Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-08-31
CHAPTER XVIII
NU!AcF OF TIE HkN IN slACN"
r. GENTLEMAN. OF FRANCE, ErE~.


The north wall Of the church nj Cotton
End IL only four PAGES from the house, the
church standing within tho moat. Isolat-
cd as tho sacred building, therefore, is
from tho outer world by tho wide spread
Ing chase and close nasscd with the
homestead, Sir Anthony had some excuse
Tor considering 1t rs much a part of his
Cc':icsnc as tho mill or tho smithy In
words b. would have been willing TO ad-
nit diGtinctiOn. but in thought / fancy
ho lu..Scd it with tho rest of his posses
Gions.
1t WA Will! q lowering eye that on this
Sunday morning no watched from his
room over the gateway the unusual stream
Of people making for THO church. Per.
chance lie had IN his mind other Sundays
Sundays yghcn he had walked out at
this hour, Light Of heart and Kind of eye,
with his staff in his fist, and his glove
dangling, and his dog at his heels, and,
FREQ from caro-, had taken pleasure in each
bonnet dofTcd and each old wife's God
bless sc, sir Anthony Well. those DAYS
were Como. Now tho rain dripped from
the cavcs--for th;.w had come in the
highland the bells that could on occa.
sion ring so chccrily sounded sad and
forlorD. Ills daughter, when she came,
according to custom, bringing his great
servico book, could scarcely look him In
tho face. ! know not whether even then
his resolution to dare all might not at
sound of word from her or ut sight OF
her face have melted like yesterdays ice,
but before tho word could bo spoken OF
tho eyes meet another step. rang on the
stone staircase, and Brother Ferdinand
entered.
They arc here!" ho said in low voice.
six of thom, Anthony, and sturdy fcl
lows, rs all CloptGn' 3 men arc. Ii you dc
not think your people will stand by you
Tho knight fired at this Suggestion.
What" no bust out, turning from the
window, IF CluGdc men cannot meet
ClOpton mar. the times arc indeed gone
mad! Mako way and let me conci Though,
tho mass be nrvur said again in Cotton
church, it shall be said today" And he
swurc Il great oath.
lio strcdc down tho stairs and under the
gateway, whore were arranged, according
TO tho custom Of the house on wet days, all
tho servants, with baldwin and Martin
Luther at thoir head The knight stalked
through them with gloomy brow. His
brother followed him, Il faint smile flick
crilS about the corners Of his mouth.
Then cane FcrdDand's vito and petru-
nilia, tho latter with her hood drawn close
about her face; Anne, with her chin in the
air and her eyes aglow. IT is not bit
Of Il hustle will scare heri' Baldwin NUT
tered - Lie fell in behind her and eyed her
back with no great favor.
NO, SO long as it does not touch Lcr, -
Martin replied in a cynical whisper. she
is well natcd-weli mated and ill fated
Ha, ha!'
"Silcncc, fool!' growlcd his companion
angrily. is this time for antics.'
Aye, it ISL Martin rctortcd swiftly,
though wit.sthc same caution, for, when
wise men turn fools, fools are pus to 1t to
net up TO their profession! You scc broth
err" And Ec deliberately cut caper. His
eyes wCrc glistcning, and tho nerves OH
ono side of his face twitchcd oddly. Bald
win looked at him and muttcred that Mar
tin was going to have one Of his mad fits.
What had grown on the fool of late.
Tho Knight reached the church porch
and passed through tho crowd which
awaited him there. Save for its unusual
size and some strange faces to be seen Oh
its skirts, there was no indication of trou.
bic. He walked, tapping his stick on the
pavement u little moro loudly than usual,
70 his place in the front pew. The house
hold, tho Villagers, tho strangers, pressed
in behind him until every scat was filed.
Even the table monument of Sir Piers
Cluddc, which stood lcngthwisc in the
aisle, was sCizgd upon, and if the two sim
liar monuments which stood 10 right and
left bolosv tho chanccl steps had not been
under tho knights eyes thoy, too, would
have been invaded. Yet all was done de-
Gently and in order, with Il Gathering Of
Ia, Ind J,,+ Ii;
i'll words. The Clopton men were there.
Baldwin had marked them well, and so
had u dozen stout fellows, sons Of Sir An
thongs tenants. But they behaved dis.
crcctly. and amid4uch "a silence us FATHER
Carey mover remembered to have faced he
began the Roman service.
The December light fell family through
the east window Oh the father at his min
i>trations, on his small acolytCs, on tho
four Cludio bra5scs before the altar. Ii
fell cyciywnoro-on gray dusty walls but
trcsscd by gray tombs which left but a
narrow space in the middle of the chanccl.
Tho marble crusader to the left matched
the canop!cd bed Of Sir AntEony's parents
on the right, the abbSss' tomb in the next
row faced tho palmer monument Of Sir
Anthony = wife, y vacant place by her
aldo awaiting his own Cihgy, and there
we've others. The Chanccl was 50 small
nay, the church, too-so small and old and
gray and solid and the tombs were SO
massive tina; they olbowed one another.
Inc very dust which rose as men stirred
was the dust Of -Cluddcs. Sir Anthony 5
brow relaxed. lie listened Crayely and
sadly.
And thon tho interruption came. Il
protest.. roLsh voice in rear of tho
crowd e-!cu au,!1enly, ringing harshly and
strangely above the fathers accents and
the solemn hush. II protest against this
seryico!''
y thrill OF establishment ran through
tho crowd, and I'll rose. livery man in rho
church turned round, Sir Anthony nmonr
the FIRST, and looked i'll tho direction of
tho voice. Then it was sen that thn
Clopton men had IaGszed themselves abo1t
tho door in the soGthyys; corner. y .trony
position, whence retreat was oasv.t Fn.
ihcr Carey, after II mumontary glance.
went on rs il lie had hot heard, but his
voice shook. and all still waited with their
faces turned toward the west end.
protest in the na-lo CT the cucon,',
the same man cried sharply, willis lis fol
lows raised a munur SO that the priest S
voice Wa, drowned.
Sir anthony stepped into the aisle, his
NyNtA L u