Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-22

frGiicU idCe.
Then you are welcome-heartily wei
comet" was the answer, given in tone g
relief. Bur who comes with your"
Master Richard Berthe of Lincoii
shire, answered promptly, and at tina
moment he emerged from the shaft.
A still more hearty murnur OF welcom.
hailed his name and appearance, and we
wero bosne forward to the table amid s
chorus of voices, tho greeting given Ia
Master BERTHE being that of men who joy
fully hail unlocked for help. The room,
from It's waited ceiling and stone floor
and the trans OF casks which lay bere and
there or near tho table serving for seats.
appeared to be- II cellar. Its dark, gloomy
recesses, the fisrin9 lights and the weapons
on the table seemed meet and fitting sur
roandings for the anxious faces which
were gathered about the board, for there
was something in the air which was not
SO much secrecy us thing moro unpleas.
ant-suspicion and mistrust. Almost at
the moment Of our entrance it showed it,
self One Of the men, before the door had
well closed behind us, went toward it, as
If to go out The leader-he who had
questioned me-cailed sharply to him, bid
ding him come bnck. And he came back,
but reluctantly, as 1t seemed to me.
barely noticed this, for Master BERTHE,
who was known personally to many and
by namo to all, was introducing me to
two who were apparently the leaders-Sir
Thomas Psnruddocke, q fair man as tall as
myself, loose limbed and untidily dressed,
with reckless eye and a loud tongue;
and Master Walter Kingston, younger
brother, was told, of that Sir Anthony
Kingston who had suffered death the year
before for conspiracy against the queen
the same in W hich Lord Devon had showed
the white feather Kingston was a young
man Of moderate height and slender, of q
brown complexion and delicate, almost wo-
manish beauty, his sleepy dark eyes and
dainty mustache suggesting q temper
rather amiable than firm. But the spirit
OF revenge had entered into him, and
soon learned that not even Penruddocke
Cornish knight Of longer lineage than
purse, was SO vehement plotter or SO de-
voted to the cause. Looking at the others,
my henrt sank. 1t needed no greater ex-
perience than mine to discern that, except
three or four whom identified rs stout
professors of religion, they were men rath-
er of desperate fortunes than good estate
l learned On the instant that conspiracy
makes strange bedfsllows, and that it 10
impossible to do dirty work even with the
purest intentions-in good companyl
Master Bertie's face indicated to one who
knew him as we'll as did something Of
the same feeling, and could tho clock have
been put back awhile, and we placed with
free hands and uncommitted outside the
tah s,t- oh nil mo ~.
cord have turned our backs on 1t and Civ
en- up an attempt which, in this company,
could scarcely fare any way but III. Still
for good or evil the die was cast now, and
retreat was out of tho question.
We had confronted too many dangers
during the last three years nos to be able
to face this one with good courage, and
presently Master BERTHE, taking scat, re-
qnested to be told of the strength and
plans of our associates, his businesslike
manner introducing at once some degree
of order and method into conference
which before our arrival had-unless l
was much mistaken-been conspicuously
laoking in both.
"Our resources2' Penruddocke replied
confidently. "They lie everywhere, mani
We have but to raise the flag, and the rest
will be a triumphal march. The people,
sick OF burnings and torrurings and heat
ed by the loss of Calais last January, will
flock to us. Flock to MS, do say? l will
answer for 1T they willp
.sBut you have soma eng gements, some
promises from people Of standingp''
s.Oh, yes. hut the whole nation will join
us. They are weary Of the present state Of
things"
"They may be as weary of it as you
say" Master BERTHE answered shrewdly,
ssbut is it equally certain that they will
risk their necks to amend 1t? You have
fixed upon some secure base from which
we can act and upon which, IL necessary,
we may fall back to concentrate our
strength"
Fall backs" cried Penruddooke, rising
from his seat in heat. Master BERTHE,
hope you have not como among us to talk
of falling backl Let us have no talk of
that. If Wyatt had held on at once, Lon
don would have been hisl 1t WAS falling
back ruined him."
Master BERTHE shook his head. IF you
have no secure base, you run tho risk OF
being crushed in the first half hour, !" he
said. When fire is first lighted, the
breeze puts it out which afterward but
fans it. y
You will not say that when you hear
out plans. There are to be three risings
at once. Lord Delaware will rise in the
west. .
but will hep said Master BERTHE
pointedly, disregarding the threatening
looks which were cast at him by more
than one. 1.-The late rebellion there was
put down very summarily, and / should
have thought that countryside would not
be prone to rise again. Will Lord Della
ware rise.'
.sOh yes, he will rise fast enoughr'
Penruddocke replied carelessly Il will
answer for him. And OH the same day,
while We do the London business Sir
Richard Bray will gather his men in
Kent"
.sDo not count on him." said Master
Berthe. "a prisoner, muffied and hood
winked, was taken to the Tower by water
this afternoon and rumor says 1t was Sir
Richard Bray.
There was pause Of CONSERVATION,
during which one looked at another and
swarthy faces grew pale. Penruddocke
was the first to recover himself. Bah,
he exolai,nea, "a fig for rumorl She is
ever a lying jade! will bet noble Rich
ard Bray is supping In his own house at
this minnie.
s.Then you would lose Master Berthe
rajoined sadly and with no show Of tri
umph. s'On hearing tho report sent a
messenger to Sir Richards house. He
braught word back that Sir Richard Bray
had been fetched away unexpectedly by
four men, and that the house waa In con
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