The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-22
Chapter VI. Continued.

AS you may well suppose, this news awoke
in me the lust of battle, and I must chafe
the more for having it. And while my viz
ftor talked on, and was listening with the
outward ear. my brain was busy putting
two and two together. How came 1t that
the British outpost SIN remained al Queens
borough. with my Lerd Rawt1on withdrawn
and the patriot home guard well down upon
fits rear? Some urgent reason for the stay
there must be. and at that ] remembered
what Darius had told me OF its captain
waiting for some messenger from the South.
1 scored this matter with question mark.
putting IL aside to think on more when
should be alone. And when the priest had
told me all the news at large, We came
again TO speak OF MHrsery.
II go and come through all this border
land he said. when I had asked him how
and why he came TO Appleby Hundred but
Il was mam'selles message brought me
here. She is my one eve lamb in all this
region. and l would journey far to see
her
III wondered pointetiy OF this. for in that
{iay the West was Gercely Protestant and
the Mother Church had scanty footing IN
the borderland.
But Mistress Msrgery is not cathclic!"
said L
His look forgave the protest in the words
Indeed she is. my son. Has she not
told your
Now truly she had not told me 20 In
any measured word or phrase. and Yet
might have guessed It. since she had often
snoken lovingly OF this same Father Mat
.hieu. And yet it was incredible TO me.
..Rut howl do not understand how that
ran he" 1 stammered Surely. she told
me she was Of Husuenot blood on the
mothers side. and that is
The missionary's smile was lenient s'iii'
but full of meaning.
Not all who wander from the Catholic
fold are lost forever Captain Iretof. The
mother OF this demoieelle lived al her hte
a Protestant. I think, but when she csnie
BE- die she sent for me. And that IS now
Ssr child was sent to France and grew up
ronvent-bred. Monsieur Stair gave ms
nromise at the mothers death-pee. s'u
fboueb he liked SC not. he kept u"
Aha see. And for this single
lamb of your scant fold you ptsv ,e
she terrors of our hereto Sa s.
woods? 1t does you credit. rather W
shieu. The war fills al horlhons ~.
mayhap. but have seen the time IA m In.
ianburr when your cassock would nave
been a challenge TO the mob
vie smile was quite devoid OF bitterness.
.Tbe time has not yet passed. ne SAG.
gently 81 have been six weeks on the
way from Maryland nither. hiding IN sne
forest bv day and faring on at night. IN
decd. 1 was in hiding on neighberirg plan
tation when our deu1eiselle's messenger
found me-"
This put me keen upon remembering what
had gone before: how he had said at Hrst
that she had sent for him. thought II
strange. knowing how perilous the time ana
place must be for such as he. But not
9until he rose end bidding me good day.
left me to myself. did 90 much as guess
the thing MS coming meant. When I had
GUESSED IL; when I put this TO thatcher
telling me Sir Francis had proposed Tor
her. and this her sending for the priest
fr.R Ior Al
naugat compared to that anger which
seized and racked me.
] know not how the hours OF this black
day were made to come and go. grinding
me to dust and ashes in their passage. yet
leaving me alive and keen to suffer at the
end.
thousand times that day I lived in tor
ment through the scene in which the priest
had doubtless come to play his part OF
Joiner. The stage for 1t would be the
great room fronting south: the room my
father used to cali our castle hall. For
guests / thought there would be space
enough and some to spare, for, as you
know. our Mecklenburg WIS patriotic TO the
core. But as to this, the bridegroom's
troopers might fill out the tale. and in my
heated fancy / would see them grouped be-
meath the candle-sconces with belts and
baldrics fresh pipe-clayed, and shakos
doffed. and sabretaches well In front. "A
and trooper-guests were hitting In such
case.
From serving In q Catholic land I knew
the customs OF the mother church. So
could see the priest in casRoek, alb and
stole as he would stand before some make
shift altar lit with candieA And ~ he
stands they come to kneei before hin.-ny
winsome Margery in all her royal beauty,
a child to love. and yet an empress peer
less in her woman's realm. and at her side.
with his knee touching hers. this man who
was a DEVIL
What wonder If cursed and choked and
cursed again when the macdening thought
OF what all this should mean for my poor
wounded Richard-and later on for Mar
gerry herself-possessed met In which Of
these hot fever-gusts Of rage the thought
of interference came I know not. But that
IT came at length-a thought and plan full
grown at birth-I do know.
The pointing Of the plan was desperate
and simple. 1t was neither more nor less
than this: knew the house and ,verg turn
and passage in it. and when the hour should
strike L said 1 should go down and skulk
nong the guests. and at the cru
al moment find or seise . weapon end
fling myself upon this bridegroom a. he
should kneel before the altar.
With strength to bend him back and
strike one blow. saw not why Il might not
win. And az for strength, I have learned
ms IN war: That 20 the rage be hot enough
twill nerve dying man to hack ana hew
and stab 40 with the strength Of ten.
Although IL was most terribly oyerions
in coming. the end Of that black day did
come at last. ard with 1t Darius TO fetch
my supper and the candles You may be
sure queationed him. and, II you Know the
blacks. you'll smile and say had my labor
for my rAins-the which / had, HIS place
was at the quarters, and Of what went on
within the house he knew no more than 1
But this he told me; that company surely
was expected, ana that some air OF mystery
was abroad.
When he was gone ate a soldiers por-
ton. knowing OF old how III a thing II is
TO take an empty stomach into battle For
the same cause / drank a second cup OF
wine-twas old madeira of my fathers lay
ing-in-and would have drunk a third, but
that the bottle would not yield IT,
1t was fully dark when I had finished,
and, thinking ever on my plan. would strive
afresh to weld its weakest link, This was
the hazard of the weapon-getting. With
full-blood health and strength might have
gone bare-handed; but as II was, I feared
to take the chance. So with candle went
approving In the deep drawers of the old
oaken clothes-press and in the esoritoire
which once had been my mothers and
found no weapon bigger than a hairpin.
It was no great disappointment, for had
looked before with daylight in the room.
Besides, the wine was mounting, and when
the search was done the hasard seemed the
less. So 1 could rush upon him unawares
and put my knee against his back,
- T D.