Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-18

[RNlE E"E
INC co All e,6lrS seees,~p
1 ticulate word, came out OF the darkness in
front of me. My great trouble had seemed
to mako superstittous fears for the time
impossible but at this sound l started
and trembled, and holding my breath felt
a cold shiver run down my back Notion
less peered before me and yet could see
nothing. All was gloom, tho only distin-
! guishable feature being the east window.
What was that? A soft rustic as OF
ghostly garments moving In the aisle was
succeeded by another sigh which made me
rise from my seat, my hair stiffening.
Then saw the outline OF the east window
growing brighter and brighter, and l
knew that the moon was about to shine
clear of the clouds and longed to turn and
fly, yet did not dare to move.
Suddenly the light fell on the altar steps
and disclosed o kneeling form which
seemed to be partly turned toward me, as
| though watching me. The face could
not sect was in sbadow-and stood
transfxed, gazing at the figure, half in
superstitious terror and hnlf in wonder,
until voice I had not heard for years and
| yet should have known among Thousand
!, said softly, Francisp'
WHO calls mes" muttered hoarsely,
knowing and yet disbeiisving, hoping and
yet with terrible fear at heart.
ut is I-Petronilla!" said the same
voice gently. and the the form rose and
| glided toward me through the moonlight.
ut Is I-Petronilla! Do you not know
mes" said my love again and fell upon my
breast.
|
She had been firmly resolved all the
| first opportunity had given the slip to her
| company, while the horses were being sad
died at Watney's farm. Stealing back
through the darkness, she had found the
house full of upronr and apparently occu-
pied by strange troopers. Aghast and not
knowing what to do, she had bethought
herself OF the church, and there taken
refuge. On my first entrance she was
horribly alarmed But as walked up the
| aisle she recognized-so she has since told
me thousand times with pride-my foot
! step, though it had long been stranger
| to her car, and she had no thought at the
moment OF seeing me or hearing the joy
full news brought
And 30 my story is told. For what
i AA1S
| lies between my wife and myself. And it
Is an old, old story, and one which our
| children have no need to learn, for they
have told it, many Of them for themselves,
and their children are growing up to tell
1t. think In some odd corner of the house
there may still be found very ancient
swallows nest, which young girls bring
out and look at tenderly, but for my
/ r hos VuN n
| those 80 years. What matter, even though
1t was velvet Of Genoa9 He that has the
| substance lacks not the shadow.
Insver saw my father again, nor learned
accurately what passed at Watnsy's farm
| after PetrcniIls was missed BY her two
companions, but one man, whom could
Ill spare, was also missing on that night
| whose fate 10 still something Of mys-
| terry. That was Martin Luther. have
always believed that he fell in q desperate
encounter with my father, but no traces
of tie struggle or his body were ever
found. The track between Watnsy's farm
and Stratford, however, runs for certain
distance by the river, and at some point
on this road think Martin must have
como up with the refugees, and falling
either to find Petronilla with them or to
get any satisfactory account OF her must
have flung himself on my father and been
foilsd and killed The exact truth, have
said, was never known, though Baldwin
and talked over 1t again and again, and
there were even some who said that .
servant much resembling Martin Luther
was seen with my father in tho low coun-
tries not month before his death. I put
no credenoe In this, however, having good
reasons to think that the poor fool-who
was wiser in his sane moments than most
men-would never have left my service
while the breath remained in his body.
have heard it said that blood washes
out shame My father was killed in q
skirmish in the Netherlands shortly be-
fore the peace of Chateau Cambresis and
about three months after the events here
related. have no doubt that he died as
brave man should, for be had that vir-
tue. He held no communication with me
or with any at Cotton End later than that
which have here described, but would APP
pear to have entered tho service OF Car
dinal Granville, the governor of the Moth
erlands, for after his death word came to
the Duchess of Suffolk that Mistress Anne
Cludde had entered nunnery at Bruges
under the cardinal's auspices. Doubtless
she is long since dead.
And so are many others Of whom I
have spoken-6ir Anthony, the duchess,
Master BERTHE and Master Lindstrom.
For 40 years have passed since these
things happened-years of peaceful happy
life, which have gone by moro swiftly, as
it seems to me in the retrospect, than the
four years OF my wanderings The Lind
stroms sought refuge in England IN the
second year of tho queen and settled in
Lowestoft under the Duchess Of Suffolk's
protection and did we'll and hourished as
became them, nor indeed did they find,
trust, others ungrateful though expert
enced some difficulty in inducing Sir An
thony to treat the Dutch burgher rs on IN
equality with himself. Lord Willoughby
dc Eresby, the Peregrine to whom stood
godfather In ST. Willibrod's church at
Vessel, is now q middle aged man and my
very good friend, the affection which his
mother felt for me having descended to
him In full measure. She was indeed such
. woman as her majesty-large hearted
and free tongued Of masculine courage
and wonderful tenderness. And Of her
husband what can / say, save that he was
brave Christian and-in peaceful times
Ia studious gentleman.
But it Is not only in vacant seats and
gray hairs that trace the progress Of 40
years. They have done for England al
most all that men hoped they might do
in the first dawn Of the reign. We have
seen great foes defeated and strong friends
gained, we have seen the coinage amend
ed, trade doubled, the exchequer filed, the
roads made good, the poor provided for In
Christian manner, tho church grown