The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-07-06
The MASTER OF APPLEBY|
,- BY Francis Lynde. --$
By Francis Lynde. =-


~ bAiAf'S ~ ~
he had been a younger brother of my
own blood the common ~parentage
could not have made him tenderer.
Twas not the mere outgushing of a
nature o~pen-armed to make a bosom
friend of all the world; nor any femi-
nine s~oftness on his part. II l have
drawn him thus my pen is but a clumsy
quill, for he was marlborough and
masterful. With all native strength and
vigor Of the border-born.
But or the side of love and friend
ship no woman ever had a truer heart,
a keener eye or q lighter hand. And in
a service for friend or mistress he
would spend himself as recklessly as
those old knights you read about who
made a business of their ~chivalry.
With his daily offerings of unselfish-
nsss to shame me you may be sure |
was fiayed alive; s~elf-tlogged like q
miserable monk, with all the wound
;ngs of the whip well sailed by remorse.
rs yuu have guessed, / had not Yet
summoned up the courage 10 tell MIN
how 1 had staked his chance OF happi-
ness upon a casting of the die of fate
staked and lost it. Now that It was
gone I saw how l had missed the golden
opportunity; how l had weakly hest
tated when delay could only make the
telling harder.
BY tacit consent we never spoke of
Margery. Richards silence hung upon
despair, | thought; and as for mine,
since the husbands road and the low
er's lay so far apart, l could not bring
myself to speak of her. But she was
always first in my thoughts in that
time Of conValesCence, as [ made sure
she was in his; and at the last the
hidden thing between us was brought
to light.
It was on a night some three weeks
or more after my fever turn. our lar
der had run low again, and Jennifer
had spent the earlier hours of the night
~abroad-to little purpose, as 1T CHANGED.
Twas midnight or hereabouts when
he came swearing in to tell me that the
Tories were out again to harry our
side of the river afresh, and to make a
refugees begging Of a bag of meal a
thing of peril.
They'll starve us out In shortest
measure at this rate" he protested.
standing corn for miles around, and
this morning they burned the milf. It's
u notice to quit, and we'd best take
it. There has been fighting to the
south Of us-a plenty of tat Rocky
Mount n Hanging Rock, and else
where, n every man is needed. If
you are strong enough to stand the
march, Well run the gauntlet down the
river In the pirogue and cut across
from the lower ford to join Major Da-
vie or Mr.. Gates"
I said I was fit enough, and would
do whatever he thought best. And then
I took a step upon the forbidden
ground.
"Falconnet is still at Appleby Hun
dred?" / said.
He nodded.
"And you will join the army at the
front and leave Margery to his tender
mercies 2"
His laugh was bitter: so bitter that
I scarce knew it for Richard Jennifer's.
Mistress Margery Stair is well. and
well content, as l told you once before.
She has no wish for you or me, unless
1t be to see us we'll hanged"
Nay. Richard; you judge her over
harshly. I fear you do not love her as
her lover should
Say you so? Listen: Tonight I got
as far as the manor house, being fool
enough to risk my neck for another
sight of her. God help me, Jack! ]
, had it. They have scraped together
all the Tory riff-raff this side of the
rlver-Falconnet and the others-and
: are holding high revel at Appleby
+ Since it is still our true-blue border
land, they are scant enough OF Womer
: of their own kidney, and saw Madge
dancing like any light O. love with ev-
+, cry jackanapes that offered"
:, I'm her fathers house she could no
we'll do less I averred, cut to thu
heart, as he was, and yet with.
out his younger lovers ~jealously t.
7 make me unjust.
"Or more" headed, s~avagely. "Ti
as l a y she lacks nothing we can civ,
Il her, and we'd as We'll be off about GU
@ business"
think he never had it in his heart t,
leave her in any threat Of danger. Blu
I from his point Of view there was n
v danger threatening her save that whicl
Il she seemed willing enough to rus upol
o "a life of titled misery as Lady Fal
V comet. I saw how he woul see 1t
r saw, too, that his was the saner sum
ming of it up. And yet
He broke into my musings with
d pointed question. What say yol
Jack? IT'S but a little whiffet of
Tory jade who cares not the snap {
it her finger for either Of US. The nigh
I is fine and dark. Shall we fioat tn
h canoe and give them all the slip?"
le This was how 1t came to turn upo
a ..yes' or mo- Of Aline. I hesitatet
I know not why. In the little paus
IF the fire burned low between us. an
lie the shadows %deepened in the burro'
l. cavern until they strangled the ey
ut as mephitic Yapors scant a man {
f, breath. The silence, too, was stiainj
IL There was no sound to breach it saS
the gurgling murnlur of the river, al
this was subdued and intermittent III
the death-rattle in the throat Of II
r, dying.
rye always made a scoff Of supe!
tstition, and yet. my dears, a thougar
IS questions In this life of ours must har
deny it standing room. ! knew no mo-
st than / have set down here Of Margery
q, besetment; nay, / had every rease
Richard Jennifer had to beifese IN;