Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-06-02
THE MASTER OF APPLEBY|

once l thought he would have breathet
IL. But he did not. Instead, he BROKE
out in a laugh. with a gibe flung frs
at Gilbert Stair and then at Falconnet
God save u.s. / give you joy, Mr.
Stair. and you, Sir Francis. These two
have duped you brayely. BY heavens.
Sir Frank: twas you who should have
had the sword thrust in the duel. II
that event you might have stood IN
Captain Ireton's shoes, and SO had
the priest fetched for your benefit
Then he turned to Margery with q
bow that had nc touch of mockery In
It. Il crave your pardon, madam;
knew not YOU were pleading for your
husbands life an hour ago. 1t grieyes
me that ! may not spare him to you
longer than the night, but war is crueI
at it's best"
She stood like any statue done in
cold Carrara while he spoke: and wher
she made nc sign he gave the word ia
recommit me.
Take him away Lieutenant Tybee,
and see he has a bride proof man this
time 70 keep him company. Madam
Ireton. I'll put o on your honor: you
may have access to him. hut there
must be nc messages carried in or
out. TO your quarters. gentlemen. We
must ride far and hard tomorrow"
When his final word had set her free,
my frozen maiden came to life and
ran TO throw herself In helpless sob
bings. not upon her father, as you
would think, but upon the good priest.
And IL was Father Matthew who led
her, still crying softly. out OF the
throng and up the low stair; and now
/ marked that all the rough soldiery
stood aside and made way for her with
eve a man mons them to scott or
sneer Of point a gibe.
At her going, Tybee drew his sword
and cut the cord that bound me.
These ~youngllng cubs are over
cautious. Captain Ireton. We shall not
make 1T harder for each than we must"
he said, with bluff good nature. And
then: will you lead the way to our
room. sir?'-this to give the youngling
cub another lesson. / suppose.
walked beside him to the stair, and
when ] stumbled. being weak and spent,
he took my arm and steadied me. and
I did think IL kindly done. AT my own
door he gave me precedence again. say
ing, with a touch of the grateful old
| world courtesy, after you. SIR and
standing aside to let me enter first.
When we were both within he touched
upon the c~olonel's mandate.
Il must obey my orders, Captain
Ireton, but by your good leave ! shall
not lock you up with any trooper; I'll
SldY 4 1Oh H. St1I.
I thought this still more kindly than
aught he had done before. and so l
told him. But he put 1t off lightly.
"'Tis little enough any one can do
for you, my friend, but / will do that
little as / can. You are like to have
a visitor, / take It,; IL you have, I'm
sure twill be a comfort If your body
guard car be stone blind and deaf"
So saying, he dragged the big wicker
chair into the window-bay, planted
himself deep within it with his back
to all the room, and so left me TO my
own devices.
Being spent enough to sleep beneath
the shadow of a gibDet. / threw myself
full-length upon the bed and was. /
think, adrift upon the ebb tide of ex-
haustion and forgetfulness when once
again the shifting of the wooden door
bar reused me. l rose up quickly. but
Tybee was before me. There was some
low-vo.ced conference at the door;
then Tybee came to me.
otis Mr.. Gilbert Stair" he said.
HE has permission from the colonel
and insists that he must see you solus.
I'll take your word and leave you, If
you like"
At first / hung reluctant, wanting
little of the host who came so late to
see his guest. Then. as IL a sudden
| flash of lightning a revealed 1t, ]
realized, as / had not Lefore, how / had
set the feet OF my dear lady In a most
hideous labyrinth OF deception; how
this lie that l had told to bridge a
momentary gap must leave her neither
maid nor widow in the morning.
Yes, yes: for Gods sake let him in,
Mr.. Tybee!'t / burst tut. II am fair
crazed with WEAKNESS, and had for
got. 'Tis most important, / do as
sure you"
The thing was done at once, and be-
fore / knew it | was alone with the old
man who, though he was my supplant-
er, was also Margery's father. He en-
tered cautiously, shielding his bedroom
candle with his hand and peering over
1t to make me out, as IL his v~enturing
In were not unperilous. And | marked
that when he put the candle down up
on the table. he edged AVA and felt
behind him for the door as Ii to make
sure of his retreat in case of need.
"Sit down, Captain Ireton: sit down,
| beg of you" he said, in his thin,
rAsping treble. And when L had
obeyed: Il think you must know what
I've came. for, Captain Ireton?"
l said / could guess; and he began
again, volubly now, as IL to nave Ii
over in the shortest space,
Twas not a gentlemanly thing for
you TO do. Captain Ireton--this marry
ing of u foolish girl out of hand while
you were here a guest; and as for the
priest that did 1t, TN have him
hanged before the army leaves, / prom
Use you. But now it's done, / hope
we're prepared to make the best OF IL ~
l saw at once that his daughter had
not yet conided in him; that he was
still ~entangled In my lie. So / thought
1t well TO probe him deeper while ]
might.
What would YOU call the best ii
/ may ask - said I. growing the cooler
with some better seeing OF the way
ahead.
THE marriage settlements!" he cried
shrilly. coming to the point at once
as any miser would. TITS the meresi
matter of form, as We may say for your
title to Appleby Hundred is well burnI
out. / promise you But for the siecen'
look of Ii you might make over your
quitclaim to your wife"
AYE, truly: so ] might.
And SO o should, sir; that yot
should. We miserable. spying Tunag'
he choked and coughed behind hi
hand and then began again without tn,
epithets. IT'S the very least We cal
do for her now, when you have thu
rope fair around your curs--ahem-
your-your rebel neck. Only for tn
forms sake, to be sure. We understand
for she'd inherit after you in any case.
| saw his drift at last. and, not car
Ing to spare him. sped the shaft o
truth and let II md the Joint In hi
harness.
iris as you say. Mr.. Stair. But a
II chances, Mistress Margery Is not m
II i had hung the candle at hin
1 -.kI~- .Yf III