The San Francisco call., 1903-01-18

up the Lady mary QOWer, IL MOuiu po
wise not to antagonize them In this mat
ter, but to allow Master Brandon to re-
main quietly in confinement until the loan
is competed. and then we can snap our
fingers at them"
I'VE will snap our fingers at the
scurvy burghers now and have the loan,
too" returned Henry angrily. want
Brandon released at once and sha, ex-
pect another report from you immedlate-
ly my Lord
Buckingham felt that his revenge had
slipped through his fingers this time, out
he was patient where evil was to be ac-
complished and could wait. Then II was
that the council was called during the
P54gress Of which Mary an and ,nr sried 10
Buckingham had gone to pay ms re-
spects to the Queen and on his way pack
espied Mary waiting for the King IN the
Al first She was irritated at the sight
of this man, whom she so despised, <out
thought came to her that she might
with the citizens and city authorities OF
London, and also knew, or thought she
knew, that a smile from her could ac-
complish everything with him. She had
she hoped that she could procure Bran
don's liberty through Buckingham with
out revealing her dangerous secret
Much to the Dukes surprise. she smiled
upon him and gave cordial welcome,
saying: My Lord, you have Deen unklnd
to us of late and have not shown the
see you once more; tell me the news.
Il cannot say there is much of interest.
| have learned the new dance from cas-
koden, if that is news, and hope for
favor at our next ball from the fairest
lady in the world
And quite welcome" returned Mary,
complacently appropriating the tltie, ana
welcome to more than one, hope, my
Lord"
This graciousness would have looked
suspicious to one with less vanity than
lufst-f fT1p pf1ar1a llnrf y,
He did see, however, that Mary did not
know who had attacked her In Billings
gate and he felt greatly relieved.
The Duke smiled and smirked and was
enchanted at her kindness They walked
down the corridor talking and laughing,
Mary awaiting an opportunity TO put the
important question without exciting sus-
picion. At last it>came, when Bucking-
ham, half inquiringly, expressed his sur
Prise that Mary should be found sitting
at the Kings door.
she. Little Caskodens friend, Brandon
has been arrested for a brawl of some sort
over in London and Sir Edwin ana Lady
Jane have importuned me TO obtain his re-
lease, which l have promised to do. Per-
hapS your Grace will allow me to petition
you IN place of carrying my request to
the hing. You are quite as powerful as
his Majesty in London. and | should like
TO ask you to obtain for Master Brandon
his liberty at once L shall hold myself
Infinitely obliged if your Lordship Will do
this for me-" She smiled upon him her
sweetest smile and assumed an indif-
ference that would have deceived any one
circumstances it was worse than wasted.
buckingham at oHce consented and said
that notwithstanding the fact that he
did not like Brandon to oblige her High
ness he would undertake to befriend a
much more diSagreeable person.
Il fear" he said, ut will have to be
done secretly-by conniving at his escape
rather than by an order for his release.
The citizens are greatly alarmed over the
alarming frequency of such occurrences.
and as many of the offenders have lately
fear fR this mon Rrandon
will have to bear the brunt. in the Lon
don mind, Of all these unpunished crimes.
1t will be next to impossible to liberate
MIN, except by arranging privately with
the keeper for his escape. He could go
down into the country and wait N se-
clusion until 1t is all blown over. or until
London has new VICTIM, and then an
order can be made pardoning him, and
he can return"
"Pardoning him! What are you talk
shall be rewarded Mary spoke impet-
uously but caught herself and tried to
remedy her blunder. That is, If | have
heard the straight of it. 1 have been told
that the killing was done in the defense
of two-women." Think of this poor un-
BILE, talking thus to Buckingham. who
knew so much more about the affair than
even she, who had taken so active a part
in it.
who told you OF it?" asked the Duke.
Mary saw she had made a mistake, and
after after hesitating for a moment answered:
Master Brandon. | suppose" Rather
adroit this was. but eouidistant from both
truth and effectiveness.
Il Will go at once to London and ar
range for Brandon's escape" said Buck
ingham. preparing to leave. But you
must not divulge the fact that do it.
with the people of London, though [
would willingly lose that favor, a thou
sand times over. for smile from you
lowed his retiring figure with her eyes,
heart"
She breathed a sigh of relief, too, for
she felt she had accomplished Brandon s
release and still retained her dangerous
secret, the divulging of which, she feared,
would harden Henry's heart against her
Establishments and strand her upon the
throne of France.
But she was not entirely satisfied with
the the arrangement She knew that her OBJ
mand of her that she should not leave
the matter of his release to any other
person, much less to an enemy such as
dom by direct act of her own would be
SO great that she was tempted to take
Whatever risk there might be in the way
that had opened Itself to her. Not that
she would not have made the sacrifice
willingly. or would not have told Henry
all If that were the only chance to save
Brandon's life, but the other way the
one she had taken by Buckingham's help,
seemed safe, and, though not entirely sat
lsfying she could not see how it could
miscarry. buckingham was notably jeal-
Gus of his knightly word, and She had
unbounded faith in her influence over him.
In short like many another person, she
was as wrong as possible just at the time
when she thought she entirely right,
and when the cost of a mistake was at
its maximum.
She. recoiled also from the thought of
Braneon's ESCAPE" and it hurt her that t
he should be a fugitive from the justice
that should reward him, yet she queted
these disturbing suggestions with the
thought that it would be only for a short
time, and Brandon. she knew would be
only too glad to make the sacrifice if it
purchased for her freedom from the worse
than damnation that lurked in the French
marriage.
All this ran quickly through Mary's
mind and brought relief; but it did not
cure the uneasy sense weighing like lead
upon her heart. that she should take no
chance with this mans life. and should
put no further weight of sacrifice upon
MN, but should go to the King and tell
him STRAIGHTFORWARD story. let it hurt
where it would. With little meditatio
however, came a thought which decided
the question and absolutely made every
thing bright again for her, so great was
a no hi tin 1s<~I.N lNe.