Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-05-22

elbow as a realization Of the situation
seemed to dawn upon her.
ooh, wish | had not come! But l
wanted to grow accustomed. so that
could wear them before others. be-
lieve could bear it more easily with
any one else. did not think of it in
that way" And she snatched her
cloak from where it had fallen on the
floor and threw it around her.
"What way, Mary?" asked Brandon
gently and receiving no answer. But
you will have to bear my looking at
you all the time if you go will, me-"
81 don't believe l can do it,
mo, no." answered he, bravely at
tempting cheerfulness; Eve may as
well give it up. | have had no hope
from the first. l knew it could not be
done and it should not. | was both
insane and criminal to think of per-
hitting you to try it,
Brandon's forced cheerfulness died
out with his words. and he sank into a
chair. with his elbows on his knees and
his face in his hands. Mary ran to him
at once. There had been little mo-
ment of faltering, but there was no
real surrender in her.
Dropping on her knee beside him, she
said coaxingly: Don't give up. You
are man; you must not surrender
and let me, girl, prove the stronger.
Shame upon you when 1 look up to
you so much and expect you to help me
be brave! | will 60. / will arrange
myself in some way. Oh, why am l
not different? l wish were as straight
as the queen" And for that first time
in her life she bewailed her beauty be-
cause it stood between her and Bran
don.
She soon coaXed him out of his de-
spondency, and we began again to plan
the matter in detail.
The girls sat on Brandon's cloak and
he and | on the camp stool and box.
Mary's time was well occupied in
vain attempts to keep herself covered
with the cloak, which seemed to have
right good will toward Brandon and
me, but she kept track of our plans,
which, in brief, were as follows: AS
to her costume, we would substitute
long trunks and jack boots for shoes
and hose, and, as to doublet, Mary
laughed and blushingly said she had
plan which she would secretly impart
to Jane, but would not tell US. She
whispered it to Jane, who as serious
as the lord chancellor, gave judgment
and thought it would do We hoped
so, but were full of doubts.
This is all tame enough to write and
read about, but l can tell you it was
sufficiently exciting at the time. Three
of us at least were playing with that
comical fellow, Death, and he gave the
game interest and point to our hearts
content.
AS to the elopement, it was deter
mined that Brandon should leave Lon
don the following day for Bristol and
make all arrangements along the line.
He would carry with him two bundles,
his own and Mary's clothing, and leave
them to be taken up when they should
go a-shipboard. Eight horses would
be procured, four to be left as a relay
at an inn between Berkeley castle and
Bristol and four to be kept at the rem
devious some two leagues the other
side of Berkeley for the use of Bran
don, Mary and the two men from Bris-
tol who were to act as an escort on the
eventful night. There was one dis
agreeable little feature that we could
not provide against nor entirely elm
mate. 1t was the fact that Jane and
l should be suspected as accomplices
before the fact of Mary's elopement,
and, as you know, to assist in the alb
duction of a princess is treason, for
which there is but. one remedy.
thought had plan to keep ourselves
safe if l could only stifie for the once
James troublesome and vigorous tend
ency to preach the truth to all people
upon all subjects and at all times and
places. She promised to tell the story
l should drill into her. but | knew the
truth would seep out in a thousand
ways. She could no more hold it than
sieve can hold water. We were play
ing for great stakes, which. if do say
1T, none but the bravest hearts, bold
and daring as the truest knights OF
chivalry would think of trying for
less lllull lllt away
with the first princess of the first blood
royal of the world. Think of it. II
appalls me even now. Discovery meant
death to one of us surely, Brandon
possibly to two others, Jane and me
certainly if James truthfulness should
become unmanageable, as it was apt
to do.
After we had settled everything we
could think of the girls took their leave
Mary slyly kissing Brandon at the
door. | tried to induce Jane to follow
her lady's example, but she was as
cool and distant as the new moon.
The next day Brandon paid his re
spects to the king and queen. made hi'
adeus to his friends and rode off alon,
to Bristol. You may be sure the kinl
showed no signs of undue grief at hii
departure.