Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-18

1.-The moro as | suspect that l have to
thank Master Clarence for all these little
adventures.
sStrange-very strange!' she muttered,
removing her eyes from me that she might
fix them on the floor
What is strangeso
Tho abrupt questioner was the duchess,
who came bustling in at the moment.
What is strange:" she repeated, with a
heightened color and dancing eyes. "Shall
/ tell you?' She paused and looked
brightly at me, holding something con-
ment, from the aspect of her face, what
it was-the letter which had given to
Master Lindstrom in the morning, and
which, with pardonable forgetfulness, I
had failed to reclaim.
turned very red. TWAS not intended
for you now, said shyly, for in the let
ter had told her my story.
Pooh, poohl'' she cried. 1T is just as
I thought. A pretty piece Of folly! No, !"
she continued as opened my mouth, II
am not going to keep your secret, sir. You
may go down on your knees. 1t will be OF
no USE Richard, you remember Sir An
thony Cludde of Cotton End in Warwick
shire?"
.sOh, yes" her husband said, rising on
his elbow, while his face lit up, and I
stood bashfully shifting my feet.
II have danced with him a dozen times
years agon' she continued, her eyes spar
king with mischief. We'll, sir, this gen
tleman, Master Francis Carey, otherwise
Won Santonkirch, is Francis Cludde, his
nephew"
Sir Anthony's nephew"
Yes and the son of Ferdinand Cludde,
whom you also have heard Of, of whom
the less'-
She stopped and turned quickly, inter
rupted by half stifled scream. 1t was q
scream full of sudden horror and amaze
ment and fear and it came from Mistress
Anne. The girl had risen and was gazing
at mo with distended eyes and blanched
checks and hands stretched out to keep me
off-gazing, indeed, as if she saw in me
some awful oortent or some dreadful
threat She did not speak. but she began,
without taking her eyes from me, to re-
treat toward the door.
'.Hoity, toity!' cried my lady, stamp
ing her foot in anger. What has hap
pened to the girl?' What
still more astonished, for, without utter
ing a word of explanation or apology, Mis-
tress Anne had reached the door, CROPPED
blindly for the latch, found it and gone
out, her eyes, with the same haunted look
OF horror In them, fixed on me to the last.
"Hoity, toityI' the duchess cried again,
looking from one to another of us when
Anne had disappeared. What has come
to the little fool? Has she gone crazy?"
shook my head, too completely at sea
even to hazard conjecture Master Ber-
tic shook his head also, keeping his eyes
glued to the door, us II he could not be-
lieve Anne had really gone.
II said nothing to brighten her, my
lady protested.
Nothing at ALL" answered For how
should the announcement that my real
namo was Cludde terrify Mistress Ammo
Brandon nearly out of her senses?
well, no. Master BERTHE agreed, his
thoughtful face more thoughtful than
usual, so far as heard, you said moth
ing. But think, my dear, that you had
better follow her and learn what 1t is. She
must be ILL
The duchess sat down. II will go by
and by, !" she said coolly, at which was
not much surprised, for have always re-
marked that women have less sympathy
with other wolnen's ailments, especially
Of tho nerves, than have men.
For the moment want to scold this
brave silly boy here!' she continued,
looking SO kindly at me that blushed
again and forgot all about Mistress Anne.
.sTo think of him leaving his home to be-
- IL,
because his father was a-well, not quite
what he would have liked him to be! l
remember something about him." she
continued, pursuing up her lips and nod
ding her head at us. Il fancied him dead,
however, years ago. But there! If every
one whose father were not quite to his lik-
ing left homo and went astrnying, Master
Francis all sensible folk would turn inn
keepers and make their fortunes.
1T was not only that which drove me
from home, explained. The bishop of
Winchester gave me clearly to under
standh-
.s.rhat Cotton was not the place for
you'll exclaimed my lady scornfully. He
is sort of connection OF yours is he not?
oh, / know. And he thinks he has kind
of reversionary interest in tho property!
With you and your father out of the way,
and only your girl cousin left, his interest
Is much more likely to come to hand. DO
you seer"
recalled what Martin Luther had said
about the cuckoo. But have since
thought that probably they both wronged
Stephen Gardiner in this. He was not a
man of petty mind, and his estate was
equal to his high place. think 1T more
likely that his motive in removing me
from Cotton was chiefly the desire to use
my services abroad, in conjunction per-
haps with some remoter and darker plan
for eventually devoting the Cludde prop
erty to the church. Such an net OF piety
would have been possible had Sir Anthony
died leaving his daughter unmarried and
would certainly have earned for the chan
cel!or Queen Marys lasting favor. l
think 1t the more likely to have been in
his mind because his inability to persuade
the gentry to such acts of restitution
King Harry had much enriched us-was
always a sore point with the queen and
more than once exposed him to her resent
ment.
Tho strangest thing of all" the Ouch
ess continued, with alacrity, seems to
me to be this-that il he had not meddled
with you he would not have had his plans
In regard to us thwarted. Ii he had not
driven you from home, you would never
have helped me to escape from LONDON
nor been with us to foil his agents.
"A higher power than the chancellor ar
ranged that!' said Master BERTHE emphat-
ically.
"Well, at any rate, am glad that you
are you'll the duchess answered, rising
aayly. "A Cluddep Why, one feels at
"