The San Francisco call., 1903-01-18

They travelled on. gaIIloping when they
lOp and walking when they must.
At one time they thought they heard inc
sound of following horses, and fastened
on as fast as they dare go, until, stop
concluded they were wrong. About I'll
O'Clock, however right out of the black
oank Of night in front Of them they heard,
IN earnest. the sucking splash OF horses
hOOfs. In an instant the sound ceased and
the silence was worse than the noise. The
cry "Hellol" brought them all to a stand,
and Mary thought her time had come
Both shouted who comes there? to
winch there was a simultaneous and eager
answer, "A friend" and each party pass
the other Mary's sigh of relief could be
heard above even the wind and the owls.
ana her heart beat as if IL had task to
hnish within certain time.
AFTER this they rode on as rapidly as
they dared, and about midnight arrived at
the inn where the relay of horses was
awaiting them.
The inn was a rambling old matched
rooted structure. half mud half wood,
ana all NTH. There are many inns In
England that are tidy enough but this
one was little of the main rOad-select-
cd Tor that reaSOn-and the unCleanneSS
was not the least of Mary's trials that
hard night. She had not tasted food since
noon. and felt the keen hunger natural
to youth and health such as hers. after
twelve hours Of fasting and eight hours OF
rlulng- Her appetite soon OVercame her
repugnance. and she ate with a zest that
was new to her the humblest fare that
had ever passed her lips. One often misses
the zest of life's joys by having too much
OF them, and must want thing before 1t
can be appreciated.
A hard ride of five hours brought our
travellers to Bath. which place they rode
around just as the sun began TO gid the
tile roofs and steeples, and another hour
brought them to Bristol.
The ship was to sail at sunrise but as
the wind had died out with the night
there was no danger of its sailing without
them. Soon the gates opened. and the
party rode to the Bow and String. where
Brandon had left their chests. The men
were paid off; quick sale was made of the
horses; breakfast was served and they
started for the wharf with their chests
following in the hands of four porters.
A boat soon took them aboard the Royal
Hind, and now it looked as III their daring
scheme, so fun of impTObability as to
seem impossible, had really come to
successful issue.
From the beginning I think IL had
never occurred to Mary to doubt the re-
suit. There had never been with her even
a suggestion of possible failure, unless il
was that evening in our room when.
prompted by her startled mOdesty she
had said she could not bear for us to see
her In the trunk hose. Now that fruition
seemed about to crown her hopes she was
happy to her hearts core: and when once
to herself Wept for sheer joy. IL is little
wonder she was happy She was leaving
behind no one whom she loved except
Jane, and perhaps, me. No father or
mother; only sister whom she barely
knew. and a brother whose treatment OF
her had turned her heart against him. She
was fleeing with the one man in all the
world for her, and from marriage that
was literally worse than death.
Brandon, on the other hand had always
had more desire than hope. The many
chances against success had forced upon
him a haunting sense of certain failure.
which. one would think should have left
him now. 1t did not however and even
when on shipbOard. with score of men
at the windlass ready to heave anchor at
the first breath of wind. il strong
as when Mary first proposed their flight,
sitting in the window on his great cloak.
Such were their opposite positions. Both
were without doubt but with this diff
ference; Mary had never doubted success;
Brandon never doubted failure. He had
a keen analytical faculty that gave him
truthfully the chances for and against.
and. in this case, they were Overv hslTn-
ingly unfavOrabe. Such hopes as he had
been able to distill out of his desire was
sadly dampened by an ever-present pre-
monition of failure. which he could not
entirely throw off. Too keen an insight for
the truth often stands in a mans way,
and too clear view of an overwhelming
obstacle is apt to paralyze effort Hope
must always be behind a hearty endeavOr.
Our travellers We're, of course, greatly in
need of rest: so Mary went to her room,
and Brandon took a berth in the cabin
set apart for the gentlemen
They had both paid for their passage.
although they had enlisted and were part
OF the ships company. They were not
expected to do sailors work, but would
be called upon in case of fighting TO do
their part at that. Mary was probably
as good fighter in her own line as
one could find in a long journey, but how
she, was to do her part with sword and
buckler Brandon did not know. That.
however, was a bridge to be crossed when
they should come to it.
They had gone aboard about Z o'clock,
and Brandon hoped the ship would be well
down Bristol channel before he should
leave his berth But the wind that had
flled Mary's jackboots with rain and had
Eowled 50 dismally all night long would
not stir, now that it was wanted. Noon
came, yet no wind, and the sun shOne as
placidly as if Captain Charles Brandon
were not fUming with impatience on the
poop of the Royal Hind Three O'Clock
and no wind. The captain said IL would
come with night. but su~d9w1 We Al
most at hand and wind yet. Bran
don knew this meant faHure II II held a
little longer for he was certain the King,
with Wolsey's help. would long since have
guessed the truth.
Brandon had not seen the Princess since
morning, and the delCacy he felt about
going to her cabin made the situation
somewhat difficult After putting IL Os
from hour to hour in hope that she would
appear of her own accord. he at last
knocked at her door and, of course, found
the lady in trouble.
The thought of the Princess going on
deck caused sinking at his heart every
time it came. as he felt that it was al
most impossible to conceal her identity.
He had not seen her in her new male
attire. for when she threw of her riding
habit on meeting him the night before
he had Intentionally busted himself about
the horses, and saw her only after the
great cloak covered her as a gown. He
felt that however we'll her garments
might conceal her form. no man earth
ever had such beauty in his face as her
transcendent eyes. rose-tinted cheeks and
coral lips. with their cluster of dimples,
and his heart sunk at the prospect She
might hold out for while with a straight
face but when the smiles should come
il were just as well TO hang a placsrd
about her neck: This is woman" The
teIltaIe dimpIes would be worse than Jane
for outspoken. untimely truthfulness and
trouble provoking candor.
Upon entering. Brandon found Mary
wrestling with the problem of her COM
plicated male attire; the most beautiful
picture of puzzled distress imaginable.
The port was open and showed her rosy
as the morn when she looked up at him.
The jackboots were in corner. and her
little feet seemed to put UP a protest all
their own against going into them that
ought to have softened every peg. She
looked up at Brandon with half-hearted
smile, and then threw her arms about his
neck and sobbed like the child that she
was.
do you regret coming. Lady MaryP'
asked Brandon, who, now that she
49,