Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-02-10
My Lady Peggy
| Goes to Town
FRANCES AYMAR MATHEWS
Copyright. 1901. BY IN. BoS,a.asnlll Company

go seek and ask all the noblemen
and gentlemen I've named, sir. They'll
quickly set me to rights in your eyes,
I pledge you. Oh, sir" cries she, whis-
pering very low, ~ speak the truth. ]
am no highwayman."
II am used TO bubbles, Mr.. Kidde.
I know that now you arg no robber
but merely prisoner under sentence
of DEATH"
"What!" cries she. "'Tis not posi-
BILE that man is taken, tried, disal-
lowed to prove himself and put out Of
the world betwiXt sunrise and break.
fast in the reign of his majesty George
III.w
"'Tis So" answers the curate, pull
ing the rope and feathers and pushing
her ladyship around bit toward the
east as he points what he considers a
salutary finger. "Yonder's the gibbet,
Mr.. Kidde, and from it you must hang
by 8. implore of you now
Lady Peggy's eyes are fastened upon
the arms and crossbeams of the gal
lows, which are outlined clearly against
the deep blue sky and full in the shine
Of the spring sun.
"Well," says she to herself all in a
flash, as thoughts can travel three
abreast ofttimes and twelve times
quicker than the scrivener can set 'em
down, "I've been very accursedly
wicked girl; but, thank God, my pride
amt all gone yet. I'll hang, but I'll
never give up my secret! When I'm
gone il they find it out won't be here
to be a-hearing of the taunts and jeers
and sympathies, and of my mothers
and fathers sorrows!" AT this point
Peggy is very near to tears, when the
curate says, interrupting their possible
flow:
''Now, Mr.. Kidde, if you have any
message for-your wife-perhaps?' hi
calculates hesitatingly and with goot
knowledge that the marriage ceremony
was one usually omitted from the cod,
of gentlemen Of the road.
II have no wife!" cries her ladyship
in heat betwixt her remorse for he
parents and the unconscious ridiculous
ness of Mr.. Frewen's question.
"Or it might be-" suggests this on,
WITH sigh, you have little child
Mr.. Kidde?"
mo, sir,' says my lady, very low
and quick. "rhat l haven't"
"a dear friend and comrade?' pur
c1,oo tho o,,ro to
"Yes, 1 have" answers she, for dur
ing all this hour just past a thousand
thoughts have come to Peggy about
Sir Percy.
''Ah!" responds Frewen joyously
Nov tell me Where he is to be found
and intrust me with the message, and
be assured all will be carried out tc
your wishes"
"Thank you," says Peggy. "Free my
right hand il you will, give me some
thing to write with and the leaf out Of
your prayer book, and I'll ask you til,
favor" -.
IKE sausts, under the strict superin
tendence of Biggs, who has all thi
while been dispatching boys on horse
hither and yon to notify the qualit!
and the countryside both that Ton
Kidde's been taken and will hang at
from the glbbet atop of Armsleigh hill
loosens her ladyship's arm Of the thon
and gives her leaf and pencil wit
the top of the post for support.
ITO Sir Percy de Bohun, Charlott
Street, London" writes she. "plese A
you low God And The Hinge goe nc
evar Again toe Wake onne The dow
peere at The Bottomme of littel Boy
yarde Their isse onne swares To
Kille you & you doe This isse writ by
onne now noe more"
Her ladyship folds the scrap of pape
over and over, hands back the pencil t
Mr.. Frewen, and then she says:
"Sir, will you promise Inc on tina
book you're holding in your hand you
not look at this or send it until III
dead?"
~ WILL" answers the young MAJ
more touched than he cares to admi
even to himself.
"And further" says she, will 70
pledge me your word it shall reach hi
it's intended for before this time SUI
day"
II WILL" is the reply, "unless it be i
the depths of Epstowe and inaccessibl
to my horse or myself"
"Tis in London. sir, and quite az
cessible. Ills warning for life an
death, and I'll count you fail me nc
nor him whose life you'd be the mean
of saving"
II pledge my word, Mr. Kidde," l.,
plies the curate, backing away to NAL;
room for Justice Biggs, and with ii
very laudable sensation i'll his min
that he is to be the instrument of pr
serving some unknown from I'll
clutches of the doubtless repentant OH
laws own men.
In less than five minutes after, Bigs
had marshaled his cavalcade and roc
forth of the stable yard of Brookwoo
castle, his white cob at the head, a-holl
ing in his left hand the duly sgne
warrant for the execution of one Thon
as Kidde.
The earl, mounted, rode next, with
dozen of his servants, and in the mid
of these my Lady Peggy, astride of IL
black once more, but with face to tai
hands tied together and 10 hat TO III
head; Mr.. Frewen at her side, walkin.
a motley crowd growing and gatherin
at every step about lier of gaping, wol
dering. jubilant and curious persons
all ages, sexes and conditions
Never Il whimprr out of my lord ii
Earl of IIXllan's only daughter. a Sc
rigid look about the drawn lips and a
uncarthly pallor shining through a
the dark stains her ladysiip had bee
a-using of late.
CHAPTER XII.
as yet in the depths of Arm
"a leigh copse no news of IL