Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-01-25
CHAPTER NXTV.-(Continued.)

center OF TINS room there stood several
cases, glass topped and lined with silk.
-Therein were little steel and iron rods.
<h brass tubes and divers other things.
- bright and ingenious, though / could
not devise for what end they had been
put together. A gentleman-in-waiting
came round with paper and ink-horn.
making notes of our names and of our
business. Him | asked whether it might
not be possible for me to have an entirely
private audience.
His grace never sees in private he
replied. He has ever his chosen coun-
ciIors and officers in attendance"
But the business is one which is only
hit for his own ear" | urged.
His grace holds that there is no bust
ness tit only for his own ear" said the
gentleman. You must arrange matters
as best you can when You are shown in
to him. L will promise, however, that
YOUR request be carried to him, though
| warn YOU that it cannot be granted"
l thanked him for his good Offices and
turned away with the farmer to look at
the strange little engines within the
cases.
What is it?' / asked. II have never
seen aught that was like it,
1t is the work of the mad Marquis of
Worcester, quoth he. He was the
dukes grandfather. He was ever max
ing and devising such toys. but they were
never of any service to himself or to
others. Now, look We here! This wi
the wheels were called the water-engine.
and 1T was his crazy thought that, by
heating the water in that ere kettle. We
might make the wheels go round, and
thereby travel along iron bars quicker
nor a horse could run. 'Oons, I'd
match my old brown mare against all
such contrivances to the end o. time
But to our places, for the duke is com
ing"
We had scarce taken our seats with the
other Suit0rs, when the folding-dOorS
were flung open, and a stout, thick, short
man of 30 or thereabouts came busting
into the room, and STROBE down it be
tween two lines of bowling clients. He
had large, projecting, blue eyes, with
great pouches of skin beneath them. and
Il yellow, sallow yisage. At his heels
walked dozen officers and men of rank,
with flowing wigs and clanking swords.
They had hardly passed through the OPP
p0sita door into the dukes own room,
when the gentleman with the list called
out a name, and the guests began one
after the other to file into the great
mans presence.
:'Methinks his grace is in no very gen
tie temper" .quoth Farmer Brown. Did
you not mark how, he gnawed his neither
lip as he passed"
He seemed quiet gentleman
enough" l answered. 1T would try Job
himself to see all these folk of an after
noon"
''Hark at that" he whispered. raising
his finger. AS he spoke the sound of the
heard from the inner chamber, and a
iittle, sharTsfaced man came out and few
through the ante-chamber as though
fright had turned his head.
He is an armorer of Bristol" whis-
pered one of my neighbors. 1T is likely
that the duke cannot come to terms with
him over q contract"
Nay" said another. s'He supplied
Sir Marmaduke Hyson's troop with sa-
bers, and it is said that the blades will
bend as though they were lead. Once
used they can never be fitted back into
the scabbard again"
''fhe tall man who goes in now is an
inventor" quoth the first HE hath the
secret of some very grievous fire, such
as hath been used by the Greeks against
the Turks in the Levant, which he de-
sireS to sell for the better fortifying of
Bristol"
The Greek fire seemed to be in no great
request with the duke. for the inventor
came cut presently, with his face as red
as though it had been touched by his
own compound. The next upon the list
was my honest friend the farmer. The
angry tones which greeted him promised
badly for the fate of the 4-year-old, but a
resumed his seat, rubbing his great red
hands with satisfaction.
"Bcod?" he whispered. HE was pla-
guey hot at first, but he Soon came round,
and he hath promised that if |
pay for the hire of a dragooner as long
as the war shall last / shall have back
the piebald."
/ had been sitting all this time won
derfRg how in the world | was to con
duct my business amid the swarm of
supphants and the crowd of officers who
We're attending the duke. Had there
been any likelihood of my gaining audi
euce with him in any other way | should
gladly have adopted il, but all my en-
deavors TO that end had been useless.
Unless / took this occasion | might never
come face to face with him at all. But
how could he give due thought or discus
sion to such a matter before others:
What chance was there of his weighing
it as it should be weighed? Even if his
feelings inclined him that way, he dared
not show any sign of wayerlng when
so many eyes were upon HIM, L was
tempted to feign some other reason for
my coming, and trust to fortune TO give
me some more favorable chance for hand
ing him my papers. But then that chance
might never arrive. and time was press
ing. 1t was said that he would return
10 Bristol next morning. On the whole,
1t seemed best that | should make the
tittest use / could of my present position,
in the hope that the dukes own discre-
ton and self-command might, when he
saw the address upon my dispatches, lead
10 a more private interview.
| had Just come to this resolution when
my name was read out, ON which | rose
and advanced into the inner chamber.
1t was small but lofty room, hung IN
blue silk with broad gold cornice. In
the center was a square table. Uttered
over with piles Of papers. and behind this
sat his grace, with full-bottomed wig roll
ing down to his shoulders, very stately
and imposing. He had the same subtle
air OF the court which ! had observed
both in Monmouth and in Sir Gervas.
which, with his high. bold features and
large piercing eyes, marked him as lead
~ Of men. His private scrivener sat be
side him, taking notes of his directions.
while the others stood behind in a half
circle or took snuff together in the deep
recess Of the window.
Make note Of Smithson's order" he
said, as l entered. a hundred pots and
as many fronts and backs to be ready
bg Tuesday, also six score snaphances
For the musqueteers, and 200 extra
spades for the workers. Mark that the