Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-28

upon you. do me little faver, Mr.. Price
1t is small matter; a trifie asked You
at my lady's house three days back Prom
Use to DO that for me- when demand per-
formance, and IN ten minutes from this
and unhurt."
'T promise. I" I said eagerly. II promise
honestly -
But even while spoke this seemed to be
the strangest of all the things that had
happened to me thai night-that this man
should think 1t worth while to pledge me
under such circumstances; or value at a
groat promise SO given. For the pledge
was pledge TO do Ill, and as soon as he
ana the Other, conspirators were laid by
the heels or had fed the country, what
sanction remained to- bind me? saw that
as spoke, and promised-and promised.
Ard would have promised fifty times-with
reservation that did so under force ma
Jeure. Who would not have done the same,
being in my place? 80.
l suppose I answered too quickly to
please him, and SO he read my thoughts. or
he had IL in his mind f. ON the first 10 read
ME a lesson; for the words were scarcely
out of my mouth before he slid his hand
into his breast, with the ugliest smile
ever saw on mans face, and he signed TO
NE to get into the cupboard. Get in. he
said, between his closed teeth; and then,
when terrified by the change IN HIM snad
the order, l began to back from n-"Get
inf he said. in voice that set me sslak-
ing. 'Or take the consequences. Do you
hear? am no Ferguson to threaten and
no more"
1 dared resist no longer, and 1 crawied
in, trembling and praying him not to shut
me in-not to shut me I'M
Lie DOWN. he said. gloating or me with
cruel eyes-and his hand still in his breast.
'- lay down, praying for mercy.
ION your backi On your back? he con-
tinued. and your hands by your Sides
So! That is better. Now listen to me,
MIR. Price, and think on what l say. When
you want to be laid out for good, as you
lat II n
your coffin and shroud-and the worms
then break your promise to me, for coffin
and shroud and worms will be ready.
Think of that-think of that and of me
you, you fancy he went on, fixing his
eyes on mine, land you count on 1t, that l
shall be taken with the others, or escaping,
shall be where you need not fear me-
Don't deceive yourself If a week hence l
am in prison, take that for sign, and
please yourself. But if l am free, obey,
obey-or God help you'll!
I know not how TO describe with any ap-
proach to fidelity the peculiar effect which
words, apparently SO simple, had on me,
or the terror, out of all proportion to the
means choSen-for he spoke without oath,
violence passion-into which they threw
ME, and which was very far from passing
with the sound. / had feared Ferguson,
but 1 feared this man more, hundred
times more! And yet | can give no reason,
adduce no explanation. save that he spoke
quietly and so seemed to mean all. and
something beyond, what he said. The
plans for deceiving him and breaking my
word. which / had entertained a moment
before, melted into thnnest air while lay
and sweated in my narrow berth, not dar-
ing to move eye or limb until he gave me
leave.
And he, as if he knew how fear of him
grew on me under his gaze-4or in sheer
cruelty, 1 know not which-kept me there
and sat smiling and smiling at me Gas the
devil may smile at some dead men passed
beyond redemption)-kept me there God
knows how long. But so long and to such
purpose. that when at length he babe me
rise. and looking closely into my face
nodded and told me | might go-nay, later
than that. whene he had led me downstairs
and opened the door for me and supported
me through itlfor III the cold air l stag
gered like a drunken man-even then. l
say, so heavy was the spell of fear laid on
me and such his poEer / dared not move
nor stir until he had twice-smiling the
second time-bdden me go. Go, man."
said he. you are free. But remember"
- CEnpter xxx.
Few men are condemned to such an or
deal as that thfopghi which had passed.
and though some who read this. and are
as remote fron* death as the wife, that
may be any day and must be one day. is
from the young bachelor though some. 1
say, and in particular, those, who never saw
DiiuS Vi o-Wh ale 9hlES IA SnCAi hNScs Jul
Fave done all their fghttBg In the cockpit. :
may think that + carried it poorly in The
circumstances. and with, none of the front
the bravado suitable to, the occasion. 1
would have them reIneYnber' Che old saying
sutor ne ultra ctepidan1, +and ask of a
scholar only a. scholar work. would
have them remember that in the shadow
of the scaffold even a man SO gallant by
repute as the Lord Preston of that day
stopped to be- an evidence: and that in the
sit, So,
Hampden awaited as little as the reckless
courage of Monmouth or the effrontery of
Sir John Fenwick to raise Its owner above
the common level.
Smplicifer. it is one thing to vapor at
the cocoa tree among wits and beaux and
another to take the hazard when the time
comes; as no less a person than my Lord
Bolnbroke discovered, and that no farther
back than IA. / would have large takers
to remember this For myself 1 am con-
tent that came through the trial with my
life; and yet not with so much of that
either that anything surer than instinct
guided my steps when all was over to the
dukes home in St. James square: where ar
irving, speeches. and helpless, it was won
derful l was not pat to the door without
more: fortunately, my lord. marveling at
my failure to return before and mindful
even in the turmoil of that evening. of the
service had done him in the. day had
gwen orders in my behalf: and on NV ar
aiv 5 was recognized half dead as 1 was
IL.
Jet blood by a surgeon, who was hastily
called In, was put to bed; all who saw me
supposing that ] was suffering from yerti-
Co. or some injury, though no marks Of
blows on the head could be discovared "
That was night long remembered in
London. Messengers with lights attended
by files of soldiers were. every hour nassine
through the streets, searching houses ana
arresting the suspected: from mouth to
mouth rumo-s OF the Conspiracy 1auU
abroad; at 8 o'clock 1t was stated and gen.
orally believed that the king was wounded.
at 10 that he had been seized: Iater tbst
ne was dead. EARLY in the evening the
drawbridge at the tower was drawn and
the se1tries were doubled; the civ eates
were closed and guarded; whole battalion
stood all night under arms at Kensington.
the council WIS in perpetual sitting. many
houses We're lighted from eve to dawn.
ROT since the great panic Of Beachy Head
in w had there been an alarm SO deeu or
widespread.
If this was SO in the city generally at
the secretary's residence whittier manv Of
the prisoners were brought for examfna-
ton as soon as they were taken, the ex-
element was at its height; the SQUARE out
side, then uninclosed, was occupied all