The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-06

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dog. But I saw. as it seemed. figure
enter this room, and, upon opening it,
1 find-the Earl of Douglas. That is
all | know, and 1 leave the matter in
your hands"
The naughty look gradually disap-
peared from the face of the earl as
Sholto spoke.
smilingly he dismissed the guard
with word, saying that he would in
quire into the cause of the disturbance
in person, and then turned to Sholto.
You are right" he said; you have
entirely done your duty, and justified
my appointment"
He paused, looked this way and that
along the corridor, and continued: 1T
CHANGED that in the tower without 1
could not sleep, and, feeling uneasy
concerning my guests, I entered the
castle by the private door and stair
case which leads from the apartment
corresponding to this on the floor be-
meath. l was assuring myself that you
were doing your duty, when, being dis
turbed by the sudden hubbub, and
judging it needless. that the men-at
arms should know of my presence in
the castle, l came in hither till the
matter should have blown over. And
so, but for your good conscience and
the keenness of your vision, the matter
would have ended
Sholto bowed coldly
But, my lord he said, ignoring the
earPs explanation, the matter grows
more mysterious than ever. Your sis
ter, the little Lady Margaret, hath
been grievously frightened by an APP
pearance like a great dog, which $50
she affirms) opened the door of her
chamber and looked within.
She but dreamed said the earl
carelessly, such visions come from
supping late"
But, with respect, your lordship,'
continued Sholto, Il also saw this APP
pearance even as L ran down the stairs
from the roof at the noise of her cry
ing"
You were startled-excited, and but
thought you saw!"
Sholto reversed his sword, which he
had held with the point towards the
ground while he was speaking with his
lord, the earl.
Holding the blade midway with much
Difference he presented the hilt to Will
liam Douglas.
will you examine the point of this
sword?" he said.
The earl came a step nearer to him
was Immediately beneath the lamp.
There was blood upon the last inch or
so of the blade. The earl suddenly be-
came violently agitated.
This is indeed passing STRANGE!
There is no dog within the castle nor
has there been for years. Even the
presence of d lap dog will fret my
mother, so in my fathers time they
were every one removed to the kennels
at the further end of the isle of Thrieve
whence even their bowling cannot be
heard. But let us go to the Lady Mar
garet and on our way examine the
place where you saw the apparition.
SholtO stood aside for the earl to
pass, but with wave of his hand the
latter said courteously, Nay, but lead
the way, captain of the guard"
They passed the door of the chamber
of the Lady Sybilla. The niece of the
ambassador must have been a sound
sleeper, for there was no sound with
in. Opposite was the chamber of the
earlS mother. She also appeared I'M
disturbed, but the increasing deafness
of the countess offered complete ex-
PLANTATION of her tranquility.
Next the two young men came to
the door of the marshaPs chamber.
AS they were about to pass, it opened
silently, and a man servant with a
closely cropped obSeQuiouS head APP
peared within. He Enclosed the door
no further than would permit of his
, exit, and then he shut it again be-
hind him, and stood holding the latch
in his hand.
His excellency, being over fatigued
hath need of a little strong spirit he
said, with a curious gobbling move
ment of his throat, as if he himself
had been thirsty. The earl ordered
Sholto to wake the cellarer and bid him
bring the ambassador of France that
which he required. He himself would
! go onward to his sisters chamber
Sholto somewhat sullenly obeyed, fol
his heart was hot and angry within
him. He thought that he began to see
clearly the motive of the earls pres
ence. He was himself so deeply and
hopelessly in love with Mistress Maud
Lindsay that he could not understand
/ any other of his sex being insensible
! to the charm of her beauty and myriad
| Winsome graces.
! AS he went down the stairs he re-
called a thousand circumstances tc
mind which now seemed capable of but
one explanation. 1t was evident that
( Earl William came to visit some one by
] means of a private staircase under
4 cloud of night. Nay, more, Maud Linde-
! say and he might be already privately
married, and the matter kept secret or
account of the pride of his family, who
/ devised another match for him. For
| though the daughter of a knight, Maud
| Lindsay was assuredly no fit mate fol
! the head of the almost regal house Oh
! Douglas. He remembered how, on Sun
/ days and saints days, Earl William al
ways rode to and from the kirk with
his sister on one side and Maud Linde-
! say on the other. That the young ear
was by no means insensible to beauty
/ Sholto knew, and he remembered the
/ words of his own father, when he haC
asked to be allowed to accompany hin
on his Flanders mare. that such at
! tendance was not seemly when a mar
J was going accounting.
AS is always the case, a thousand cir
cumstances contributed to his ill-hu-
NOR so soon as the eye of jealousy be.
gan to view everything in the light Of
prepossession.
Sholto awaked the cellarer out of hi.
crib, who presently with snorts of Ill
humor and much juggling of steel keys
| drew half a tankard from a keg OF
spirit in the cellar on the dungeon floor
and handed it grudgingly to the cap.
! tain of the guard.
THE F'renchman wants it, does he?'
| he groWled. Had the messenger beer
old Landless Jock, had known down
whose Scottish throat it had gone bu
this one is surely too young for sucf
tricks. See that you spill it not by the
way, Master Sholto," he called out af
ter him as the youth took his way III
to the chamber of the ambassador O
France
At the shut portal he paused anC
knocked. His hand was on the pin tt
enter with the tankard, as was the Gus
tom. But the door opened no more thar
an inch or two, and the dark face o
the cropped servitor appeared in tn,
crevice.
In a moment, SIR he began, an5
again disappeared within, while