Omaha daily bee., 1897-08-29

"And have him found by the messengers
tomorrow morning." Cassell answered. las
we'll and better call chair and pay the
chairman, and bid them take him to the
secretary's office with our compliments"
We'll, if not here in one of the other
pens. Ferguson knows plenty"
The woman who had come in with Smith
laughed. That might answer" she said,
'if his sweetheart were not here. DO you
think she would leave him to starve?"
There was a general stir and muttering
as the men turned to the girl. Pooh" said
one, lit is Ferguson's girl"
And your spy's sweetheart" the woman
repeated.
The girl lifted her head and showed the
room face pale, weary and dull-eyed. He
is nothing to me-" she said.
And the men would have believed her, but
| the woman, with a swift, cat-like movement
| seized her wrist and held 1t. Nothing to
you, my girl, isn't he?" she cried Then
you have the fever or the smallpox on yo'.
One two three"
Her face flaming, the girl sprang up and
snatched away her hand.
The woman laughed-and how hated her
He is nothing to you, isn't he?" she said
in a mocking tone. yet what will you
not give me to save him, my chick? What
will you not give me to see him safe out OF
this house? What"
Peace, peacer cried Charnock. Time
is everything, and we are wasting 1t. I'm
less we would be taken, every man of US,
we should be half way to Romney Marsh
by morning"
will you leave him to me?" said Smith
suddenly.
Leave him?"
"Ay Or, better, let me have two minutes
talk with him here, and if he comes to my
| way OF thinking, will answer for him"
Answer for him." Ferguson cried with
a sneer, 'If you answer for him no better
than l did you will give us small surety"
b,,t I Mr. En-pr mn
Smith retorted, in a tone of contempt,
whereat the older man writhed impotently.
This man-Mr. Taylor or Mr.. Price, or
whatever his name is-knows me and that
what l say l do"
We'll, do-what you like with him." Char
mock answered, peevishly $50 that you
stop lis mouth"
To my Joy the other men assented in the
same tone, being glad to be rid of the bur-
den. 1t may seem strange to some that
those who had prepared an hour before to
take my life, should now be as ready to let
me go; but there are few men who are
eager to take life in cold blood, and kill a
man as they would sheep. Moreover, In
favor OF these men-on whose memory the
assassination plot has cast obloquy not al
together deserved. since few of them were
assassins in the strict sense and the worst
of all Ferguson, escaped his just fate-in
their favor | say it is to be observed that
the fact which they designed, however horrid
in the eyes OF good citizens, and certainly
| not to be defended by me, was not in their
| sight so much of a murder as an act Of pri-
vate warfare carried into the enemy's coun-
| try.
So fully am I persuaded was this the
| case that had 1t been a question of stab
| bing the king in the back or shooting him
| from a window, believe not one would
| have volunteered. Let this stand to their
! credit; TO the credit of men whom | saw
| and have described at their worst drunken
| reckless, ill-combined and worse governed
whose Illegal design, had it been accom-
| plighed. must have postponed the Protestant
| succession to these realms, but who, mis-
! guided and betrayed as they were by the
| leaders more evil than themselves, evinced
| some spark OF chivalry in their lives-foI
| all did IL in a measure for cause-and In
| their sufferings a fortitude that would havo
become better men and a nobler effort.
So much OF them One released my hands
and another, at Smiths request found him
light, and my new protector, bidding me
| follow him and leading the way upstairs tC
| the bare room at the back whence l had
broken out, those We had left we're deer
| in muttered plans and whisperings of the
marsh, and Hunts house, and Harrison's
| inn at Dimchurch, before We were out OF
| hearing.
Smiths first act, when he reached the room
above was 10 close the door upon us Thia
| done, he set his candle on the fioor-whence
| It's flame threw dark Waverlrg outlines OF ouI
| figures on the ceiling. and moved to the
hearth Here while | stared wondering al
his silence, he searched for some spring
or handle, and finding it, caused a large
piece of the waiscot to fall out and reveal a
cavity about three feet deep and six long
! He beckcned me 10 bring the candle and
look in aud supposing it to be secret way
out, / did so. However. outlet there was
none The place was nothing more than a
concealed cupboard
Well" he said. when he had moved the
candle to and fro that | might see the better
his face the while wearing a smile that
caught and held my gaze. We'll, what dc
you think OF Ii. Mr. Taylor?"
did not understand him, and I said so
trembling.
1T is tolerahle hiding place" said he
nodded to please l would have said II
was a palace
And not a bad prisOn?'
nodded again staring at him, fascinated
I began 20 understand
And a graye?'
/ shuidered. What do you mean?" j
muttered
Lay man in there. bound hand and