The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-01-11
THE STORY OF
FRANCIS CLUDDE.
By STANLEY ]. wEYMAN.


"Bcgone, knnvc, yuu aud your followsV' |
Sir Anthony cried y loyal man in all
else, and the last to deny the queen right |
or title he had no reasonable answer to
dive and could only buster "Begone, do
you hcar'" he repeated, and he raped his
staff on the pavement, and then, raising
1t, pointed to the door.
All Cotton thought the men must go,
but tho men, perhaps because they were
Clopton, did not go And Sir Anthony
had not so completely lost his head as to
proceed to cxtrcmitics except in the last
resort. Affecting to consider tho incident
at an end, he stepped back into his pow
without waiting to sec whether the man
obeyod him or no and resumed his devo-
tions. Father Carey, at n nod from him,
went on with the interrupted service.
But agnin the priest had barely read
dozen lines before the same man made tho
congregation start by crying loudly,
"Stop"
Go ont" shouted Sir Anthony in a
voice of thunder.
AT your porillr rctorted tho interviewer.
go onl" from Sir Anthony again.
Father Carey stood SILENT trembling
and looking from one to the other. Many
a priest of his faith would have risen on
| the storm, and in the spirit Of Hildobrand
hurled his church's curse at the intruder
| But tho father was not Of these, and no
| hesitatcd, fumbling with his surplice with
| his fochle white hands. He feared as much
for his patron as for himself, and 1t was
on the knight that his eyes finally rested.
But Sir Anthony's brow was black. He
got no comfort there So tho fnther took
courage and a long breadth, opened his
mouth and read on amid the hush of sup
pressed excitement and of such anger and
stealthy defiance ms surely English church
had never seen before As he read, how
over, he gathered courage and his voice
strength. Tho solemn words so ancient,
so familiar, fell on the stiffness OF the
church and awcd even the sheriff's men.
To the surprise of nearly every one, there
was no further interruption. The service
ended quietly.
So, after all, Sir Anthony had his way
md stalked out, stiff and unbending.
Nor was there any falling off, but rather
an increase, in the respect with which his
people rose, according to custom, as he
passed Yet under that increase of respect
! lay a something which cut the old man to
! the heart He saw that his dependents
A pitied him while they honored him; that
& they thought him a fool for running his
! head against a stone wall--as Martin Lu
> Their put it-even while they felt that there
D was something grand in 1t too.
. During the rest of the day he went
! about his usual employments but proba
{ bly, with little Zost. He had done what h'
. had done without any very clear idea how
he was going to proceed. Between his 10y
, atty in all else and his treason in this Il
z would not have been easy for n Solomon
2 to choose a consistent path. And Sir An
Q thony was no Solomon He chose at las
2 TO carry himself as If there were no dan
y ger as If the thing which happened wer
4 unimportant He ordered no change ant
/ took no precautions. He shut his ears t,
. the whispering which went on among tn
q servants and his eyes to the watch whicl
/ by some secret order of Baldwin was KEEP
= upon the Ridgeway.
> 1t was something of shock to him
, therefore, when his daughter came to hin
3 after breakfast next morning, looking pail
Z and heavy eyed, and breaking through tn,
!. respect which had hitherto kept her silen
y begged him to go away.
Q "To go awayS' he cried He rose from
i his oak chair and glared at her. Then hi
9 feelings found their easiest vent in anger
= what do you mean, grip he clustered
a go away Go whereY'
IS But she did not quail Indeed she hi,
her suggestion ready.
"To the Mere farm in the forest, sir,
: she answered earnestly. "They will no
look for you there, and Martin says
MARTIN? The fool'
His face grew redder and redder. Thi
was too much. He loved order and disci
pline, and to be advised in such matters b.
a woman and fooll 1t was intolerale
Go to, grill" he cried, fuming. a.
wondered where you had got your tale S
pat. So you and the fool have been put
ting your heads togetherY Col Go an
spin and leave these matters to menl ID
Z you think that my brother, after travel
II ing the world over, has not got u head o
Z his shoulders? Do you think, If there wer
danger, he and l would not have foresee
itY"
He waved his hand and turned away eA
= pecting her to go, but Petronilla did nc
go. She had something else to say, an
though the task was painful she was IT
solved to say it.
q Father, one word" she murmurec
" About my uncle. -
"A "Well, well2 What about him9"
4 II distrust him, sir, j." she ventured in
low tone, her color rising. Tho servant
do not like him. They fear him and sus
pect him of l know not what"
1.-THE servants!' Sir Anthony answere
in an awful tone.
Indeed it was not tho wisest thing sh
a could have said, but the consequences wei
averted by sudden alarm and shoutin
G outside. Half dozen voices, shrill {
- threatening, seemed to rise at once. I'll
Is knight strobe to the window, but tn
o. noise appeared to come, not from tn
Chase upon which it looked, but from tn
10 courtyard or the rear of tho house 81
n. Anthony caught up his stick, and foilowe
by the girl ran down the steps. He pushe
aside half a dozen women who had Xix,
wise been attracted by the noise and ha
Jeneu through the narrow passage whic
led to the wooden bridge in the rear of tn
buildings.
Here, in the close on the far side of tn
moat, strange scene was passing. A dol
NJ en- horsemen were grouped In the midd