Evening star., 1901-12-21

G0rnaD, Spnrfl1S u lStCH iiit
In hot haste To Is.nsten Grange, / knew
the cause must be urgent and scented
danger ill the air We had heard whisper
irgs and n1utterf6gsasos fresh Jacobite
trouble. spd l feared .ly uncle. Sir Guy
Lanston, had allowed bImself to be drawn
once more into the business
Some ten days .,efoTe stranger, Mas
ter Richard Loyclaee, had appeared sud
denly at the grange and my uncle had set
off on a mysterious visit from which he had
not returned. Now, ii was concerning this
LoveIace that something of a cloud had
come between my sweet Awdrey ard me-
l had come upon the two i: close conversa-
ton and had seen the fellow kiss her hand
with a look in his dark eyes that had set
my blood tingling and my fingers prcking
with desire 10 punish him for his meddle-
some intrigues.
Awdrey had bet laughed at my moody
remonstrance, and when / questioned her
would tell me nothing.
"GeoHrey Georrey, you but worsen mat
ters.'' she cried. with a toss of her pretty
head Because gallant gentleman In
hard case lays his lips to Awdrey's poor
fingers and your wits are not sharp enough
To see the reason, You must needs leap ike
blind horseman into the slough of mis-
trust and cry, 1t is Awdrey's fault Is
everything you cannot understand to be
Awdrey's fauIt?'
And We're my lips to go a-mumblng
Mistress Pallister's fingers would you cry,
'Geoffrey is right. Well met, lips and fin
gers?'"
But at this clumsiness Awdrey bridled
and tossed her head again.
Mistress Paliister, forsooth"' she ex-
claimed, again in high dudgeon, and walked
away with her head in the air.
If you leave like that, Awdrey, I'd
better go and
She broke into my surly words with a
laugh.
Yes. better go and stay away until your
wits are sharP@aed enough to guess the
riddle OF &Our own mistrust. Mistress Pal
lister indeed"
TN return when your Master Lovelace
has gone, l replied bluntly, and came
away. and for week had not been to the
Grange. Seven miserable days they had
been So you may think how my heart
beat when got her message by young Cor
ham and knew that in the time of danger
she had turned to me, and how willingly
l sent my. horse galloping straight across
country to Lanston that bright December
morning.
She was waiting for me in the large
dCmed hall of the Grange, pacing restlessly
up and down by the huge equestrian statue
the statue of old Sir Guy, who fought
with the great Edward and won his gold
spurs at Cressy and Poitiers, and founded
the LanstOn family. Her face and manner
were full of trouble.
Il have not forgiven you, Sir Mistrust
though have sent for you she said; but
her sweet blue eyes We're telling another
tale
d You are in trouble, sweetheart: when I
have helped you, send me away again if you
WILL / said
You have learnt how to stay away"
And a harder penance never grieved
penitent, Awdrey."
"A sincere penitent should never sue in
vain, 1t Is true" she said demurely land
then with a smile looked up and added: so
you're forgiven And. oh, Godfrey, the
trouble Is sore indeed
Tell me- l answered and when she did
tell me / saw in truth she had not under
Judged it, This Lovelace was a far greater
than 1 had deemed-no lesser than the
young preteuder himself. He had come
over at the bidding of certain reckless
cOunsellOrs, who had advised that a rising
could be organized II he would but show
himself to his followers: and now the plans
had all mscarried, his presence in England
had been discovered, and he had fed to
Lanston To hide while means could be de-
VfSed for his crossing again to France. 1t
was this business which had taken Sir Guy
away, and the i'll news was come that he
had been laid by the heels by his old en-
emy. the gout. and had done nothing
Nor was that the worst. Sir Burton
Prendergast had got wind of the matter in
some way. and might be trusted to do his
worst against Lanston- A more malignant,
rancorous, spiteful rat of man did not
breathe IN all the good county of Sussex
than Sir Burton; and he had never forgiven
Awdrey for having rejected him a year ago
would welcome a chance to strike at Lam
stOn. II II were once known who LoveIace
was, and that the Grange had sheltered
him. the consequences would be no less
than ruin The government had not yet
forgiven Sir Guy for his old Jacobite work.
and would readily seize on pretext now
for punishing him and his
L don't know what TO do, Geoffrey"
cried my cousin, wringing her hands dis
tractedly. Tomorrow We have, as you
know. our customary Christmas eve mas
querade, and every one will be here. Sir
Burton among than. of course. Master
LOvelace IS known to be here: and IL he
does not show among the guests suspicion
will be aroused, while II he does he may
be recognized and We shall be ruined"
He must be away, sweetheart 1 can do
It. Why didn't Sir Guy come to me?"
Because You are not with US IN this
True: / am no Jacobite but when was a
Hardinge not with Lanston in an hour of
trouble? But can do Il. l will"
Il knew you would and she smiled as
She laid her hand in mine.
II see it." / exclaimed as a thought
struck me. "Tn TO Shoreham and char
ter vessel from old Nick Naselby there
and We'll have her off the coast by dusk
10 morrow and a boat in Masters cove
down by Dencher's gully. ready manned for
Master Lovelace by then. Let him keep
close TIN then; nay. better. let him ride
away Openly this afternoon and return Sc
cretly after dark, then lie here hidden till
the morrow at dusk. I'll be here to guide
him, and II We don't trick this Prender-
CAST write me down FOOL.
Where can We hide him, GeoYrey?r cried
Awdrey. nervously. IF any one should
come they will surely find him here"
NO one will come. sweetheart. And II
they do have you not the safest hiding place
In all the three kingdoms here In this very
hah2 II Is not the first time old Sir Guy
has served and saved the Lanstons. Where
are your sharp woman's wits. dearest?
OF course / had forgotten the bronze
horse and she smiled
The statue was. II truth. a hiding place
or the best. In the troubles of the civil
war the Lanston of his day had conceived
a cunning arrangement by which arms and
ammunition and at need a fugitive royal
ist could lie hidden in the great horse BY
shrewd coutrivance the legs OF the
knight swung on hinges and covered a
space large enough to admit a mans body
the entrance being concealed by the armor
OF the knight and the trappings of the
horse; and means had been devised by
which air could be admitted through he
Joints OF the armor.
lost no time, but rode of at once on nv
errand- ] had but little difficulty In pro-
vidinS the needed vessel and arranging
among my own men for the boat to be in