The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-07-22

She ate auth q zeSt the humble fare.
night there was no danger Of Its sail
ing without them. Soon the gates
opened, and tho party rode to the Bow
and String, where Brandon had left
their chests. The men were then paid
off; quick sale was made of the horses;
breakfast was served, and they started
for the wharf, with their chests follow
ing In the hands of four portcrs.
a boat soon took them aboard the
Royal Hind, and now it looked as if
their daring scheme, SO full Of i'm
probability as to seem impossible, had
really come to n successful issue.
From the beginning, 1 think, 1t had
occurred to Mary to doubt the
result. There had never been with her
wen a suggestion of possible failure,
unless it was that evening in our room,
when, prompted by her startled mod
csty, she had said she could not bear
for us to see her in the trunk hose.
Now that fruition seemed about to
crown her hopes she was happy to her
hearts core, and when once to herself
wept for sheer Joy. 1t Is little wonder
she was happy. She was leaving be-
hind no one whom she loved excepting
Jane and perhaps me. No father nor
mother; only a sister whom she barely
knew and a brother whose treatment
of her had turned her heart against
him. She was also fleeing with Ii one
man in all the world for her and from
n marriage that was literally worse
than death.
Our travellers were Of course greatly
in need of rest, so Sary went to her
oom and Brandon took IL berth in the
cabin set apart for the gentlemen.
They had both paid for their passage,
although they had enlisted and were
part of the ships company. They
were not expected to do sailors work,
but would be called upon In case Of
fighting to do their part at that. Mary
was probably rs good n fighter In her
own way as one could find in a long
journey, but how she was to do her
part with sword and bucklcr Brandon
did not know. That, however, was n
bridge to be crossed when they should
come to it.
They had gone aboard about Z
o'clock, and Brandon hoped the ship
would be we'll down Bristol channel
before he should leave his berth. But
the wind that had filled Mnry's jack
boots with rain and had howled so dis
mally all night long would not stir,
now That 1t was wanted. Noon came,
yet no wind, and the Il shone as plac.
idly as If Captain Charles Brandon
were not Tuning with impaticncc OH
the poop of the Royal Hind. Three
o'clock and no wind. Tho captain said
1t would come with night, but shutdown
was almost at hand, and no wind yet.
Brandon knew this meant failure II 1t
held a little longer, for he was certain
the king. with Wolscy's help, would
long since have guessed the truth.
Brandon had not seen the princess
since morning, and the dclicncy lie felt
about going to her cabin made the sit
uatiOn somewhat difficult. After put
ting it off from hour to hour In hope
that she would appear of her own nc.
cord, lie Mt last Knocked at her door
and, Of course, found the lady in trou.
BILE.
The thought of the princess going on
deck caused n sinking at his heart ev-
cry time 1t came, rs he felt that 1t was
almost impossible to conceal her iden.
tity. He had not seen her In her new
male attire, for when she threw of her
riding habit Oil meeting him the night
before he had Intentionally busted him
self about the horses and saw her only
after the great cloak covered her MS q
gown. He felt that however well her
garments might conceal her fern, no
maj on earth ever had such beauty in
his face as her t~ranscendent eyes,, rose
tinted checks and coral lips, with their
cluster of dlmplcs, and his heart sank
Mt the prospect. SHE might hold out for
awhile with q straight face, but when
the smiles should come-it were just
as well to hang n placard about her
neck, "This is Il woman" The telltale
dimples would be worse than Jane for
outspoken, untlmely truthfulness and
trouble provoking candor.
Upon entering Brandon found Mary
wrestling with the problem, OF her com
plicated male attire, the most beautl.
full picture of puzzled distress imagi-
nable. The port was open and showed
her rosy as the morn when she looked
up at him. The Jack boots were in a
corner, and her little feet seemed to
put up a protest all their own against
going into them that ought to have
softened every peg. She looked up at
Brandon with n half hearted smile and
then threw her arms about his neck
and sobbed like the child she was.
do you regret coming, Lady MaryT
asked Brandon, who, row that she was
alone With him, felt that lie must take
advantage of the fact to be famil-
lar. 4