The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-25
ATaIa Of Mistress Marget.
THE youung forget their fancies, the old
forget their cares,
When pretty Mistress Marget comes
smiling down the stairs"

Nobody who once looked upon Mistress
| Marget-pretty Mistress Marget almost
everybody called her-could help loyisg
her. I, Thomas Dawtry, a plain and
simple squire of the realm, loved her
better than aS the world But pretty
| Mistress Marget was not for me, or so.
at least. her father had informed me
As for me, I had long since decided TO
abide by this decision only so long as
circumstances compelled me- Whenever
| fate offered me the shadow or an oppor-
tunity 1 meant to steal Mistress Marget
and run away with her. Mistress Mar
get, as I had every reason5-save spoken
i words-to believe, would be by no means
unwilling
The opportunity came when my sweet
Iady's father was called away to fight
for his King and country, King Charles
and Bonnie England. 1, who longed to
| fight for King and country also, dared
| the laughter and the jeers of my COM
rades 70 stay behind a little and steal
my lovely lady, if 1t so pleased fate
And no sooner had her father ridden
away, at the head of his men, than
made for the hail. and sought out old
Simeon. the gardener. Sir Reginald had
never forbidden my visits-he was too
wise man to tempt fate in such a man
ner; he had merely taken care that l
had no chance of solitary speech with
my dear lady. knew now that the
Lady Eleanor Blewett, who filed, as
best she might, the place of the dead
| lady Of the manor to her daughter, MS
! tress Marget, favored not my suit so l
sought not to have speech with her or
with my lady. Old Simeon I had been
friends with ever since. as a child I
had played in the gardens with sweet
Mistress Marget I knew he was my
| friend and would help me. 1 knew also
that he might speak with his lady when
I might not. unmatched and unguarded,
To old Simeon I told my. story, and
trusted him for his aid.
! And there was the chink of gold be-
tween us when we parted. albeit my
lack of gold was the reason why Sir
Reginald had said to me nay, upon my
asking for his daughters hand. And for
| gold-next to his love for pretty Mistress
Narget-old Simeon would do more than
most of US would do for the sake of life.
That evening I happened to be walking
in the lane just as old Simeon also came
out to take the air. And a note passed.
| between US. Old Simeon also instructed
me as to where I could find certain i'm
plements and tools-a ladder and stout
stave, among them-which 1 might need
later on, perchance. And I gave TO ST.
! neon the package of a certain drug.
given me. Mistress Marget was to see
that this drug was dropped into the
| fagon of ale sent up for the Lady Elean-
or's supper Then, later, she was to
lean out of her easement and signal to
me, waiting outside in the lane. And
later still Psrson Dabney, who loved us
both and sympathized with us rather
than with Sir Reginald, wasAto make
pretty Mistress Marget my wife.
I4N
hindrance, save when my body servant s
horse was mired in the slough back of
the lane. He should have waited in the
lane proper, but he thought he heard
voices and sounds Of horses hoofs COM
ing and knowing that he must not be
found there. he leaped his own steed over
the hedge and into the slough. We had
to wait some minutes for him. when we
would fain have hurriedN onward. But
this was after 1 had placed the ladder
underneath my .lady's window, mounted
it, pried off the guarding barsywith the
stout stave which old Simeon had fur
! nished me, and received my darling in
my arms. My heart beat so, in going
down the ladder than / feared she would
hear it and think me timid Yet had I
courage to claim q kiss as we neared
the bottom, insisting that she pay it me
before I set her down; ard ] do not
think she noticed the rapid beating of
my heart after that, even had she no.
ticed 1t before Her own heart beat
rapidly then. as the bright color coming
and going in the face which looked so
fair and sweet in the moonlight testified
clearly.
At the foot of the ladder 7 set her
down. and hand in hand we raced across
the greensward, over the foot bridge
old Simeon had managed to leave open
and unguarded for us, and out into the
lane. There, lifting her dear form in
my arms, l swung her up before me,
and away we ealloped, after the short
| interval OF waiting for my servant. IF
which I have spoken Half an hour later
we stood before Parson Dabney in the
gray old vicaraga. and a few moments
| afterward I had the right to call pretty
Mistress Marget my wife. Then. hur-
ried, kiss. a. tear or two on Mistress
Marget's part, and we were on our way
back to the hall, where Mistress Marg
was to live on, the same as ever in all
things save that slender gold band on
her finger. until my return from the
wars. And then-ahi sad for man to
leave his wife on the wedding eve-my
| body servants had summoned my varlets
and they waited for me outside in the
lane. I could but kiss my daring once
more, an me! but so tenderly and low
| ingly, see her safely up the ladder. with
draw II from beneath her window wave
her a last tender farewell-and now,
beshrew me- but mine own ewes wert
wet-and take my departure. But before
L crossed the foot bridge once more I
threw the stout stave that had served
our turn so well far from me Unto the
thick of the hedge, and I once more
clinked gold with old Simeon in order
that he might be properly forgetful OF
all that had happened that night. Then
the soft darkness OF the lane, with the
moon well under kindly cloud. sharp
command 10 the waiting varIets, a tear
ing gallop until morning, and we were
Wei IN with Sir Reginald and his men,
and nothing but wars and fighting be
fore US for many long months.
But my heart was brave and lightsoma
within ne, even though I had left my
dear wife OF an hour behind me For
L Is easier perhaps. to leave ones wife
than ones sweetheart, especially when
the sweetAeart's father fsvOrs a richer
man, and I knew, also, that ] was a
brave and skillful fighter. and 7 hop q
that before Sir Reginald or I saw prettv
Mistress Ararxet again his heart would
have warmed toward ne on this account.
For Sir Reginald loves a brave man and
a good fighter. always And in TIE END
& all turned out even as I had hoped
Pr nee Tuan'- Cannries
From the Stockholm Dagblad)
Prince Tuan's opposition to EuTopaa r