Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-10-05

Stdll ana WIS up ana MeapOneQ III
stantly-having taken the precaution
blowing out the candle. Cropping my
way cautiously to the secret door, l
crouched and listened An was silent
save for the intermittent cllmor of
the wassailers in the room beneath.
After waiting a full minute / opened
the door and looked without. The high
dormer window in the end of the cor
ridor made the darkness something
less than visible, and / could see that
the passage was empty. But on the
floor at my feet was my supper; IL
roasted fowl ON a server hot from the
spit, With maize bread and furnishings
fit for am epicure
Since. as an appanage of Appleby
Hundred, this WAS mine own house,
and, by consequence. the fowl Was
mine, ate as II hungry man should,
making no scruple on the score of
pride. Nor did l forget TO be CRATE
full to my lady. though when | remem-
bered that this was doubtless but am
other leaf out of her duty-book, the
meat Was like to choke me And it
was this Thought tnat made me re-
solve Thrice over TO loose her from The
onerous burden of me SO soon as ever
the morning light should come TO help
me find the way out of my covert
prison.
None the less. for all my fine resolves
TO be astir and off by daybleak. the
sun Was shining broadly in at my gar
ret window when awoke.
Seeing the sun, l tumbled out of my
settle-bed, with q malediction on the
sloth that had bound ms so fast, and
made for the door. But some one had
been before me. entering whilst j slept.
ON Il broken chair We're a basin and
ever. lth and tp\NclS he's lido no
chair Was my portmanteau and on n
deal box. neatly covered With u linen
cloth. WAS my breakfast.
You, my dears. who have Your maid
or man to tell YOU when your bath is
ready, and To lay out the fresh. clean
garments sweet from the laundering,
may wonder that / put away the
thought of flight and let the breakfast
cool whilst | shaved and washed and
scrubbed. and dcffed the vagabond and
donned the gentleman. ! did it; did it
ielsGrely, rolling the privilege as Il
sweet morse under by tongue. They
say The railnent never makes the man;
lis a half truth only. For in his own
regard, at least. the man is vagabond
or gentleman as he may dress the one
part or the other. And | am sure of
this; that when l drew up another of
the cast off chairs to sit at meat
freshly groomed, and clad in the field
uniform of captain of her Apostolic
Maiesty's hussars i was the filter by
many tranSmisrations to cope with fate
on any other adversary.
And now the claims of decency paid
in full, and the keen edge of hunger
somewhat dul!ed, L was free TO think
of my sweet lady's loving Kindness to
one she hated-and to wonder what
she would do and be for one she
loved A
dreSs of bitterness in that cup; and L
was once again set sharp upon re-
lleNing her of the burden Of me-
NaNing my Austrian uniform. ] was
now ready to move in that venture out
lined in part to Colonel Davie, but TO
set my plan in action | must first get
free of the house unseen by my Lord
or amy o! his suite. How 10 do this
unaided | could not determines and,
since any fresh laundering would sure
ly breed new trouble for Margery 1
WAS forced To wait for her return.
l made sure she would come, if only
to be the sooner quit of me; and so
she did, tapping at the wainscot door
whilst Was dallying With the break
fast leaNings. Twas worth something
TO see her start of surprise when /
opened to her. but she was far too true
q lady To be one thing to the unwashed
vagabond and another to the gentle
man clad.
! gave her good morning, and was
beginning in some formal fashion to
thank her for her thoughtful care.
when she cut me short.
lis my bounden duty, sir" she said
managing once again upon that frayed
string. You are my guest and my
husband; though God knows would
YOU We're neither
Merci. Madame" said /; stung so
sharply that the retort would out in
spite of everything. LAS once before, /
am your poor misfortunate prisoner;
but this time you are not less willing
TO give than am to receive.
She gave me a look that could not
fathom, and for fitting instant /
could have sworn there was IA mocling
smile a-lurk al the back of the beau
tiful eyes. Then she Went straight to
the subject nlattcr of her GRAND
aside The small passage at
arms as if it had not been
You are in most perilous situation.
Captain Ireton. do you not know it?
News Of your presence in Charlotte has
got abroad and at this very moment
house~to-ho house search for YOU
SO; some one has betra yed lne?"
She nodded.
DO you know who it was?"
She nodded again.
1 considered of it for little time,
and then said: Il must not be
taken here. Win your ah-duty
stretch the length of showing me am
door,
There are nc doors unmatched. You
must stay here till nightfall."
Nay, that | will not. VIII you tell
me who II was set them on
was man You hateand who
hates you heartily in return He saw
you come here last night; he knows you
are here now-or guesses it,"
had no right TO pry into her conf
dcnoe as thief would break into a
house. But l was loath to fight my
battle i'm the dark if she, or any one,
could give me light.
His name, if YOU nay give 1t, Mis-
tress Margery. 1t may point the way
out of this coil" :.
Ills owen Pengarvin. He was here
last night when you came"
Now ] remembered the little man In
black whom l had seen coming down
the stair whilst / knocked al the door.
but this left me in a greater maze than
ever.
If he knows am here, why does he
let them search elsewhere?"
AT this she looked away from me.
and made sure l saw the sweet chin
CULVER when she spoke.
He has reasons of his own reasons
Of of but instead of telling me what
they We're she broke off to say: but
now you know why all the doors of
This house arc under guard"
Truly, said / and Herewith l fell
~ pacing up and down the narrow
lear Nay ia the garnet, striving TO see
now j might come off with nothing
worse than The loss of my b.udensone
ife
Twas easy to guess how this
shaNeiins lawyer discounted Inc. Fore
warned is forearmed in amy soldier
amp; and through his blabbing, the