The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-20
CHAPTER TX.

CHAPTER TX.
HOW GOLDEN KEY UNLOCKED A
DOOR.
Having my dismissal and reprieve 1 was
remanded to the custody of that young
Lieutenant Tybee whom you have met and
known as Falconnet's second in the duel.
Interpreting bis orders literally. he suffered
me to keep my own room for the night.
had expected manacles and roommate
guard at the least, but my gentlemanly
jailer spared me both. When he had me
safe above stairs he barred the door upon
me, set sentry pacing back and forth in
the corridor without and another to keep
an eye upon the window from below, and so
left me.
There was no great need for either sentry
or for bolts and bars. What with the
nights adventures and my scarce healed
wound. I was far sped on that road which
ends against the blind wall of exhaustion,
as you may well suppose. For while man
may borrow strength of wine or rage or
passion, these lenders are but pitiless
usurers and will demand their pound of
flesh; aye. and have 1t, too, when all the
principal is spent
So when Tybee barred the door and left
me with a single candle to my lighting
was fain to fall upon the bed in utter weari-
ness, thinking that the respite bought by
my sweet lady's humbling was more dearly
bought than ever, and that the truest
mercy would have been the rope and tree
without this interval of waiting.
To me in this grim doubling castle Of
despair the priest came. He was a good
y,non ov11 t~t.o L..
to the savages. and he would be a curster
man than who failed to give him his due
need of praise and love. For in this dismal
interval of waiting, with death so sure and
near that all the air was growing chill and
lifeless at its presence, he was ready to help
in time of need. If were hereto" to him
1 swear knew it not for aught he said or
did; and though I trusted that when my
time was come / should stand forth with
some SMALL Supplemented show of cour-
age. yet when he went away I felt I was
the stronger for his coming And this
mark you, though 1 was still unshriyen
and he had never named the churchly rite
to me.
When he was gone I fell to wearing out
the time afoot; and lest you think me
harder than I was, 1t may be said that
while I did not make confession to the
kindly priest I hope I tried to make my
peace with God In some such simpler fash
ion our forebears did. Twas none so
great matter, for one who lives a SOL
dier's life must needs be ripe for plucking
hastily.
But in the final casting of accounts there
was an item written down in red and one
In black, and these would not be scored
across for all the travail of a soul DEPART
ing. The one in black was bitter sorrow
for the fate from which 1 might not live
to save my loved one: the one in red was
this: that / should die and carry hence the
knowledge that might else nip the Indian
onfall In the bud.
No sooner was the priest away than I
began to lpbraid myself because had not
told him of this British-Indian murder plan.
And yet on second thought twas clear that
it had been but a poor shifting Of the bur-
den to weaker shoulders, and thankless
too, for Tarleton would be sure to put him
on the question rack to make him tell of
all that passed between us.
AS had let him go he would have naught
to tell, and so was safe where otherwise
he might be hanged or buried in the hulks
for knowing what knew. No, 1t were best
he knew 1t not; but how was I to rid me of
this burden-of this and of that other laid
upon me for my love?
The question asked itself a many a time,
and was as often answerless, before there
came stir without and voices in the cor
ridor. 1t was the changing of the guard I
guessed, and so it proved, since presently
I heard the clanking of the officers sword
and double footballs minishing into silence
The sentry newly come paced back and
forth to low-hummed quickstep of his
own, bestirring himself as one who reused
but now from sleep, would wake himself
and be alert. He made more noise than did
the other, and that is why 1 marked it
when the footballs ceased abruptly. A mo-
ment afterward the bar was lifted eau
tiously from its socket, the latch clicked
gently and the door swung open. I looked,
and must needs look again to make assur-
ance sure. For on the threshold stood my
lady Margery and just behind her some
broad figure of a woman whom knew for
her stout Norman firing maid.
She gave me little time for any word of
stood amazed she dragged the woman in
with her and closed the door. AT that I
found my tongue.
.'Margery! Why have you conner" I
spoke in French. and she was quick to lay
a finger on her lip
Speak to me in English If you please"
she whispered Jeanne knows nothing
and she need not know. But you ask why
/ come: could / do less than come. dear
friend?
/ had always marveled that she could
he so mocking hard at times and at other
times-as now-so soft and gentle. And