The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-13
FRE BLACK DOUGLAS.
BY s. r..
,~crytost. 1925. by $. R. croot'tL
v
rHg LAMP Is BLOWN on

Urn. door Of Margaret Douglass ichamber
.., .to,d omen and Sholto found Earl William
.,,,ed mon the foot OF the bed and endeavor-
T,c hy every means in his power to distract his
.tsr's attention from her fears. Maud Linde-
ans more completely dressed thar when
T.. Ind first seen her. sat on tho other side OF
,ho Iittle lady's couch. She was laughing as
T.. entered at some merry Jest OF the Earrs.
Ind at the sound OF her tinklinR mirth Sholto's
,.,rt sank within him. At sight OF the now
C,ntain Of The guard the %gladness left her face
and she became grave and sober like a gossip
confessed when tho holy father comes
knocking at the door.
Al sight NJ her emotion Sholto resolved that
iii. fears should prove TO he we'll founded he
nil resign his honorable office. For to
Aid. continually in the castle and hourly OBJ
,.r,o Maud Lindesay's love for another was
moro than his philosophy could abide
In the meantime there was only his duty to
ho ,one So he saluted the Earl and In a few
lords told him that which he had seen. But
,hs son, Of William Douglas was utterly de-
Wild of suspicion. both because he held him.
col, so great that none could touch him and
,Isobecausc, being high Of soul and open as the
sky. he read into the acts OF others his W
straightiorwardness and unsuspicion.
The Earl rose smilingly. declaring TO Mar
Earct mat tomorrow ne "o'"u "ahk eNeis lux
g3d ruiiy III ""'ioW"S W ,ne "uie 'reo ;.
Thrieve' whcreupoh 'he 'n'u began 10 pieao
Tor the life ot ms cur ana thaC o.ner ol her
iersonal acduaintances with n fearful earnest
moss which told of a sore tangled mind.
Well. at least" cried Earl Douglas. II will
not have su'h prutes Pr"Wiihs ap""o ny cas'e
nj Thrieve even in my sisters dreams, Cap
tain Sholtu. station n man OF your guard in
the anGI' OF the staircase ""ere u looks a'onR
each corridor rick "ut your pret'iest cross
buwmen, Tor " were not SeeihIS InaI my guests
should be dIeturheu 10y ruue shotS Oh inc lnsl.
ShOlt" bowed 9tifly ana waited the further
pleasure OF ms master, Ihen inc TWO young
men welll on WITHOUT !uauu ilhueshS ha'inH
uttered \ Worn' "r manifested 'ne !easo sur
lrl~" al the adNah"cmeht Whlch hau pelaiien
tn" heir otthe master armorer OF Thrieve.
4, soon as the door had closed upon the two
mnldens. the larl turned n lace suddenly grave
anl earnest an his young Captain OF the guard.
What think yonE' he said. Was this APP
pearance realf
Real enough to leave these upon the floor"
answered Sholto. pointing to sundry gouts and
drops OF blood upon the turret stair. The Earl
took the lainp IRON MS hahd ana earnestly
scrutlni1ed each step IN a DOWNWARD direction.
Ine SPOTS ran irregularly' as IL the wounded
beast had'shaKen hls.head from SIDE TO side as
he ran. Ihey turned along toward the corri-
dor where. at the first alarm. Sholto had found
the tart. ana IN the very midst OF 1t abruptly
stopped. AS shoIto and the Earl examined the
floor they both looked over their shoulders oc-
caSlohalis. ms IL conscious oil Il regard upon
Them as II some one unseen himself, had been
looking at them IRON pehlnd.
DO you place your men as told you. said
tie tarl. abruptly. and bring me n trucRle bed
0nt OF the guard room. / shall remain IN this
closet uhtiI morning. but 40 you Keep a
specla' lookout on the moor anoVe, mat the re-
pose OF my sister anu her lrlend he not dis
turDeu'
shoito bowed without Speech and hhstened
down 10 the Guardfoom. lie commanded two
OF HIS pest poWheh 10 iolIow MN win their
APPARATUS, WINE he h'n'seii sha'cheu UP inc
low trucAie couc" "h'c" custom assigned 10
uc ,ap'd'n >, Nv tu"iu snpuiu ne uesire 10
W' n'inse'' uaiins e"e h'sh'' anu On "hich
AaEGesS 'ocA nau "l"ars pasSeu 'he majority
% Hs hours vi uu..' inlS he carried 10 tne
Larh anu' p'aeihS J, " ,he ankle, ne sd" ms
,oumui master stretch h'inSelt upon II,
Wrapped I'D ms CLOAK anu win n NAKED sword
e'' III "7 "an'
a soou anu unuls'uroeu sumner 10 sou'
III, '"'' s"u ,"o.''' a. he went out;
"a" nut " 'mo men were uuiS posoeu
w" ~ O"e, i"nuihE u 'he sNa'rS, a'o then
~. ,y nH "nlSelt y Ine uuper i''oi' "heres lepC
"r ."nT n",'" VI pa'oma''
he walked SLOWLY To the END OF the passage,
scrutin. zing every recess and closet door. every
radc robe and wall press from which n wac
possible that the hound he had seen might have
emerged. He was wholly unsuccessful in dis
.oyerinu anvtbirc susnicious .nd h,d oIr,oa.
- 'ytus , wv n"i inios
Resolved 10 station himself at the turn of the
Staircase which led down from the roof when,
n"N'Hk paGh al the sharp CLICK OF a iatch' ne
NJ" MAUD Lindsay coming out OF the cham
S,tIv ol,sina 49, A.. LaL
~ FIoslhR lhe uoor emma her. she
paused a moment, as II undecided and then.
more with her chin than with her finger, she
backoped him tn annroacb
CT "" " "'ito"S"
one sleeps said the girl. but so uncer-
tainly and with so many startings OF terror
that / will not lenye her alone. DO Won aid ma
10 remove the mattress of my couch and lay
II on the floor beside her."
Coldly Sbolto ei,rioad HE vIIinono.. III.
mini . "o """neSs' ms
wn' was more than ever oppressed by the
thoughtthat the Earl of Douglas loved this girl
whom he had found listening to his words with