Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-09

INC CO ALL a,Ga-s snseNno
heart out. obeyed him with joy. 1t was q
fine frosty day near the close of December.
Sir Anthony led the way over the plank
bridge which crossed the moat in the rear
of the house and tramped steadily through
the home farm toward hill called tho
Woodlands View, which marked the Lor-
der Of the forest. He did not talk, but
neither was he sunk in reverie. AS he en-
tered each field he stood and scanned 1t, at
times merely nodding, at times smiling:
or again muttering few words, such as
The three acre piece! Ny father inclosed
It'll or. That Is where Ferdinand killed
tho old marcel or, The best land for
wheat on this side Of the housep The
hill climbed, he stood q long time gazing
over tho landscape, eying first the fields
and meadows which stretched away from,
his feet toward the house, the latter, as
seen from this point losing all its stateli-
ness In the mass III stacks and ricks and
barns and grannries which surrounded it.
Then his eyes travelled farther in the same
line to the broad expanse Of woodland
Cotton Chnse-through which the road
passed along ridge as straight as On ar
row. To tho right were more fields, and
with its smaller ring Of stacks and barns
When he turned to tho left, his eyes, pass
Ing over the shoulders of Brant hill and
Mil Head copse and Beacon hill, all bull
warks OF the forest, followed the streak OF
river as it wound away toward Stratford
through luscious flood meadows, here grow
Ing wide and there narrow as the wood
land advanced or retreated.
1T Is all mine" he said q much to
himself as to the girl. It Is all Cludde
land as far as you can $50.
There were tears in her eyes, and she
had to turn away to conceal them. Why
she hardly know, for he said nothing more,
and he walked down the hill dry eyed, but
all the way home he still looked sharply
about, noting this or that, as IL he were
bidding farewell to the old familiar OBJ
jscts, tho spi1neys and oopses aye, and
the very gates and gaps and the hollow
trees where the owls built. 1t was tho sad
dest and most pathetic walk the girl had
sver taken. Yet there was nothing said.
The north wall Of the church 81 Cotol
End is only four PAGES from the house, the
church standing within the moat. Isolat-
ed as the sacred building, therefore, is
from the outer world by the wide spread
ing chase and close massed with the
homestead, Sir Anthony had some excuse
for considering It as much part OF his
demesne as the mill or the smithy. In
words he would have been willing to adj
NIT distinction, but In thought fancy
he Jumped 1t with the rest Of his posses
sions
It was with lowering eye that on this
Sunday morning he watched from his
room over tho gateway the unusual stream
of people making for the church. Per-
chance he had In his mind other Sundays
Sundays when no had walked out at
this hour, light Of heart and kind Of eye,
with his stat in his fist, and his glove
dangling, and his dog at his heels, and,
free from care, had taken pleasure In each
bonnet doffed and each old wife's God
bless 70, Sir Anthony" Well, those days
were gone. Now the rain dripped from
the eaves-for q thaw had come in tho
night--and the bells that could on occa-
forlorn. His daughter, when she came,
according to custom, bringing his great
service book, could scarcely look him In
the face. know not whether even then
his resolution to dare all might not at
sound Of word from her or at sight OF
her face have melted like yesterday q Ice,
but before the word could be spoken or
tho eyes meet another step rang on the
stone staircase, and Brother Ferdinand
entered.
.They arc herei'' be said in a low voice
Six Of them, Anthony, and sturdy fel-
lows, as all Clopton's men are. IT you do
not think your people will stand by you''-
Tho knight fred at this suggestion.
"What." he burst out, turning from the
window, 'if Cludde men cannot meet
Clopton men. tho times are indeed gone
madl Make way and let me comet Though
the mass be never said again In Cotton
church, 1t shall be said todayl" And he
sw0re great oath.
He strobe down the stairs and under the
gateway, where were arranged, according
to tho custom of the house on wet days, all
tho servants, with Baldwin and Martin
Luther ut their head. The knight stalked
through them with a gloomy brow. His
brother followed him, q faint smile flick
erinK about the corners of his mouth.
Then came Ferdinand's wife and Petro-
nilla, the latter with her hood drawn close
about her face; Anne, with her chin In the
air and her eyes aglow. It Is not bit
OF bustlc will scare hertz Baldwin NUT
tered as he fell In behind her and eyed her
back with no great favor.
mo, SO long as 1t does not touch her. !"
Martin replied in cynical whisper. She
is we'll mated-well mated and Ill fatedl
Ha, hnl''
SILENCE, fooli' growled his companion
angrily. Ills this time for antics?"
AYE, 1t isp' Martin retorted swiftly,
though with the same caution, for, when
wise mon turn fools, fools are put to 1t to
act up to their professionl You see, BROTH
erf" And he deliberately out caper. His
eyes were glistening, and the nerves on
one side Of his face twitchcd oddly. Bald
win looked at him and muttered that Mar
tin was going to have one Of his mad fits
What had grown on the fool of later
The knight reached the church porch
and passed through the crowd which
awaited him there. Save for its unusual
size and some strange faces to be seen on
its skirts, there was no indication of trou-
BILE. He walked, tapping his stick on the
pavement little mo } loudly than usual,
to hts place In the front pew. The house
hold, the villagers, the strangers, pressed
In behind him until every seat was filled.
Even the table monument Of Sir Piers
Cludde, which stood lsngthwise in the
aisle, was seized upon. and if the two sim