The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-07-24

clare, that you are TINS man, convey
my sympathies to the lady,"
Now the tutor rose in wrath and
would have gone his way-for with
out doubt his mistress was making
| sport of him-but the sound of faint
footsteps from behind the paneled
wall arrested his attention, and he
stood still, considering whether
'twere best to go or stay.
at is my father" said the girl.
aware that he alone knew the secret
passage.
Then Master Humphrey saw a
look of joyful relief rise to her pretty
face, and he remembered how brave
she had been, how good and noble
and fair she vas and how miserable
a worm was he, and so lifted his
head in the pride of humiliation, as
humble minded folk are wont to do,
in such manner that the Lady Ger
trude found him as beautiful and ar
rogant as a king, for all his shabby
clothes and slight stature.
Il may not see you again. He
will O today tomorrow" she
said in sudden haste.
God be with you" answered the
tutor, and he bowed low.
The fugitive noble stood in the
shadow of the opening paneling, and
the Lady Gertrude, full of appre-
hension that he should stay too long,
strained an ear to catch any omi-
nous sounds from without and drank
in eagerly the detailed plans he slow
ly explained of his own escape to
Holland and her journey thither on
the morrow by another route.
When he ended, there was q little
silence between them, as with those
whose hearts are too full to speak.
1t was speedily broken however, by
a loud ringing of the great bell,
which reverberated from the desert
ed courtyard below through the
house. The girl fastened to the
easement of the window and looked
quickly out.
There are armed men, she said.
"They have traced you here"
Wary houndsl" he murmured,
with a look of grim humor. "To
the hole, but not within. Twenty
minutes and shall be beyond the
most cunning ~ferret's scent. God be
with you, little daughter. Keep
them dallying there awhile. Re
member tomorrow at BALKAN bridge,
by nightfall.
The panel fell back, and the Lady
Gertrude sat down to her books and
made much p%retense of mumbling to
herself as the old do~orkeeper, scare
stricken and painting, tumbled into
the with an officer of the kings
service at his heels. "Soldiers!''
said he.
"Ah, good Oliver, what is their
will9" said she, not deigning to raise
her eyes from her book.
mo harm to so fair a hostess, "
exclaimed the intruder.
Whereupon the Lady Gertrude
slowly lifted her pretty head and
scanned the uncomely countenance
and fat proportions of the officer
with much deliberation.
"Should fairness diminish harm,
sir, 'twere a pity there were no
more of the quality among his maj
esty's servants"
"A truce, fair one, to a war of
words. l am here to crave your
hospitality while waiting for the
presence of M who, lam informed,
purposes to visit his daughter be-
tween the time of noon and mid
night. You startl IT'S now hardly
noon. We demand to know in the
kings name at what precise hour
that interview is to take place.
'Twere well, madam, to save
that pretty head, for those who will
fully harbor the treacherous Mon
mouths followers can receive no
clemency from his most gracious
majesty, King James. Their life is
the forfeit, man or woman"
Sir" said Lady Gertrude after
some moments of seeming fearful
d~eliberation, II await my lord, my
father, here within an hour from
now, and may God curse you for a
coward !"
The fat soldier grinned. The lady's
bark was not loud enough, but her
bite was, indeed, most easily avert
ed with a threatening whip, as was
the way with women. So he sat his
broad person down and did all that
which he thought would beguile SO
pretty a shrew from her fretful
humor.
Full three-quarters of an hour
thus passed, when news was brought
by a breathless soldier that the Earl
of W had boarded a frigate not
Is minutes since and, as was related
in all seriousness, had DOTTED his hat
in acknowledgment of the fiery sa-
lutte from shore.
Whereupon the fat soldier got up
in a fearful rage and kicked and
swore as only a gentleman soldier
knows well how to do, and snarled
aloud that nothing should save the
cunning jade from the lively fate of
Mistress Gaunt, who, indeed, was