The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-24
HOW HE WON HER.

cross today-l tomorrow, sne salu III
sudden haste.
God be with your answered the
tutor, and he bowed low.
The fugitive noble stood in the shad-
ow of the open panelllng, and the Lady
Gertrude, full of apprehension that he
should stay too long, strained an ear
tc catch any ominous sounds from
without and drank in eagerly the de-
tailed plans he slowly explained of his
own escape to Holland, and her jour
ney tither on the morrow by another
route.
When he ended there was a little
silence between them, as with those
whose hearts are too full to speak. 1t
was speedily broken, however,by loud
ringing of the great bell, which rever-
berated from the deserted court yard
below through the house. The girl
hastened to the easement of the win
dow and looked quickly out
There are armed men," she sad;
they have traced you here"
Wary hounds!" he murmured, with
a look of grim humor-"to the hole.
but not within. Twenty minutes and
l shall be beyond the most cunning
ferret's scent. God be yith wou, little
| daughter. Keep them dallying here
| awhile. Remember, tomorrow at Eal-
lam bridge, by nightfall."
The panel fell back ana the Lady
Gertrude sat down to her books AMI
made much pretense of mumbling to
herself as the old doorkeeper, scare
stricken and painting, tumbled into the
| room with an officer of the kings SER
vice at his heels. "Soldiers!" said he.
"Ah, good oliver. what is their will?"
| said she, not deigning to raise her eyes
| from her book
mo harm to so fair hostess!" ex-
| claimed the intruder.
Whereupon the Lady Gertrude slowly
| lifted her pretty head and scanned the
| uncomely countenance and fat proper
tions of the officer with much delibera-
| ton.
SHOULD fairness diminish harm, sir,
| 'twere pity there were no more of the
quality among his majesty's servants. y
"A true, fair one, to a war of words.
l am here to crave your hospitality
whilst waiting for the presence of one
who, / am informed, purposes to visit
his daughter between the time of noon
| and midnight. You start! 'Tis now
| hardly noon. We demand to know in
the kings name at what precise hour
that interview is to take place."
"Sir!"
"'Twere well. madam, to save that
| pretty head; for those who wilfully
harbor the treacherous Monmouth's fol-
| lowers can receive no clemency from
his most gracious majesty, King James
Their life is the forfeit, man or wo-
man."
| Sir" said Lady Gertrude, after some
moments of seeming fearful delibera.
ton. "I await my lord, my father
here within an hour from now: and
may God curse you for a coward"
The fat soldier grinned. The ladys
bark was not loud enough, but her bite
was. indeed, most easily averted with
q threatening whip, as was the way
with women; so he sat his broad per-
son down and did all that which he
thought would beguile so pretty a
shrew from her gretful humor.
Full three quarters of an hour thus
passed, when news was brought hy q
breathless soldier that the Earl of w
had boarded a frigate not fifteen min-
utes since, and--as was related in all
| seriousness-had doffed his hat IN
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS VI tIe merry SaluIC
from shore.
WHfeupon the fat soldier got up n
a fearful rage, and kicked and swore
es only a gentleman soldier knows
we'll how to do, and snarled aloud that
nothing should save the cunning Jade
trcm the lively fate of Mistress Gaunt
who, indeed, was burned to death fol
a lesser misdemeanor.
But the Lady Gertrude lifted up hel
proud head and said:
Even so, I shall deem my fathers
life most cheaply bought SIR"
And she walked out between the filt
or armed men, who, indeed, We're sor-
ry for so brave and fair a creature
taken thus roughly a prisoner.
The poor tutor sat over his books
in the upper room of a small dwell.
ing house, and wrestled with his
thoughts till he knew not which was
conscience and which the devil, most
plaguing him; for the Lady Gertrude
had said that love was wealth, yet his
rooms betrayed no signs thereof.
He had little piece of land not fan
away, from which he acquired small
| income, yet Wltnal tneSe tnlnSS cOulC
in nowise be counted riches.
Indeed, no,thought he, when hurled
footsteps upon the stair became con,
fused with his wandering fancies, and
ere he had time to weigh the matter
Lady Gertrude stood before him.
And then something of sweet shy
ness came over her, so that all in d
great hurry she set to explaining how
she had been taken prisoner by the
irate colonel. and how, indeed, she haC
escaped through the help Of a cousin
among the officers, who, she avowed
had once cared greatly for her.
Then the boy and girl, for they wer
not much else. looked into one an
others eyes, as they had looked thes
many past days during the lessons h
had set out to teach her; and nov
there was no table between them, s.
that he knelt down, and takinnt bot
her little white hands in his he ceNere,
them with humble kisses, the Whicl
the lady seemed to have no desire t
resent.
80. after all, Master Humphrey, yoI
must needs take care of your pupil still
a little while longer. Tomorrow at Bal
lam bridge at nightfall there will b
those waiting to conduct me to Hol
land, where / think. sir, you told m