The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-18
COPYRIGHT, 1892. The Bowen MERRILL COMPANY.
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII.
IN WHICH MY LADY HATH NO PART.
Seeing that / had taken a mans life for
this. the chance of looking in upon drink
ing bout, you will not wonder that / went
aghast and would have fed for very shame
had not sudden weakness seized me. But
in the midst l heard mention of my name.
and SO had leave. thought. to stay and
listen.
1t was one of the late-comers who gave
me this leave. a man well on in years. griz-
zled and weather beaten, a seasoned SOL
der by his look and garb. Though his
frayed shoulder knot was only that Of a
captain Of foot. twas plain enough he
ranked his comrade and the knight well.
You say you've bagged this Captain Ire
ton? Who may he be? Surely not old
Rogers son?'
The same" said the baronet shortly and
would be filling his glass again. He could
always drink more and feel 1t less than any
sot ever knew.
But how the devil came he here? The
last / knew of him-'twas some half score
years ago, though, come to think-he was a
lieutenant in the Royal Scots"
Mine enemy nodded. $50 he was. But
afterward he cut the service and levanted
to the continent"
The Questioner fell into a muse; then he
laughed and clapped his leg.
''Ecod 1 do remember now There was
damned good messroom joke about him
When he was in the Blues they used to say
his solemn face would stop a merry-mak-
ing. Well, after he had been in Austria a
while they told this on him, that his field
marshal had him listed for a majority, and
so he was presented to the Empress. But
when Maria Theresa saw him she shrieked
and cried out: III est lie pere aux tetes
rondes, lui-memei LIE portez-vous dehors!
So he got but captaincy after all; ha!
ha! ha!'
Now this was but messroom gibe, as he
had said, cut out of unmarried cloth at that.
Our Austrian Maria ever had a better word
than round head" for her soldiers But
yet 1t stung, and stung the more because
/ had and have the Ireton face, and that
is unbeloved of women and glum and curst
and solemn even when the man behind it
would be kindly. So when they laughed
and chuckled at this jest fingered on and
listened with the better grace.
"Hdl pIouSHl MIN over seas, Sir
Francis?" Twas not the grizzled Jester
who asked. but the younger officer, his
comrade.
Balconnet smiled as one who knows a
thing and will not tell, and turned to Gill
bert Stair.
What was it, think you, Mr. Stair?' he
said, passing the question on.
AT this they all looked at the master of
Appleby Hundred. and I looked, too. He
was not the man 1 should have hit upon in
any throng as the reaver of my fathers
estate, still less the man who might be
Margery's father. He had the face of all
the Stairs of Ballantrae without it's simple
Scottish ruggedness; sort of weasel face
it was. with pale gray eyes that had a trick
or shifty lodging, and deep furrowed about
the mouth and chin, with lines that spoke
of indecision. 1t was not of him that Mar
gerry got her firm, round chin or her stead
fast eyes that knew not how to quail, MOI
aught of anything she owed a father save
only her paternity. you'd say. And when
he spoke the thin falsetto voice matched
the weak chin to a hair.
II? Damme, Sir Francis, I know no,
why he came-how should I known he
quavered. 'Appleby Hundred is mine
mine. tell you His title was we'll hanged
on tree with his damned rebel father!'
A laugh uproarious from the three SOL
diers greeted his petuIant outburst, after
which the baronet enlightened the others
LAS you know Captain John, Appleby
Hundred once belonged to the Rebel Roger
Ireton, and Mr.. Stair here holds but a con.
We
Of the war and thought he stood some
chance to come into his own again."
"Oh, aye; sure enough" quoth the eide,
officer. fitting his bottle afresh. And then
"Of course he promptly listed with tbs
rebels when he came? Trust Roger Ire.
toms son for that"
My baronet wagged his head assentingly
to this. then clinched the lie in words
"Of course; We have his commission. He
is on De Kalb's staff detached for special
duty
"A spy!" reared the Jester. "And We,
you haven't hanged him?'
Sir Francis shrugged like any Frenchman
"All in good time. my dear captain There
were reasons why / did not care to kno,
the rope myself. Besides, we had a little
disagreement years agone across the water
twas about a woman-oh, she was no mis-
tress of his. do assure youv'-this tc
quench my TESTERS laugh incredulous He
was keen upon me for satisfaction in this
old quarrel and gave it him. thinking he't
hang the easier for little blooding first"
Here the factor-lawyer cut in anxiously
But you will hang him, Sir Francis
You've promised that you know"
ha ra he
cause he turned a shoulder to this little
bloodhound and quite ignored the interrupt
ton.
so we fought it out one morning in Mr.
Stairs wood field, and he had what hi
came for. Not TO give him chance to es
cape. We brought him here, and as soon al
he is Mt 10 ride ii send him 10 the colonel
Tarleton will give him a short shrft.
promise you, and then"-this to the maste1
of Appleby Hundred-'fhen your title viii
be well quoted, Mr.. Stair
At this the weather-beaten captain roaret
again and smote the table till the bottle:
reeled.
II say. Sir Frank, that's good-damne,
good. So you have him crimped here in hi,
own house. stuffing him like a penned ca
/ pom before you wiring his neck. An hal ha
But It's TO be hoped you have his legs wei
| tied. II he be any son of my old mad bull
Roger lreton you'll hardly hang him peace
| fully like a trussed fowl before the fire.
The baronst s smiled led and said; I'm b
| him we'll guarded from the first, and to
| night he is behind barred door with Mr.
/ Stairs overseer standing sentry before il
! But as for that, he's barely out of bed from
| my pin prick"
/ Having thus disposed of me- they let m
/ be and came TO the graver business OF tn
moment with toast toalay the dust befor
/ IL. 1t was Falconnet who gave the toast
| Here's TO our bully redskins and thei
1 L. do ell