Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-07

| grover IN the aust Ike beast.
| This she told them over and over as she
| moved about, setting before them dainties
| from secret stores of her own. obviously I'M
known. or perhaps forbidden. to Caesar
| Martin.
! Wild bee honey from the woods she placed
| before them and white wheaton bread.
| such as could not be got nearer than Paris,
| with wine of some rarer vintage than that
| out OF the crfpple's reslnous pisskin. These
| and much else La Meffraye pressed upon
! tht m. TN she had completely won over the
| Lord James, and even Malise, easy natured,
| IKE most very strong men, was taken by
| the sympathetic conversation and gracious
| kndllness OF the wife of poor. afflicted Gaze
( sar Martin Of 81. Philbert. Only Sholto kept
| his suspicion edged and pointed. and re
| solved that he would not sleep that night.
| but watch til the dawn the things which
| might befali in the house on the forests
| edge.
Yet It was ccnspicuously to Sholto that
| ishments
Her ruddy face. 50 bright that It seemed
J wholly covered with a hirthmark Cleaned
| with the most absolute good nature She
| threw on the black veil which half con-
! ccaled her strange couture of green fun
| gold hair. She placed her choicest morsels
! before the young captain of the Douglas
! EuaId.
- lis hard she said touching him con-
| identially on the shoulder. TO dwell hero
| IN THIS country wherein many deeds OF
| blood are wrought. all alone with a poor
| imbeciie like my husband None cares to
| help me with aught being too busy with
| their own affairs It falls on me to till the
! fields, which. scan;y as they are. are more
| than my feeble strength can compass I'M
| aided. Alone | must prune ana water the
| vines. bring in the irewood and go ont
anu IN by night and day to earn scanty
| living for this afflicted one and myself You
| viii hear nerchance mischief laid TO nv
| charSe in this village of evil speakers and
| lazy l0lk. They hate me because | am no
| gddabCut 10 spend time abusing NV neigh
bors az the village well. But the children
| love me. and that is no i'll sign Their
| young hearts are open to love a poor lone
| old woman. What cares La Mefrrave for
| the Sneers Of the ignorant and praiudired.
| so long as the children run to her gladly
| and search her pockets for the good things
she never forSets to bring them from her
| kitchen?"
So the old woman. talking all the time.
! hustled here and there setting sweet cakes
| baked with honey. continues and BARNS
| goodies. figs, almonds and cheese before her
| guests, but through all her Establishments
| Sheito watched her end had his eye wari'y
/ upon what should bcfall her husband. who
| could he seen lying apparently unconscious
| upon the bed in an inner room.
| You do rot speak like the folk of the
! south she said Ia the Lord James.
| Neither are you mortimer nor of the Midi
! From what country may you be?' The
| time
I've are poor Scots who have lived long
| Under the protection of Your good King
| Charles, the seventh of that name. and
| baF ~ been restored To oftI- possessions
after the turning out Of the English we are
| making pilgrimage in order to visit our
friends and also TO lay our thanks upon the
| altar of the blessed st Andrew in his own
| town in Scotland
The old woman listened. approvingly nod
| ding her head as the Lord James reeled off
| this invention. But at the mention of the
| land o. the Scots La Mcffraye pricked her
| ears.
''Sco:s-'' she said. meditativelv. that
=nFplV my Lord h., la-F l,r.
| recently returned from that country
whittier they say he hath been upon a very
| confidential embassy from the king"
| 1t was the Lord James who asked the
next question.
| Have you heard whether any Of cur
nation returned with him from our coun-
| try? We would gladly meet with any
| SUCH that we might hear again the tongue
| Of our nativity, which is ever sweet I'm
| strange land and also. if ii might he take
! back tidings of them to their folk in Scot
| land"
| Nay" answered La Meffraye standing
| before them with her eyes shrewdly fixed
| uron the face of the speaker, Il have heard
| of none such. Yet it may well be for the
marshal is very fond Of the society of the
| young. even as l am. He has many boy
! singers for his choir. maidens also for his
! religious professions. Indeed. never do
visit Machecoul without finding a pretty
| boy or a STRIPPING girl passing so innocently
| in and out of mis- study
| is his lordSfip even now at MachecOul?''
| James prided himself upon his tact. but
| when he set out to manifest 1t Sholto
SrOaned inwardly. He never knew from
| one moment to another what the reckless
young lord might do or say next.
Il do not even know whether the mar
shall is now at Machecoul The rich and
great, they come and go. and poor folk
understand it no more than the passing of
the wind or the flight Of the birds. But
| let US get to our touches. The morn will
soon be here and Ii must not linl our bodies
unrested or our eyes unrefreshed."
La Meffraye showed her guests where to
make their beds in the outer room of the
cottage, which they did by moving the
bench back and stretching themselves with
their heads to the wall and their feet to the
fire. Sholto lay on the side fUrthest from
the entrance of the room to which La AIef-
fraye had retired with her husband Ma
lise was on the other side. and Lord James
lay in the midst. most befitted his rank
These last We're almost instantly asleep.
being tired with their journeying and heavy
with the meal of which they had partakeu
but every sense in ShOlto'S body was keen
ly awake. 4 vague, inexpressble fear pos
sessed him. He lay watching the red I'M
equal glow thrown upward from the en-
bers, and through the wide opening in the
roof he could discern the twinkling of a
star.
Within the chamber of La Meffraye there
was silence Sholto could not even hear
the heavy breathing of Caesar Martin. The
silence was complete.
Suddenly from far away there came up
the bowling of d wolf. 1t was not an IN
common sound in the forests of France or
even in those of his own country, but some |
how Sholto listened with a growing dread. |
Nearer and nearer it came till it seemed |
II reyerberate Immediately beneath the |
caves of the dwelling of Caesar the cripple. |
The flicker of the embers died slowly out. |
Malise lay without sound his head couched
on his hand Lord James began to groan !
and move uneasily, like one in the grip of
nightmare. Sholto listened aCutely Out
side the house he could hear the soft pad
pad of wild animals. Their pelt seemed al
most to brush against the walls behind his
head with a rustic like corded silk. Shoho
felt nervously for his sword and cleared it
instinctively Of the coverture in which he
was wrapped Expectation tingled in his
cheeks and palms. The silence grew more
and more oppressive. He could hear moth
ing but that soft brushing and the gallop-
ing pads outside as of something that went
round the house and round the house,
weaving toll of terror and death about
the doomed inmates.
Suddenly from the adjoining chamber a
cry burst forth shril and terrible that
not only ShoHo but Malise also leaped to
his feet.
"Nercy-MercyI Have mercy La Mef-