Morris tribune., 1904-12-03
'No, but that's soon done"


He united the cord and unfolded til
sheepskin. She leaned eagerly forwar
and scanned the writing. while Arm
strong read it aloud. -
"You see," he cried gleefully. 20
course It Is the commission. There ar
the names Of Traquair and all the rest
just as gave them to the secretary
and there is Charles Rex in the king
own hand"
1T Is a duplicate. Cromwell has tn
original. You never left De Courc!
alive within mile Of Broughton cas-
tleT,
Il did that very thing. Not as lively
as ! have seen him, yet alive neverthe
less 6sS
Then ride, ride for the north. WI
have stood too long chattering here" /.
"All in good time, Frances. There
Is no more hurry than ever there was
less, indeed, for 1t seems to me that
Cromwell, for some reason, wants to
come at this by fraud and not by force
But now that De Courcy's name is
mentioned between us, ask you what
you know against him more than !
have told you"
Against him? 4 know everything
against him. Would that you had kill
ed him. He would sell his soul, if he
has one. He robbed my dying father,
and on the day Of his death, when
was the only one in London who did
not know he was executed, De Courcy
lured me to his apartments at White
hall under pretense Of leading me to
the king that I might plead for my
fathers life. There he attempted to en-
trap me, snapped in my hand the sword
which had clutched from the wall to
defend myself, and I struck him twice
in the face and blinded him with his
own false blood and so escaped. Judge,
then, my fear when I saw him there at
Oxford"
1.-THE truth! The truth! At last the
TRUTH shouted Armstrong, as If a
weight had fallen from his shoulders.
'''The truth has ring like honest steel
and cannot be mistaken when once
you hear it. He lied to me about you
in Oxford, and called him liar and
would have proven it on him but
that he told me you were in danger. I
should have killed the whelp this morn
ing but that he could not defend him
SELF"
1.-THE truth! Yes, but only part Of it.
He did not rob you last night. robbed
you. I stole into your room and robbed
you. I carried the original of that doc
ument to Cromwell himself, and 1t is
now in his hands. 1t was the price Of
my brothers life. My brother was set
On your track by Cromwell, and, being
took up his task. Do you
understand? That was my mission to
Oxford-to delude you, to rob you,
and have done it."
"You are saying that to shield some
)ne"
Look, William Armstrong! For two
hours and more last night you held me
~ the wrist. There is the bracelet
With which you presented me-black
proof of the black guilt confess to
,ou."
She held her hand aloft, and the
leeve fell away from the white and
ounded arm, marred only by the dark |
'ircles where his fingers had pressed.
do you say did that?"
eyes. If still you do not believe me,
Measure your fingers with the shadow =
hey have cast" ~
She reached out her hand to him, and
le took it in his left, stroking the
'ruised wrist with his right, but look
ng into her eyes all the while. !
Frances, is it this secret that stood
'etween usT'
EYES,"
"Is this all that stood between usT'
Gail! Is it not enough? All! 1t is a
mountain Of sin that bears me to the
cry ground"
He laughed very quietly, fondling her
and
"Bless me, how little you know! |
What Is quarreling king or rebellious
ountry to me compared with you? No
7onder my beating heart did not awak-
n me with your hand upon it, for it
'as co-conspirator with you and wholly
our own. heaven mend my broken
but if you had asked me
would have ridden myself to Crom-
veil with the kings signature"
do you-can you forgive me, then?'
Forgive you? You are the bravest
ass in all the land,' and with that,
efore she was aware or could ward
IF his attack, If she had wished to do
o, he reached impulsively forward,
aught her off her horse and held her
q his arms as if she were child, kiss
ng her wounded wrist, her eyes, her
air, her lips.
"Apd now, do you forgive me,
ooh, willingly, willingly! Trespass
or trespass. AS we forgive them that
against u.s. But, set me on
~ horse aooin hoo of Won ~