Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-08-02
CHAPTER ".

"Do YOU LOVE HER, v1scoUNTT
Can you imagine the stir all through
the house when ushered in the cap
tain's daughter. splendid in her. silks
and sunny smiles3 Out came my father
and bowed like gallant of 40. Out
came my mother and swept the floor
with a grand courtesy. Mistress Lyons
cried, "Bless her dear English facei,'
and kissed her.
All. thought l, Castletree is an Eng
lish name, is it. and gracefully pre-
sented Harry, who could not have come
faster to meet the court lady whoss
hand he had kissed.
Iran and released my prisoner, who
came down and received that little
form-silks and curls, great hat and all
into his arms with cry of joy. He
told her how kind we had all been to
him-a foreign outlaw, leader of rob
bers-and we blushed and wished we
had been 30 times kinder.
Then the maiden was taken of under
my mothers wing, and we men held
counsel in the little dining parlor.
~ am clear of the robbers" said the
big captain, "and swear"-he did in
English-"that would pillow like a
peasant sooner than return to them"
"You are worthy gentleman, sir,
said the baron, ..and how you came to
mix and fight with such dogs cannot
see.
"That-my reason for it is closed
page of my life, answered the Eng
lishman. Enough, my lord. that
was once happy in my own castle in
Devon, with sweet wife, honor and
wealth, and now And he burst into
tears.
The sight of strong man in the
agony of weeping is ever pain to me-
When be recovered himself, my
father offered him position In the
household, to make him and Mistress
Castletree of the family. Ny heart rose
at that.
The captain looked up proudly. "Can
I earn our bread, my lordf Is there
work for me to do3"
The baron, who was slightly the
elder Of the two, took his hand.
"There is work, my friend, for true
gentleman with true sword in the
house of LISTENS. Will you swear to be
loyal to this family until this family
or some member Of it is disloyal to
youf"
~ swear it on my honor" said the
captain.
slipped out and getting his surren-
dered sword from my room returned
and placed it in his hands.
.Not this sword" he said. ST will
purchase new one from the house of
LISTENS. And he broke the 1.-THE blade
across his knee and handed me back
the two pieces.
at was not the sword I used in the
service Of my old king. Neither will
use il. in the service of my new lord,
the Baron LISTENS" he said, smiling
sadly.
And thus the house of LISTENS was
increased, and life seemed to be mer.
rier and more worth the trouble inside
the gray old walls.
The captain knew great deal about
farming and even more about weapons
and the drilling of men. Soon all the
people on the estate, including old Red
Harding, looked up to him with love
and respect, and some of them wills.
pered that he had been a prince in his
own country.
Blithely, like red petals blowing from
bush, went the days through May
and June. The brigands lay olose in
their mountain Businesses, evidently
crushed by our brave defense, the
slaughter at the gates and the hanging
Of the captives.
The peasants returned to their work,
the foresters and keepers to the woods.
the plowmen and sewers to the fields,
and the young grain was green ovel
the uplands Captain Castletree wal
everywhere. For three days he tramped
about In the forests with squad Of
axmen marking the lumber to be cut
for building and where the underbrush
was to be cleared out for firewood.
wondered if he ever thought of tn,
LISTENS fagot he had tried SO heartily
to use over my head.
There was second ditch to be rur
through the swamp. and the captain
marked the best course for it, and ever
helped ut the blasting QUE of rocks witt
his own hands And yet finer anG
prouder gentleman could not be found
u Wassmars, %hsss Il ia said The %