Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-12-13
CHAPTER XXI.

@0 LAY in prison until the Goth
I%t ii day Of May, Royal Oak day.
E know not quite how 1t
(SsysGJ came to pass, but none OF
my brothers efforts toward my re-
lease met with any success. heard
afterward some whispers as to the
cause being that so many Of high de-
gree were concerned in the riots, and
that if |, II poor devil Of convict
tutor, were let off too chcaply, why,
then the rest of them must be let loose
only at IL ropes end, and that 1t would
never do to send me back to Drake
Hill scot free While Sir Humphrey
Hyde and Major Robert Beverly and
my Lord Estes and others were in dur
ance, and some high in office in great
danger of discovery.
At all events. whatever may have
been the reason. my release could not
be effected. and in prison / lay for all
those days, but with more comfort
since either Catherine or Mary-Mary
| think il must have been-madc
curtain for my window which kept out
that burning eye of the western sun
and also fashioned gnat veil to over
spread my pallet, so the flies could not
Get Mt me. | knew there were others
In prison. but knew not that three OF
them were led forth to be hung, which
might have been my fate had l been
a free man. nor knew that another
was released on condition that he build
q bridge over Dragons swamp.
This last chance my friends had
strlven sorely to get for me, but had
not succeeded. though they had offered
large sums. my brother being willing
to tax the estate heavily. Some covert
will there was at work against me. AND
1t may be could mention it. but
| like not mentioning covert wills. but
only such as be downright ana eXer'
cised openly in the faces of all men.
| Law there not so uncomfortably, being
aware of great delight that the TO-
bacco was cut. whether or no, as indeed
1t was on many plantations, and the
king cheated out of great wealth.
This end of proceedings. with no
Bacon TO lead us, diu not surprise nor
disappoint me. Then. too, the fact that
| was cleared of suspicion Of theft in
the eyes of ler loved and her family.
at least, filled me with an ecstasy
which sometimes awoke me from slum-
ber like a pain. And though l was
quite resolved not to let that beloved
maid fling away herself upon me un-
less my innocence was proved world
wide, and to shield her at all costs to
myself, yet sometimes the hope that In
after years ! might be able to wed her
and not injure her started up within
me.
She came to see me whenever she
could steal away, Madam Cavendish
being still in that state of hatred
against me for my participation In the
riot, though otherwise disposed enough
to give her consent to our marriage on
the spot. And every day came my
brother John and Catherine, and now
and then Parson Downs. And the
parson used to bring me choice spirits
In his pocket. and tobacco, though l
could touch only the latter for fear OF
Intiaming my wounds, and he used
TO sit and read me some Of VIII
yhakespeare's plays. which he bore un-
der his cassock. and a prayer book
openly in hand, that being the only
touch of hypocrisy which ever saw
about Parson Downs.
Lord, Harry, thou dost not want
prayers" he would say. "but rather,
being fallen as thou art, In an evil SINK
of human happenings, somewhat about
them. and none hath so mastered the
furtuest roots of mems hearts as VIII
Shakespeare. 'Tis him and pipe thou
needst, lad" So saying, down he
would sit himself betwiXt me and the
fiery western window, and l. got to
believe more in his Christianity than
| ever had done when had heard him
hold forth from the pulpit.
Twas from him knew the sad pen
atty which they fixed upon for me FOR
the Goth Of May. that being Royal Oak
day, when they celebrated the Resto-
| ration in England and more or less In
the colonies and on which q great
junketing had been arranged, with
races and wrestling and various sports.