The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-18

band, though God knows 1 would you were
neither"
'Merci, Madame" said 1, stung so sharp
ly that the retort would out in spite of
everything. las once before, L am your
poor, misfortunate pensioner but this time
you are not less willing to give than l am
to receive"
She gave me a look that I could not
fathom, and for a fitting instant l could
aMrk @ the baek of the besntfgl
Then she went straight to the subject mat
ter of her errand, brushing aside the small
passage at arms as If it had not been
You are in a most perilous situation,
Captain Ireton; do you know it? News of
your presence in Charlotte has got abroad.
and at this very moment Tarleton's
dragons are making a house-to-house
search for you.'
80; some one has betrayed me?'
She nodded.
do you know who IL waS?"
She nodded again.
l considered of it for a little time and
then said II must not be taken here:
VIII your-ah-duty stretch the length OF
showing me an unmatched door?"
There are doors unmatched. You
must stay here till nightfall.'
Nay, that / will not. Will you tell me
who ii was set them on?"
Twas man you hate-and who hates
you heartily in return. He saw you come
here last night: he knows you are here
/ had no right to pry into her confidence
as a thief would break into a house But
]. was loath to fight my battle in the dark
If she or any one could give me light.
His name if you may give it, Mistress
Margery. 1t may point the way out of this
COLL"
night when you came"
Now remembered the little man in black
whom I had seen coming down the stair
whilst / knocked at the door. But this
left me in greater maze than ever.
IF he knows / am here why does he let
them search elsewhere?"
At this she looked away from me. and I
made sure 1 saw the sweet chin CULVER
when she spoke.
He has reasons of his own; reasons
of-of-" but instead of telling me what
they were she broke off to say: But now
you know why all the doors Of this house
are under guard.
Truly" said L; and Herewith I fell to
pacing up and down the narrow clear
way in the garrett striving to see how I
might come off with nothing worse than
the loss of my burdensome life.
Twas easy to guess how this shaveling
lawyer had discounted me- Forewarned is
forearmed in any soldier camp; and
through his blabbing the plan by which 1
had hoped to lull resentment and forestall
far-reaching consequences and was made
to know how trapped rat will turn and
fight in sheer desperation whilst the terrier
is shaking him to death.
When that leaven began to work In me
I was fit for the daringest thing that
offered; SO 1 paused to ask if my Lord
HE is writing letters in his bedroom"
was her answer.
"If you will show me the way thither I
more"
Il will not-unless you first tell me what
you mean to do" She said ii firmly, but
now I was fronting death and could be as
firm as she.
"If you will not show me the way 1 shall
find it for myself So much 1 said: but
as for telling her that I meant to save his
lordship and all the others the trouble of
running me down l could not do that.
You are going TO give yourself up she
said; and when / would not deny it she
darted before me and set her back against
the wainscot door. Its folly, folly!'' she
cried. He would but pull the bell cord
and"
tons sentence be executed upon me you
would say Be it So But in that event
can at least clear you and your father Of
II say you shall not gor'
What touch of savagery is II in a man
that will not suffer him to let a woman,
against his will? At any other time 1
would have pleaded with her; would have
ended, mayhap, by weakly deferring to her
wish. But now-well, you must remem-
Der, my dears, that 1 was the trapped rat.
1 took her gently in my arms. set her aside
and stepped out into the corridor.
Looked Gf for nothing less than
out for this piece of tyranny But now.
as twice or thrice before. my lady showed
me how little man may know of a wom-
ans moods.
You need not be so masterful rough
with me-, she said, with poutng Of the
sweet lips that set me back upon that
thought of a wayward child wanting to be
kissed. IF you say 1 must 1 am in duty
bound TO show you the way" And so she
led on and / followed in a deeper maze
than any she had ever set me in
Arrived at pair of doors in the main
passage, she showed me the one that
opened to my lords bed chamber and ran
away; ran with her hands to her face as
If to shut out sight which would not bear
looking upon.
/ turned my back stiffly upon this newer
wonder, pulled myself together and raped
on the door. A voice within bade me en-
ter, the door opened under my hand and T
stood in the presence of the man who. as
1 made no doubt, would shortly summon
his guards and have me out to NV rome md
tree.
ITO Be Continued