Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-02-03

a thud OH the wooden bridge bound
over the stone wall of the kitchen gar
den, comes black with nigh every
tooth in its mouth barred, foaminp.
smoking, bloody, rider bent double to
saddles bow, clinglng with legs and
arms.
"Homing Nell and the highwayman!
Tom Kiddd! Tom kidde!"
"Homing Nell" The shout goes M
from every throat there, from his lord
ship to the hostlers and boys.
tom Kidde! Tom Kidde!
by heaven, sir!" cries the earl, 81
knew Nell d come back sooner or
later. Surround him! Bag him!
Peggy hears the shouts as the un-
governable steed lunges, lurches, rears
beneath her spurs and still tightly
gripped reins. She takes in the situa-
ton, but not to its full import, until
she now hears the voice of Biggs up-
lifted.
Lord Brookwood! Lord Brookwoodl
Mind her heels, my lord! Mind her
heels! Leave the taking of the cut
purse to me and the boys!'
AT the word "Brookwood' her lady
ship realizes that she is on the domains
of Lady Diana's father and being mis-
taken for knight of the road!
The latter she felt she could easily
abide and as easily refute, but the
former was more than even her spent
spirit could stand. So, as Biggs, his
lordship, the grooms, the stable boys
and 'ostlers and helpers all formed
into ring with whips, canes, stones
and halloos to take her prisoner, she
plucked up courage from the depths,
and, raising herself in her saddle and
her head in the air, with one superhu-
man tug at the bride and prick with
the steels, she made to get eff and away.
But her ladyship's nerve was not the
equal Of Homing Nells nor yet to be
pitted with success against the waving
arms and jumping legs of dozen stout
men. With the final crack of the head
groom's lash about her heels, with the
pop in the air above her hat of Mr..
Biggs' blunderbuss, caught from the
hand of one of the lads, Homing Nell
was brought to quiyering standstill
and my Lady Peggy to bay in the sta
bic yard of Brookwood castle
Peggy, glad Of the use of her lungs
once more and now nigh bursting with
laughter at being SO glibly mistook for
one Of the most reckless fellows in all
England, took off her hat, bowed low
and, said:
my Lord BrooEwood, tits, l believe,
l have the honor of addressing?"
'Ho, no, ho!" Mr.. Biggs, from sur
vey of the saddlebow, now bursts out
in triumphant joyfulness.
"Od's blood, my lord, but here's luck,
here's justice, here's what comes of my
bein' here when amp and Mr.. Biggs
now holds aloft upon the point of his
stick the black mask of Master Tom
Kidde, which the rogue had dropped
when he was hit and which had caught
and hung by its riband from that mo-
ment to this unseen by Lady Peg.
"Highwayman! Highwayman! High
wayman!" yells every lung in the place,
while the whole dozen, including his
lordship and the Justice, threaten Lady
Peggy with their cudgels, lashes and
stones.
II pray We, my lord, gentlemen and
good fellowsI cries she, remembering
now the entire history of the animal
she bestrides as rehearsed some six
hours earlier by Beau Brummel and
Mr.. Vane. II am no highwayman."
A groan of derision grcets this an
nouncement. (,
Mex, ,h3tt+sGe"fthar "afnT tx. vlct;nai
of Tom Kidde than he himself! To
gether with party of my friends, be
ing at midnight last on the return from
visit to Mr.. Brummel's seat, Ivy
Dene, we were set upon by the rogues
in the midst Of Epstowe forest. / had
the luck, both good and bad, to put q
ball into Tom, to get my horse shot un
der me and to mount the scoundrel's
steed, the which has brought me tc
| your lordship's door, and the mare her
self to where she belongs, it seems"
"a deuced fine story, fore Georger
exclaims Biggs, laughing triumphantly
now holding up two watches, three
rings, u diamond snuGbox, n SEAL two
magnificent pins and most splendid
| jeweled stomacher high above his head
in the tip of the sunshine.
"'Sdeath" cried Lord Brookwood
selling one of the trinkets and examin.
ing it with his spyglass. whats thisi
Percy de Bohun, Christmas, from his
aft. mother reads his lordship. Then
another, wyatt Lowell, souvenir of
Italy! Cad, Biggs," looking her lady
ship over where she still sits atop of
the steaming black, we've got the
cursed blaclsguard this time. What
else in his saddle pockets, aught?"
These Biggs, assisted by the head
groom, is energetically emptying of a
miscellaneous collection of valuables,
While Lady Peggy looks on in amaze
ment as yet only favored with amuse-
ment and one more vain regret for her
abandoned petticoats.
eyes, my lord, these thousands of
pounds WORTH" replied the justice,
holding aloft his treasure trove, "and
it'll be shert slrift for the villain,
l can say that"
clark ye," now says her ladyship as
she recalls with not unnatural ire
NOR the death warrant she had heard
was lying to hand in Mr.. Biggs' pocket.
Lord Brookwood, an no highway
man. My story is true. ! am The
words stuck in Peggy's throat. She
coughed, the stable boys Uttered; then
the head groom tilted the saddle and
spilled her out of it to the ground. AT
word from Biggs couple of the men
tied her, hand and foot, with stout
rope and pair Of farming reins about
her middle.
Now who do you call yourself, my
fine fellow?" says his lordship.
"Sir Robin McTart of Robinswold.
Nent!" cries Peggy, glad to be able to
answer without the lie direct "And
demand instant freedom and immu-
nifty" cries she, tortured and quivering
beneath the rude hands and ruder
gibes of the grooms and 'ostlers.