The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-08-10

AlDhnS lnNb nlknhf uhu Niio i'hs'ht |
and for others relating to the sheriff OF
Buckinghanshire, In which county stony
Stratford lies, | pushed on briskly. l
presently found time, however, to exam
me the packet of letters of which had /
made spoil. On the outer wrapper found |
there was no address, only an cxhortation |
to DO speedy. on this came, therefore, |
without ceremony, and was left in the |
dirt Inside found two sealed epistles, |
each countersignod on the wrapper,
Stephen Winton."
"Hol hoi" said l. II did well to take
them"
Over the signature on the first letter-it
seemed to be written on parchment-were
the words, "Hastel hastol hasto" This
was the thicker and heavier of the two
and was addressed to Sir Maurice Berke'
ley, at St. Mary Overy's, Southwark,
London. l turned IL over and over In my
hands and peeped into It, hesitating
Twice muttered, IAN is fair in love and
warl'' And at last, with curiosity fully
awake and glance behind me to make
sure that the act was unobserved, l broke
sne seal The document proved TO DO as
short and pithy ms 1t was startling 1t
was an order commanding Sir Maurice
Berkeley forthwith in the queens name
and by the authority of the council, and
so on, and so on, to arrest Katherine VIII
loughby de Eresby, duchess of Suffolk, and
to deliver her into the custody of the lieu
tenant Of the Tower, These presents to be
his warranty for the detention Of the said
Duchess Of Suffolk until her grnce's pleas
ure in the matter be known"
When IL WIS too late, / tremblcd 10
think what had done. To meddle with
matters of state might be more dangerous
a hundred times than stealing horses or
even than ducking the chancellor's mes
sengerl Seeing at this moment party Of
travellers approach, crammed the letter
into my pocket and rode by them with n
red face and tongue that suffered so
feebly that / could scarcely return their
greetings. When they had gone by, !
pulled out the warrant again, having it
in my mind to tear it up without mo
ment's delay, to tear it into the smallest
morsels and so get rid of thing most
dangerous. But the great red seal, dan
Cling at the foot of the parchment, caught
my eye, and paused to think. 1t was so
red, so large, so imposing, it seemed n pity
to destroy It, 1t must surely be good for
something. l folded up the warrant again
and put 1t away in my safest pocket. Yes
it might be good for something.
/ took out the other letter. 1t was
bound with green ribbon and sealed with
extreme care, being directed simply to
Mistress Clarence-there was no address.
But over Gardeners signature on the
wrapper were the words, These, on your
peril, very privately"
turned it over and over and said the
same thing about love and war and even
repeated to myself my old proverb about a
sheep and q lamb But somehow / could
not do it. The letter was woman's let
ter; the secret, her secret and though my
fingers itched as they lowered about the
seals my cheek tingled too. So at last,
with muttered, "What would Petronilla
sayi" / put it away unopened In the
pocket where the warrant lay. The odds
were immense that Mistress Clarence
would never get 1t, but at least her secret
should remain hers my honor minel
1t was dark when l rode, thoroughly
faded, into st. Adams. l was splashed
with mud up to the waist and wetted by n
shower and looked have no doubt, from
the effect of my journeying on foot and
horseback, as disreputable q fellow as
might be. The consciousness, too, that
was without a penny, and the fear lest,
| careful as l had been to let no one outstrip
me- the news of the riot at Stratford
might have arrived, did not tend to give
me assurance poked my head timidhy
into the great room, hoping that might
have it to myself. To my disgust it was
full of people. Half dozen travellers and
as many townsfolk were sitting round tho
fire, talking briskly over their draft Yet
1 had no choice. was hungry, and tho
thing had to be done, and l staggered in,
| ~. Il
through my brayado l remarked, as
took my sent by the fire and set to drying
myself, that was greeted by n momon
tary silence, and that two or three of tn,
company began to eye me suspiciously.
There was one man, who sat on the set
tie in the warmest corner of the chimney,
who seemed in particular to resent my
damp neighborhood. His companions
treated him with SO much reverence, ant
he snubbed them so regularly, that won
dered who he was, and presently, listen
ing to the conversation which went OF
round me, had my curiosity satisfied
He was no less parsonage than the bailif
of st. Adams, and his manner befittet
such a man, for it seemed to indicate tina
he thought himself heir to all the power,
of the old abbots under whose broat
thumb his father and grandfather hat
groaned.
My conscience pricking me, | felt som,
misgiving when / saw him. after staring
at me and whispering to two or three o
his neighbors beckon the landlord aside
His big round face and burly figure CAV,
him general likeness to bluff King Hal
and he appeared to be aware of this him
self and to be inclined to ape the stou
kings ways, which, have heard my un
Gle say, were ever ways heavy for Others
toes For awhile, however, seeing III!
supper come in, forgot him. The bar
armed girl who brought it to me and il
whom my draggled condition seemed u
provoke feelings of q different nature lug
= ged up round table to the fire. On thi
she laid my meal, not scrupling to Sc
aside some Of the snug dry townsfolk
Then she set a chair for me we'll in til
blaze, and folding her arms in her aprol
stood to watch me fall to- | did SO with
will, and with each mouthful of beef an,
draft of ale spirit and strength came baol
to me. The cts round me might snee
and shake their heads and the traveller
!. smile at my appetite. In five minutes
cared not whit. could give them bacl
joke for joke and laugh with the best @
them.
Indeed had clean forgotten the bailii
when he stalked back to his place. Blu
the moment our eyes met l guessed Their
was trouble atoot The landlord cam
with him and stood looking at me, send
ing off the wench with a flea in her cal
and felt under his eye an uncomfortable
consciousness that my purse was empty
Two or three late arrivals, to whom l sur
pose master bailiff had conflded his susp
cions, took their stand also in half Gil
Gle and scanned me queerly. Altogether
> struck me suddenly that was In tigh
place and had need of my wits,
"Ahemr" said the bailiff abruptly, tai
ing skillful advantage of hull In the talk
Where from last, young mani" He spok
I'm deep choky voice and II was no
mistaken he winked one of his small eye
in the direction of his friends, as thoug
to say, "Now see me pose himp'
But l only put another morsel in IN
mouth. For u moment indeed the temptf
ton to reply "Towcester, seeing tina
such a journey over middling road wa
something to brag Of before the highwa
law came in, almost overcame me, Bu
In time ! bethought me of Stephen GA
diners maxim, Be slow to speak," an
put another morsel in my mouth.
To be Continued.