The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1905-02-17
an in one place, and Elizabeth crom.


well in another"
THE Cromwe1ls are my friends, Ma
tilda. And will assure you that
Hampton Court never saw a more
worthy queen than Elizabeth Crom-
WELL"
Il have saucy tongue, Jane-do
not mind when it backbites; there is
no one like you. l love you well!"
These words with clasped hands and
kisses between the two girls. Then
Matida's face became troubled and
she sat down alone, with her brows
drawn together and her hands tightly
clasped.
Did Rupert kill Neville?" she ask.
ed herself. "Oh, me. do fear it. He
lied to me, then; of course he lied;
but that was no new thing for him to
do. What shall do?" Sne went over
and over this train of thought, and
ended always with the same irreso-
lutte, anxious question, What shall I
do?"
The next day Jane went to Hampton
Court. She was conducted to an
apartment in one of the suites for
merly occupied by Queen Henrietta
Maria. AS she dressed herself she
thought of the great men and women
who had lived and loved, and joyed
and sorrowed under the ancient roof
of Wolsey's splendid palace.
In brilliantly lighted room Mr. and
Mrs. Claypole and Mr.. and Mrs. Rich
ard Cromwell and Doctor John Owen,
and Mr.. Milton, and DR.. Verify were
grouped around her highness the Pro-
tectors handsome wife. She sat at
the Protectors right hand, and Jane
SWa1fham sat at his left.
He was in an unusually happy mood
and Doctor Owen, remarking it, Ad-
miral Blake said, ''They had been
mobbed-mobbed by wonderland the
Protector had the best of it and that
was thing to pleasure any man."
Then Mrs. Cromwell laughed and said:
Your highness must tell us all now,
or we shall be very disconnected.
Where We're you, to meet mob of
women
We were in London streets, some
where near the waterside. Blake was
with ME and Blake is going to Portsr
mouth to take command of an eXpe-
dition'
Where to-" asked Mrs. Claypole.
We'll. Elizabeth, that is precisely
the question this mob of women want
ed me to answer. You are as bad as
they We're. But they had some ex-
cuse"
Pray what excuse, sir, that have
not?'
They were the wives of the sailor
men going with our admiral on his
expedition. And they got all around
me, they did indeed. and one handsome
woman with little lad in her arms
she told me to look we'll at him be-
cause he was called Oliver after me-
took hold of my bride and said, 'You
won't tramDle me down, General, for,
the lads sake, and it's but natural
for us to want to know where you
are sending our husbands. Come,
General, tell us wives and mothers
where the ships are going to?' And
there was Robert Blake laughing and
thinking it fine sport, but l stood I'D
in my stirrups and called out as loud
as l could, Women, can you be quiet
for one minute?' They said, AYE, to
be sure we can, if you'll speak out,
General Then l said to them, You
want to know where the ships and
your men are going. Listen to me!
The Ambassadors of France and Spain
would, each of them, give a million
putt.dss- to tina under
stand, women? And for a moment
there was dead silence, then a shout
OF comprehension and laughter, and
the woman at my bride lifted the boy
Oliver to me and l took him in my
arms and kissed the rosy little brat.
and then another shout and the
mother said, General. you be right well
come to my share of the secret and
mine!' and mine!' and miner they
all shouted, and the voices of those
women went to my heart and brain
like wine, they did that They made
me glad; believe 1 shouted with
them"
(To be continued.)