The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-05-20

did he not tell you he was parma
mentarianY questioned the girl, now
alarmed in her turn.
mo. You told me So"
II? You must be mistaken. sir. :!
gave you no information about my
brother"
"You said his friend in the kings
forces had not thought the less Of him
because he took the other SIDE"
81 am distraught with anxiety about
him and gave but little heed to my
words. l would have you remember
only what my brother himself told
YOU
Their conversation was interrupted
by the opening Of the door and the re-
appearance Of the doctor. The cir!
could not conceal her trepidation, for
the nontechnical strangers assurances
had slight weight with her.
Thomas is doing very well; very
well indeed" said the old man. "You
have no cause for alarm, not the
slightest, il he can but be kept quiet
for some days and rest where he is for
u few weeks. You attended to him,
sir. and take it that you possess d
smattering Of our art"
Il have need of that knowledge, doc
tor" replied Armstrong, for those
who have done me the honor to run
me through rarely had the considera.
ton to make their attack within easy
call of surgeon
Then, turning to the girl, the doctor
said: Your brother wishes to speak
with you, and have reluctantly given
my consent. You will stay with him
as short a time as may be, and l will
be here to see that you do not overstep
a reasonable limit One word more
Do not argue with him or dispute any
thing he says, no matter how absurd
it may seem. Agree to any proposal
he makes even if you know it cannot
be carried out He is evidently dis
turbed about his duty. Soothe him
soothe him and concur. There is little
use in telling lad in his condition
that duty must wait till wounds are
healed, but he will recognize that fact
when he is well again. Meanwhile hui
NOR him; humor him. Away, and I'll
count the minutes till you are out
again. l will find John and send him
for a competent nurse"
Frances opened the door gently and
met her brothers hungry eyes. She
sat down beside him, taking his fe-
vered hand between her cool palms.
"Oh, Pm a doomed man, doomed
man. be groaned.
Nonsense, Toni The doctor quite
agrees with the stranger that your
wound is not dangerous"
81 was not thinking Of the wound
That does not matter"
What does, then, dear?
Sister, this morning at daylight
was to have been taken out and shot"
The girls hands frightened on his
Cromwell himself reprieved me last
night, but on conditions. The sentence
still hangs over me, and now I'm help
less to avert it. and all through my
own folly. Oh, have been a needless
fool! With every incentive not to take
risk have walked blindly"-
Eyes, dear. yes. But tell me how
can aid you. The stranger says he will
do anything you want done in Oxford.
going there specially on your GRAND,
and he looks like a man to be trusted"
Trust him." he cried impatiently
Frances. Frances, it is against him
am going to Oxford: The man is a
spy carrying message to the king.
He is interfering in a quarrel that
should be no concern of his, and his
life is already forfeit, as indeed is the
case with my own. But the price of my
life is the thwarting Of him. The king
will give him commission to be taken
to the Scottish mobiles. 1t is that dOcu
if necessary, by cunning if possible. l
was to give him every aid to reach Ok
ford, but on the way back l was tC
gain possession of this commission and
ride to Cromwell with it; then life and
promotion were mine, and now l lie
here helpless as trussed fowl"
"A loathsome, treacherOus task for a
man to put upon the shoulders of a
boy"
But look you. Frances, it's but meet
ing treachery with treachery. Arm
strong has no right in this contest, and
his success means new blaze of war.
with the loss of thousands of innocent
lives. 1t means the possible triumph
Of the kind who murdered our father
and broke his pledged word to him and
to you. And seeming trickery may be
real mercy, as in this case it is, for if
Cromwell cannot obtain the kings let
ter by stealthy means he will crush
this Armstrong as ruthlessly as he
would crush gnat. By no possibility
can this Scot ever see his land again if
he holds that fatal instrument, for the
whole army is watching him. But once
bereft of it he is free to 60 as he
pleases. This simpleton thinks he has
deluded Cromwell and is laundering on
through q FOOLS paradise that bristles
with unseen swords. If l were his
dearest friend l could do him no great