The San Francisco call., 1903-12-13

the arm Of another epauletted dangler.
She was before me at the meeting
place, and there was no laughing well
come in the deep-welled eyes. Instead.
they flashed at me a look that made me
What folly is this. sir?" she demand
ed. VIII you never have done taking
my honor and your own life into your
reckless hands2"
1 bowed my head to the storm. With
the dagger of my miserable errand stick
ing in my heart there was no fight in me.
4 am but come to do your bidding. 1
said. slowly. for the words cost me sore
" I'm the coin of anguish. Il had your
letter. and if you will say how 1 may
find Father Matthieu-"
She broke me in the midst Mon
you would come here. into the very moose
Of the gallows2 On. how you do heap
scorn on scorn upon mel Once you made
me give silent consent to a falsehood
YOU told; twice. nay. thrice, you have
made me disloyal to the king; and now
you come again to make me look the
world in the face and tell a smiling lie
TO shield you o Holy Mother, pity me-.
And with this she put her face in her
hands and began to sob.
Now We were only measurably isolated
on the stair. and some sense Of the haz-
ard We took-a hazard involving her as
well as Richard and mySelf-steadied me
with a sudden shock.
Control yourself l whispered. What
is done. is done; and the misery is not
all yours 10 suffer. Tell me how / may
find the priest. and will do my errand
and begone."
You can not stay to find him now
YOU must not. she insisted. coming out
is in the town-indeed. l know not where
he is just now. Can you not endure 1t
little longer Captain Iretong
No said l. sullenly. Il have been
living lie all these months TO the friend
l love best. and I will not do it more.
Could 1 be mistaken? Surely there
was flash not of anger IN
the eyes that were lifted TO mine
voice that said: Then Dick does not
know you have not told him?"
No; 1 have told no one" .r
She paused. and in the pause it flashed
upon me how she had wrOnged my dear
lad: how she had thought he would
make braZen love to her knowing she
was the wife Of another. l t--anked God
in my heart that l had been able TO
right him thus far.
After a time she said: Why did
you make me marry you. Monsieur
JOhn2 Oh. I have racked my brain so
for the answer to that question l know
YOU said il was TO save my honor But
surely We have paid a heavier penalty
than any that could have been laid
upon me had you left me as l was"
4 was but a shOrt-sighted fool and
10 prophet" 1 rejoined. striving hard to
keep the bitterness of soul out of my
words AT the moment il seemed the
only way out of the pit of doubt into
plunged you. But there was another
motive. You saw the paper l signed
that night. with Lieutenant Tybee and
your fathers factor for the Witnesses"
DO you know what it WASP"
one John Ireton, gentleman. in which
he bequeathed to Margery. MS wife. his
estate OF Appleby Hundred"
"A,ppleby Hundred?' she echoed. but
my father
Your father holds but a confscator's s
title. and it. with many others. has been
voided by the Congress OF North Caro-
lima. Richard Jennifer is my dear
Il begin to underestimate little" she
said. and now her voice was low and she
would not look at me- Then in the same
low tone: But now-now you would
be free again?"
How can you ask?. AS matters stand
have narred your life and Dick most
have been reckless of the hangman?
that | care not for my interfering life
at this moment, save as the taking OF
il may involve you and RichaYd2"
NO. surely" she said. still speaking
softly. And now she gave me her eyes
TO look into. and the hardness was all
here. under the shadow of the gallows,
TO tell me this. Monsieur John?'
There shall be no more half-confi-
dence between us, dear lady | had my
leave OF General Morgan on the score
Of our need for better information OF
Lord Corvallis designs; but l should
have come in any case-wanting the
leave. my commission as a spy. or any
other excuse.
TO tell me this7"
ITO do the bidding of your letter. and
shamed for the bitter words l gave you
when 1 was sick"
Il mind them not; 1 had forgotten
But l have not forgotten them. nor
ever shall. Will you say you forgive me,
Margery?"
For thinking I had poisoned you?
How do you know I did not?''
Il have seen Scipio. VIII you shrive
me for that disloyalty. dear lady?"
Did 1 not say had forgotten it?'
the bottom Of my heart Now one thing
more. and you shall send me to Father
Matthieu. 'Tis a shameful thing to
speak of. but the thought Of il rankles
and will rankle till 1 have begged you to
add 1t to the things forgotten. That
morning in your dressing room"
She put UP her hands as If she would
push the words back
spare me. sir she begged. There
are some things that must always be un-
speakable between us. and that is one of
them. But If IL will help you to know
that know-how-how you came
She was flushing most painfully. and I
was scarce more at ease. But having
gone thus far. l must needs let the
thought consequent slip into words.
Your fathers motives have ever been
misunderstandable TO me. What could
he hope TO gain by such thing?"
I had no sooner said IT than I could
have bitten my masterless tongue. For
in the very voicing Of the wonder l saw,
or thought / saw Gilbert Stairs pur-
pose. Since l had not made good my
promise to die and leave the estate to
Margery, he would at least make sure OF
his daughters dowry in il by putting il
beyond Us to set the marriage aside as a
thing begun but not completed. So, hav-
ing this behind-time flash of after-wit, l
made haste TO efface the question / had
asked.
Your pardon. I pray you: I see now
tbs thing we must both bury out of
sight. But to the other-the matter
which has brought me hither; will YOU
put me in the way of finding Father
MatthieuT'
We had talked on through the meas
ures of a cotillon, and the dancers warm
and wearied, were beginning to fill the
entrance hall below. Our Door excuse for
privacy would be gone in a minute or
two. and she spoke quickly.