The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-15

- lctNH SOG any
l fear the madness of the moment must
stin have been upon me, for / said: since
you are here yourself. dear lady. l need
| naught else"
At a flash l had my whipping in low
| dipped curtsy and knocking smile like that
| she had flung to Falconnet.
! "Merci! mon Capitaine," she said: and for
1 all my wincings under the sharp lash OF her
| sarcasm | was moved to wonder how she
had the French OF II. And then she ad Fed
| is II the custom for her Apostolic Males
| tvs officers to come out OF deathswound
only to pay pretty complIments?''
Twas no compliment" denied and in
| deed meant It, Then / asked where
was. and to whom indebted. though l had
| long since guessed the answer to both ques-
! tions.
In trice the hooking mood was gone
ana she became my lady hostess. STEPPED
! 10 her hnger-tips in gracious dignity.
You are at Appleby Hundred. sir. Twas
mere they fetched you because there was no
other house so near. and you were soreiy
hurt. Richard Jennifer and my black boy
| made litter of the saddle cloths. and with
Sir Francis and Mr.. Tybee to help
think she must have seen that this thrust
was sharper than that OF the German long
sword, FOR she stopped in mid-sentence and
looked away from me. And surely 1
thought IL was the very irony of fate that
1 should thus be brought half dead to the
house that was my fathers, with nv en-
envy and his second TO share the burden
Of me.
But your father" l queried when the
| silence had grown over long
My father Is away at Queensborough SO
You must cen trust yourself 10 my tender
mercies, Captain Ireton. Are YOU strong
enough to have your wound dressed?"
She asked, but waited for no answer of
mine. Summoning black boy to hold the
basin or water. she fell to upon the wound
dressing with as little ado as IL she had
been surgeons apprentice on a battlefield,
and l a bloodless ancient too old TO Thrill, at
the touch of a womans hands.
Dear heart! It's monstrous ugly hurt. -
she declared. replacing the wrappings with
deft fingers. How came you to go about
picking quarrel with Sir Francis?''
Twas not of my seeking" l returned
and then / could have cursed my foolish
| tongue.
Us that generous. Captain Ireton? We
hear something Of the talk of the town. and
that says"
THAT says / struck him without sufficient
cause. 1 am content to let it stand So
Nay. but you should not be content Is
there not strife enough in this unhappy land
without these causeless bickerings?''
Here was my lady turned preacher all in
breath. and / with no words to answer
ner. but L cOulu not let IL go thus.
I knew Sir Francis Falconnet in Eng
land" said |. hoping by this to turn her
safe aside.
''Ah: then there was cause. Tell it me-"
Nay. that I may not
Though she was hurting me sorely in the
mountaineering. and knew it, she laughed.
TITS most ungalant to deny a lady.
sir. But I shall know without the tell
ing; twas about a woman Tell me. Cap
tain Ireton. IS she fair?"
Seeing that her mood had changed again.
,ried to give her quip for jest: but what
With the pain of the word-thrust and the
sweet agony Of her touches could only set
nv teeth against a groan. She went on
drawing the bandagings, little heedful how
she racked me. thought: and yet wnen all
was done she stood beside me all Of a
trembie as any tender-heafted woman
might
'sThere." she said; "'tis over for a time
and make no doubt you are glad enough
Now you have nothing to do save to lie
quiet till it heals
And how long will that be, think your"
I'VE shall see: long time, I hope. You
shall be punished properly for your hot
temper, I promise you, Captain Ireton."
With that she left me and went to stand
in the window-bay; and from lying mouse
still and watching her over-steadily I fell
asleep again. When 1 awoke the day was
in its cleaning and she was gone.
After this saw her no more for six full
circlings Of the clock-hands, and grew fair
famished for sight of her sweet face
But to atone. She or some messenger OF
Richard Jennifer's brought me my faithful
Darius, and he IT was who fetched me my
food and drink and dressed my wound.
From him I CLEANED that the master of APP
plebv Hundred had returned from Queens
borough. and that there were officers in
red coats continually going back and forth.
always with hearty welcome from Gilbert
Stair
Now, though the master of my stolen
heritage had little cause to love me,
thought he had still less to fear me; so It
seemed passing strange that ne came not
once to my bedchamber to pass the time Of
day with his unbdden guest. or to ask how
he Jared. But in this as in many other
things. reckoned without my enemy,
though might have known that Sir Fran
els would be oftenest among the relocated
officers coming and going.
But, stranger than this. or than my lady's
continued avoidance of me. was the lack of
visit from Richard Jennifer. Knowing
well my dear dads loyalty to the patriot
cause, I could only conjecture that
he had finally broken Margery's
enforced truce to go and Join
Mr.. Rutherford's militia, which, a.
Darius told me. was rallying to attack .
Tory stronghold at Ramsours MIL.
With this surmise I was striving to CEN
tent myself on that evening Of The third
day, when Mistress Marg cry burst in upon
me, bright-eyed and with her cheeks aflame.
Captain Ireton. I will know the know
Captain Ireton, 1 will know the true
cause Of this quarrel. which. falling in your
self, you pass on to Richard JennifeI" che
cried. WAS 1t not enough that YOU should
get yourself half slain. without sending
this headstrong boy to his death?"
Now in all my surmisings I had not
thought of this. and truly II she had sought
far and wide for a whip to scourge me
with. she could have found no thing to
cut so deep.
God help mel' 1 groaned HAS this
fiend incarnate killed my poor lad?''
mo. he is not dead she confessed, re-
lenting little. But he has the taronet's
bullet through his sword-arm for the sake
Of your overseas disagreement with Sir
Francis"
could not tell her that though my quar-
rel with this villain was but the avenging
of poor Dick Coverdale's wrongs. Richard
Jennifer's was for the baronets affront to
her. So 1 bore the blame in silence, clad
enough to be assured that my dear lad
was only wounded.
flying out at me I'm a passion Cor my lack Of
words.
What should I say? 1 have forgot that
oEce you called me ungenerous.'
You should defend yourself. IL you can.
And you should ask my pardon for calling
my fathers guest hard names"
The last will do right heartily. Twas
but the simple truth. but 1t was i'll spo ken
in your presence, Mistress Stair
At this she laughed merely; and In all
my worldwonderings. had never heard q