The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-08-19

ear" said Mary, laughing and clap.
?iNg her Lands. but nearly ready FOL
tears notwithstanding.
The ship was Il fine new onc,w we'll 1T.
ted to breast any sea, and, learning
this, we at once agreed that upon land.
Ing i'm England Mary and / should 60
to london ard win ovcr the king, II
possible. We felt some confidence IN
being able to do this, rs we counted
upon Wolsey's help, but in case of fail.
ure we still had plans. Brandon
was to take the ship to a certain island
off the Suffolk coast. and there await
us the period Of Il year if need be, as
Mary might, in case of IIcnry's obsti-
macy, be detained, then rcvictual and
roman the ship and out through the
North sen for their former haven, New
Spain.
III case Of Henry's consent, how they
were to live in n style fit for a prln-
cess Brandon did not know unless Hen
~ should open his heart and provide
for them, n doubtful contingency upon
which they did not base much hope.
AT n pinch they might go down into
Suffolk and live next to Jane and me
OH Brandon's estates. To this Mary
readily agreed, and said 1t was what
she wanted above all else.
There was IL thing now In favor of
the kings acquiesccnce. During the
last three months Brandon had become
very necessary to his amusement, and
amusement vas his greatest need and
aim in life.
Mary and / went to London to see
the king, having landed at Southamp-
ton for the purpose of throwing off the
scent any II who might seek the ship.
The king vas delighted to see his sis.
ter, and kissed her over and over again.
Mary had as hard a game to play as
ever fell to the lot of woman, but she
was equal TO the emergency if any wo-
man ever WAS. She did not give Henry
the slightest hint that she knew any
thing of tho Count of Savoy episode,
but calmly assumed that of course her
brother had meant literally what he
said when he made the promise as to
the second marriage.
The king soon asked: "But what are
you doing here? They have hardly
buried Louis as yet, have they?"
II am sure 1 do not know" answered
Mary, "and I certainly care less. I
married him only during his life and
not for II moment afterward, so I
came away and left them to bury him
OF keep him, as they choose; 1 care not
which,"
But began Henry, when Mary in
t%errupted him, saying, ~ will tell you
1 had taken good care that Wolsey
should be present at this interview.
So we rour the king, Wolsey, Mary
md mysclf-quietly stepped into q lit
tie nlcove away from the others and
prepared to listen to Mary's tale, which
was told with all her dramatic elo-
quence and feminine persuasiveness.
She old of the ignoble insults Of Fran
els, of his vile proposals-insisted up
on, almost to the point Of force-care-
fully concealing, however, the offer to
divorce Claude and make her queen,
which proposition might have had it's
attractions for Henry. She told OF her
Imprisonment In the Palace des Tour
nellcs and of her deadly peril and
many indignities, md the tale lost
nothing In the telling. Then she fin
ished by throwing her arms around
Henry's neck I'm q passionate flood of
tears and begging him to protect her,
to save her, save her, save her, his lit
tie sister!
1t was all such perfect acting that
for the time I forgot 1t was acting, and
a great lump swelled up in my throat.
1t was, however, only for the instant,
and when Mary, whose face was hid
den from all the others on Henry's
breast, smiled slyly at me from the
midsto Of her tears and sobs.J burst into