The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-02-13

nDUT, father, hear me! 1t ia well
ID nigh my life yon would rob me
OF sir, | have no desire at all TO marry
least of all u maid ! have never set
eyes on"
Hold thy rebcllious tongue, thou
malapert! 70 think that a sun Of mine
should defy me thus!'
Sir" pleaded the young man hotly,
you cannot think what 1t Is you
would have me do. The king wants
men TO fight for him. and you would
have me mate with a roundhead's
daughter and bide at home by her
slde!"
'Ay, I have IT." stormed the old
cavalier bringing his fist down on the
shining oak table with a force that
set the heavy glasses ringing, Too
young to wed. but too old to obey.
Too young, forsooth, to make such q
match as should secure TO your father
and yourself after me our lands and
fortune, huwsoeycr matters 20 with
king or parliament. but old enough to
spend your time with dice and wine
at the tayerns Of oxford, ! will have
none Of It, boy, Thinkcst thou | viii
be deled by mine own SOM Promise
me now to ride with me tomorrow
and ask the girls hand Of her father
or I'll lash every drop Of blood out Of
your body"
Il don't carc!" he cried, defiant, his
hands clinched by his sides. "Flog me
ali you will, but | wont be beaten into
marrying Il girl | know not even the
name Of.
This was too much for the fiery Old
cavaliers patience, Spluttcring forth
illusions TO Absalom and other Scrip
tural scamps, he seized his son by the
collar.
An hour later kit Carcw found him
self locked up in mn attic and seated on
the top of an old chest of prodiglous
strength, which contained some of the
family plato and jewels. Ii was here
that old Sir Christopher stored his
most valuable possessions, and II is
cutie in keeping that he should choose
this Don as u prison for his SON.
who was to be made SO valuable as the
link which bound him to what he
feared would be the winning party.
lie hurled himself against the door
once. twice, thrice. The third time the
rusty old bolts, that were not half So
strong rs they looEcd, gave way, and
Master Kit fell spraying into the pas
sage.
Free,
He got up and walked down to his
OWL room, where he changed his
clothes. and, taking the few shillinCs he
possessed, left the house and set out
on foot for oxford,
Two months later Kit Carcw was
riding from London to oxford,
He had done fairly well for himself
since his flight from home. He had
obtained q commission in a regiment
of horse. and had fought stoutly on
several occasions, and nov had been
chosen for the task OF collecting con
tfihutions from the royalists In Lon
don to aid the exhausted royal trcaa-
my IN oxford.
Cafow was tremendously proud of
being made kings messenger, and. un-
fortunately, overwhelmed with the
weight of his responsibility. He car
iied G2,O00 In gold.
The night before he left London he
had lain on the hearse.like four poster
In the tavern guest chamber. with his
money bags tied about his body like
an old miser.
Tho road between London and OK
ford was so guarded by the forces of the
parliament that Carew meant to ride
by way OF Croydon. bennington castle,
and then north to Oxford through a
district held BY the king.
He made a long journey the first day
and by dusk was within a few miles
OF Ba~singstoke.
The August evening was hot and OPP
rressiye, sheet lightning played over
the landscape, aud the Garaway growl
of thunder was almost incessant.
For a few moments he forgot the
treasure he carried, until turning the
corner of the lane he came upon Il
swift moving troop, His heart leaped
up TO his throat. The orange tawney
scarfs cleaned in the dusk parliament
soldiers.
A sudden panic took possession of
poor Kit. He answered the officers
challenge by a shot and. wheeling
about, galloped blindly away.
The roundheads gave chase. and
their untired horses soon gained upon
the animal that had done a days Jour
ney already. A shot was fired. Kits
horse fell struggling.
He shook himself free and Owed into
the pine and broom woods that
bounded = side or the road. But it