The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-02-16

your service. AS yc hear. our house Is
full OF company. Bu; straw Is clean bed
ding. and the mare I'll help to put In
stall"
Agreed" I said. ION one condition
that you send me out some food"
To this he consented. and. stepping
back into n side room with the other
fellow. returned In a minute alone. car
rying a lantern. The fare. as we picked
our way along. fell for q moment on nj
open cart shed. and within. on the gilt
panels Of n coach. In the stable l was
surprised TO find half n dozen horses
standing. ready saddled. and munching
their oil OF oats. They were ~ungroomed.
and one or two In n lather Of sweat that
ON such n night was hard TO account for.
But I asked no questions. and my CON-
panion vouchsafed no talk. though twice
j caught him regarding me curiously ~
l unbridled the mare In the only vacant
stall. Not a word pass'd rs he took the
lantern OF the peg again. and led the
way up a ~ramshackle ladder 10 the loft
above. He was a fat. numbering fellow.
and made the old timbers creak. At the
top he set down the light. and pointed
to a heap Of straw In the corner.
"Yon's you bed" he growled; and be-
fore ! could answer, was picking his way
down the ladder again.
I look'd about. and shiver'd. The caves
OF my bedchambcr were scarce OF speak.
ing terms with the walls. and through a
score Of ~crannies nj least the wind pour
ed and whistled. 10 that after shifting
my truss Of straw n dozen times I found
myself still the center OF n whirl OF
Aranwtf The ra,iIa Nauna tao ~aa
pulled this way and that inside the horn
sheath. l was losing patience when |
heard footsteps below: the ladder creak'd.
and the red hair and broad shoulders Of
a chambermaid rose into view. She
carried a salvcr with food. and mutter'd
all the while. The wcnch had a kind
face, tho: and n pair OF eyes that did
her more credit than her tongue.
And what's 20 he my reward for this.
I want to know she painted out, rest
ing her left palm on her hip.
"why. a groat or two" said I. 81 beg
your pardon, but my wits are frozen mp.
I think. There's two. for interest; and
another II you tell me whom your master
entertalns tonight. that | must be con-
tent with this crib"
"well-to begin. there's the gentle
folk that came this afternoon with their
own carriage and heathenish French ser
want: n cranky old grandee and n daugh-
ter with more airs than a peacock; Sir
Something -or-other Killigrew-bless the
boy
For I had dropp'd the mug and split
the hot coffee all about the straw. where
IL trickled away with a fragrance re-
proachfuily delicious.
"Now I beg -FOUR pardon a hundred
times: but the chill Is In my bones worse
than the ague:'' and budding my shout
ders up, l counterfeited a shlveriug az
with a truthfulness that surprised my
self.
Poor lad
And It's first hot and then cold all
down my spine. and goose flesh and
iusheS all over my body; and by morn
ing | shall be In a high fever: n oh!
l feel I shall die OF itg"
"Don't-don't." The honest girls eyes
were full OF tears. II wonder. now"
she began; and ! waited. eager for her
next words. Sure. masters at cards In
the parlor. Shalt pass the night by the
kitchen FIRE. IL only thou make no noise"
But your mistrsss-what will she
say?"
lis In heaven these two years: and
out OF masters speaking distance forever.
So blow out the light and follow me
gently"
Still ~feigning To shiver. / follow'd her
down the ladder. and through the stable
into the open. The girl took me by the
hand to guide me: for. save from the
one bright window In the upper floor.
there was no light at all In the yard.
Clearly. she was in dread Of her masters
anger. for We stole across like ghosts. and
once or twice she WHISPERED a warning
when my toe kick'd against n loose cob
BILE. But Just as l seem'd 10 be walk
ing into n stone wall, she put out her
hand. heard the click Of n latch. and
stood in a dark. narrow passage.
The passage led TO q second floor that
open'd on a wide, stonepav'd kitchen.
liz by q cheerful IRE, whereon n kettle
Kissed and dubbed. Close by the chin.
ney corner was a sort OF buttery hatch.
for pushing the hot dishes conveniently
into tho parlor on the other side OF the
wall.
'Sit," WHISPERED he girl. "and make
no noise, while I attend 20 the men folk
Ia the par.or." She jerked her thumb
toward the buttery hatch, where l had
already caught the murmur OF voices.
I took M a chair softly, aud set II
down between the hatch and the Fro
place. so that while warming my knees I
could catch any word spoken more than
ordinarily loud on the other side OF the
wall. The chambermaid stirr'd the FIRE
briskly.
There was the sound OF the voices sing
ing In the room upstairs.
That's the Foreigners said the cham.
bermaid.
A volley OF shouts sounded through
the buttery hatch.
And that's the true-born English
men. rs you may tell by their speech.
IT'S pretty company the master keeps
these days"
held up n finger for silence. In fact.
through the hatch my ear had caught a
sentence that SET me listening for more
with n ,till heart.
"Confound the Captain the landlords
! grua voice was saying; II warn'd m
ascn this fancy business when sober.
cool-hrndcd work was toward"
Settles way FROM his cradle" Growld
another; "anG times enough I've told n:
'Cap'n.' says 1. there's no sense o pro-
portions a. unt ye.' 4 master mind. sir,