Berthe being that Of men who Joy
fully hail unlocked for help. Tho room,
from its yaulted ceiling and stone floor
and the trans OF casks which lay here and
we're or near the table serving for seats,
apps rcd to be n cellar Its dark, gloomy
rocesses, the ilarng lights and the weapons
on the table seemed meet and fitting sur
roundings for the anxious faces which
were gathered about the board, for there
wns a something In the air which was not
so much secrecy as thing more unpleas-
. ant-suspicion and mistrust. Almost at
the moment Of our entrance 1t showed It,
= self One Of the men, before the door had
well closed behind us, went toward 1t, as
II to go out. The leader-he who had
questioned me-called sharply to him, bid
!. ding him come back. And he came back,
barely noticed this, for Muster BERTHE,
who was known personally to many and
/ by name to all, was introducing me to
= two who were apparently the leaders-Sir
Thomas Penruddocke a fair man as tall rs
myself. loose limbed and untidily dressed,
with "A reckless eye and a loud tongue;
and Master Walter Kingston, a younger
brother, was told, of that Sir Anthony
Kingston who had suffered death the year
before for conspiracy against the queen
the same in which Lord Devon had showed
the white feather Kingston was young
man of moderate height and slender, Of q
brown complexion and delicate, almost wo-
manish beauty, his sleepy dark eyes and
dainty mustacho suggesting a temper
rather amiable than firm. But the spirit
Of revenge had entered into him, and /
soon learned that not even Penruddocko,
Cornish knight of longer lineage than
purse, was so vehement plotter or so de-
voted to the cause. Looking at the others,
my heart sank. 1t needed no greater ex.
perience than mine to discern that, except
three or four whom identified as stout
professors Of religion, they were men rath-
or of desperate fortunes than good estate.
| learned On the instant that conspiracy
makes strange bedfellows, and that 1t Is
impossible to do dirty work even with tho
purest intentions-in good company
Master Bertie's face indicated TO one who
knew him as well 8s did something of
the same feeling and could the clock have
been put back awhile, and we placed with
free lands and uncommitted outside the
gateholse, think we should with one ac-
cord have turned our backs on It and Civ
IN up an attempt which, in this company,
could scarcely fare any way but i'll. Still
for good or evil the die was cast now, and
retreat was out of the question.
We had confronted too many dangers
during the last three years not to be able
to face this one with good courage, and
presently Master BERTHE, taking n seat, re-
luested to be told of the strength and
plans of our associates, his businessik
manner introducing at once some degree
of order and method into n conference
which before our arrival hnd-unless /
was much mistaken-been conspicuously
lacking in both
"Our resourcesY' Penruddocke replied
= confidently. They lie everywhere, mani
We have but to raise the flag, and tho rest
will be a triumphal march. Tho people,
sick of burnings and torturings and heat
ed by the loss of Calais last January, will
flock to us. Floc. to us, do 1 sayt will
answer for it they will"
But you have some engagements, some
promises from people of standingy'
'Oh, yes, but the whole nation will join
US. They are weary of the present state Of
things"
''rhey may be as weary Of 1t as you
say" Master BERTHE answered shrewdly,
but is 1t equally certain that they will
risk their necks to amend it, You have