The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-09-28
THE STORY OF
FRANCIS CLUDDE
,, srASLrY J. wrYMAs.
tcapynsht isi. ~ Oss.fi Publishing % Az
rights reserved

asked her o. come with mo But the
thought uccufr,d too late. and ! strudo on
toward The head Of the bridge resolving
that ~ s1on M ! had sighted Dymphna !
would koop away from hor and content
myself with watching over her from dis
lance As ! passed 10y The little cluster u
cottages on tho lnndwnrd side q the island
! glanced sharply about me, for | thought
Il not unlikely that Master Van Tree
might be lurking IN the neiehhorhuod
But ] saw nothing oithor ot her or HIM
All was quiet, the air full ~ spring sun
shine and warmth and hope and the bios.
SONS Of fruit trees and with an indelln
able pleasure, a feeling Of escape from
control and restraint, ! crossed the long
footbridgo and set foot almost for the first
time since our arrival-for at Master
Lindstrom's desire we had kept very close
ON the river bank
To the right a fair road or causewnv
along the waterside led TO Arnheim. At
the point where stood this road ON It's
way from the city took turn at right an.
giles, running straight away from the river
TO avoid "A wide track Of swamp and mere
which lay on my left, a quaking marsh
many miles round ovorgrown with tall
rushes and sodgcs, which formed the head
Of the bay In which our island lay.
looked up the long straight road 10 Arm
helm and saw only group Of travellers
moving slowly along IT,, their backs To-
ward me. The road before me was bare
Of passengers Where, thon, was Dymph-
| ma, II she had crossed the bridget In the
| last resort / scanned the green oxpanse of
| rushes and willows which stretched, with
intervals Of open wator, as far a. the eye
could reach on my left. II was all rustling
and shimmering In the light breeze, but
my eye picked out one or two raised
bikes which penetrated Il here and there
and served at once as pathways 60 islots In
the mere and rs broastworks against
further encroachments Of the river Pres
entity on one Of these, Of which the course
was fairly defined by a line Of willows
made out the 1uttor Of a woman's hood,
and / remembered that the day before
had heard Dymphna express wish to go
to the marsh for some herb which grew
there.
Right" l said, seating myself with
much satisfaction on tho last post Of the
bridge "Shc Is safe enough therol And
will go no nearer 1t Is only on the
road she is likely TO be In danger from our
Spanish gallantsl'
My eyes, released from duty, wandered
idly over the landscape for awhile, but
presently returned to the dixie across the
mere. could not now see Dymphna. Tho
willows hid hor, and ! waited for her TO
reappear. She did not, but some one else
did, for by and by, on the same path and
crossing an interval between the willows,
/ there came into sight "A mans form.
"Ho, no, l said, following II with my
/ eyes, $50 l may go homel Master Van
| Tree is on the track, and now / hope they
will make it up, ! added pottishly.
Another second, and | started up with
a low cry. The sunlight had caught a
part of the mans dress, a shining some
thing which flashed back q point Of In
tense light. The something l guessed at
once was a corselet, and II needed scarce
another thought to apprise mo that Dymph.
mas follower was not Van Tree ut all, but
Il Spanish soldierl
/ lost no time, yet 1t took me q minute
"A minute Of trembling haste and anxi-
ety--to discover the path from tho cause
way on to the dixie. When once l had
stumbled on to the latter, found had
lost sight Of both figures, but l ran along
at the top Of my speed, calculating that
the two, who could not be far apart, the
man being the nearer to me, were about a
quarter Of mile or rather more from the
| TOhu. nuu KDut VI Nlllb ilblunIt
perhaps when a shrill scream In front
caused me to redoublo my efforts. ex-
pected to find the ruiilan In the act Of rob
bling the girl and clutched my cudgel-for,
alas, had left my sword at home!-more
tightly in my grasp, so that it was an i'm.
mense relief to me when, on turning an
angle in the dixie, | saw her running to.
ward me. Her face, still white with fear,
however, and her hair streaming loosely
behind her, told how narrow had been her
escape, II escape 1t could be called. Fol
about ten feet behind her, the hood he had
plucked off still In his grasp, came Master
Spaniard, hotfoot and painting, but gain
ing on her now with every stride.
He was a tall fellow, gayly dressed,
swarthy, mustachioed and fierce eyed.
His corselet and sword belt shono and jim.
gled as he ran and swore but he had
dropped his feathered bonnet In the slight
struggle which had evidently taken place
when she got by him, and 1t lay a black
spot In the middle Of the grassy avenue
behind him. The sun-it was about three
hours after noon-was at my back and
shining directly into his eyes, and | mark
ed this as raised my cudgel and jumped
aside to let the girl pass, for she in her
blind fear would have run against me.
1t was almost the same with him. He
did not see me until / was within few
PAGES Of him, and even then l think he
noticed my presence merely as that Of an
unwelcome spectator. He fancied should
step aside, and he cursed me, calling mo a
Dutch dog for getting in his way.
The next moment-he had not drawn
his sword nor made any attempt to draw
tive onme together violently, and had
my hand on his throat. We swayed as we
whirled round one another in the first
shock Of the collision. A cry of astonish-
ment escaped Observation-Disclosures at my
hardihood. He tried, his eyes glaring into
mine and his hot breath on my cheek, to
get at his dagger, but 1t was too late. ]
brought down my staff, with all the
strength of an arm nerved at the moment
by rage and despair upon his bare head.
He went down like o stone, and the
blood bubbled from his lips. stood over
him watching him. He stretched himself
out and turned with a convulsive move
ment on his face. His hands clawed the
grass. His leg moved once, twice, third
time family. Then he lay still
There was lark singing just over my
head, and its clear notes seemed during
the long, long minute while i stood bend