The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-07-15

She feW her bird and galloped after Il.
me. When they came up, I was greet
ed In chorus, "Where Is the princess2 q
| said she had gone Off with her hawk
and had left me to bring them after
her. 1 held them talking while L could.
and when We started to follow took up
the wrong scent. a short ride made
this apparent. when I came In for my
full share Of abuse and ridicule, for I
had led them against their Judgment.
l was credited with being q blockhead.
when, In fact, they were the dupes.
We rode hurriedly back to the point
OF Mary's departure md wound our
horns Justify, but my object had been
accomplished, and l knew that within
twenty minutes from the time / last
saw. her she would be with Brandon
on the road to Bristol, gaining on any
pursuit we could make at the rate Of
three miles for two. We secured the
forest far and near, but Of course found
no trace. After a time rain set In and
II of the gentlemen escorted the la
dies home, while three of us remained
to prowl about the woods and roads oil
night in n soaking drizzle. The task
was tircsome enough for me, MS 1t lack
ed motive, and when we rode into
Berkeley castle next day n sorrier set
of bcdraggled, rain stained, mud COW
cred knights you never saw. You may
know the castle was wild with excite.
ment. There were all sorts Of conjec.
lures, but soon we unanimously con-
cluded 1t had been the work of high.
wnymen, of whom the country was
full and by whom the princess had Ger.
tninly been abducted.
The chaperons forgot their govt and
each other, INT Jane, who was the
most affected Of all, had q genuine ex.
cusc for giving vent to her grief and
went to bed-by far the safest place
for her.
What was to be done? First, we sent
n message to the king, who would
probably have us all flaycd alive, n fear
which the chnpcrons shared to the full.
est extent. Next, an armed party rode
back to look again for Mary and, II
possible, rescue her.
The fact that l had Beer out the en-
tire night before, together with the
small reputc in which I was held for
deeds of arms, excused me from taking
part in this bOotless errand, so again I
profitcd by the small esteem In which
L was held. / say l profitcd, for I
stayed at the castle with jane, hoping
to find my opportunity in the absence
of everybody else. All the ladies but
Jane had ridden out, and the knights
who had been with me securing the
forest were sleeping, since they had not
my incentive to remain awake. They
had no message to deliver, no duty to
perform for an absent friend. A thou
sand! Only think OF 1t! 1 wished It
had been n million, and so faithful was
l to my trust that swore I'm my soul
1 would deliver them, every one.
And Jane loved me! No moro walk
ing on the hard, prosaic earth now.
From this time forth 1 would fly; that
was the only sensible method of loco
notion. Mary had said, "Shc told me
SO" Could 1t really be true? You
VIII at once sec what an advantage
this bit of information was to me.
1 hoped that Jane would wish to Zee
me to talk ovcr Mary'a escapes; 40 I
sont word to her that / was waiting.
II she quickly enough recovered her
health and came down. / suggested
that we walk out to a secluded little
summer house by the river, and Jane
was willing. All, my opportunity was
here at last!
James whole attitude toward mo waa
changed, and she seemed to cling to
| mo in n GhV iIpnrpsnin..a At.I
was sweet beyond the naming, as the
one solace for all her grief.
After / had answered all her cues.
lions ana had told her over inc over
again every detail Of Mary's fight and
had assured her that the princess was
Mt that hour brcasting the waves with
Brandon on their highroad to paradise.
L thought 1t time to start myself I'm
the same direction and to say n word
In my w behalf. So l spoke very
freely and told Jane what / felt and
what I wanted.
"Oh, Sir Edwin she responded,
"let us not think Of anything but my
mistress. Think of the trouble she is
In"
NO, no. TAI Lady Mary Is out of
her by now and is as happy as
a lark, you may be sure. Has she not
won everything her heart longed for?
Then let us make our own paradise,
since we have helped them make theirs.
You have 1t, Jane, just within your
lips. Speak the word, and 1t will
change everything, if you love me, and
l know you do"
James head wos bowed, and she re.
NAMED silent.
Then told her Of Lady Mary's mes
sage and begged, IL she would not
speak In words what I so lopged to
hear, she would at least tell 1t by al.
lowing me to deliver only one little
t%housandth part of the message Mary
had sent, but she drew away and said
she would return to the castle if I
continued to behave in that n I
begged hard and tried to argue the
point, but logic seems to lose its force
In such a situation, and all I said
ayailed n%othiug} Jane was obdurate
and was for goihg back ct once. Her
persistence WIS beginning to look like
Obstinacy. aud II soon oravv ~ ono..,