The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-10-06
CHAPTER NNNIII.
in WHICH | HEAR CHANCEFuL
T1DINGS
'TlDINGS.

CHAPTER NXNI1I.
in WHICH HEAR CHANCEFuL
TlDlNGS.
You are not to suppose that the haz-
ards of this hiding place in my Lord
CORVALLIS headquarters would keep
me from sleeping well and Soundly. one
of the things a soldier earns soonest
is TO take his rest when and as he can;
and after peeling ~curiously into the
hooks and corners OF my garnet TO
make sure / was alone, | lluns myself
~a-sprawi on the broad settle and was
dropping off into f~orsettulnesS when 1
heard a tapping at the Wainscot.
1t fetched me wide awake with a
start. and l Was up and weapoued in
misunderstanding taken the p~recaution
to lay my sword in easy reach before
blowing out the candle. Cropping my
way cautiously 10 the secret door, l
crouched and listened. All VAS silent
save for the Intermittent clarnor of
the WaSSaiierS in the room beneath.
After waiting a fun minute l 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
11oor at my feet was my supper; "a
roasted fow On a server, hot from the
spit. With maize bread and furnishings
fit for an enicure.
Since. as an appanage of Appleby
Hundred. this was mine own house,
and, by consequence. the fowl was
mine, | ate as a hungry man should,
making no Scrup!e on the score of
pride. Nor did / forget to be CRATE
full to my lady; though when | remem-
bered that this was doubtless but an
other leaf out of her duty-book, the
meat was like to choke me. And ii
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 u of my covert
prison.
None the less, for ali my fine resolves
to be astir and off by daybreak. the
sun was shining broadly in at my gar
ret window when l awoke.
Seeing the sun, / tumbled out of my
Settle-bed, With a maiediction on the
s!oth that had bound ME SO fast. and
| made for the door. But some one had
been before me. entering whilst l slept.
On a broken chair We're a basin and
w2r, with soap and towels; beside the
chair VAS my portmanteau: and on q
deal box. neatly covered with a linen
cloth, was my breakfast.
You, my dears. who have YOU maid
or man to tell o 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 doffcd the vagabond and
donned the gentleman. ] did it; did it
leisurely, rolling the privilege as Il
sweet morsel under by tongue. They
say the raiment never makes the nan
! : i- - I-,1 ,,,tl 1,1,- ~, ,N i, A,",
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 | drew up another of
the cast off chairs to sit at meat,
freshly groomed, and clad in the field
uniform of a captain Of her Apostolic
Majesty's hussars. l was the filter by
man. tranSmierations TO cope With fate
OF any other adversary.
And now, the claims of decency paid
in fun, and the keen edge of hunger
somewhat dulled, | was free to think
Of my sweet lady's loving kindness tc
one she hated-and to Wonder what
she would do and be for one she
loved. AS you would guess, there We're
dregs of bitterness in that up; and
was once again set sharp upon re-
%lieving her of the burden of me.
Having my Austrian uniform, I was
| HON ready u llluNe III tllil Venture OUT
lined in part to Colonel Davie: but tc
set my plan in action l must first gel
free of the house unseen by my Lore
or any Of his suite. How to do this
unaided ! could not determines; and
since any fresh laundering would sure
ly breed new trouble for Margery, :.
was forced to wait for her return.
made sure she would come, if only
TO be the sooner quit of me: and 81
| cha did faprinp AT tho wa i'm Ccnt lnn1
whilst ! was dallying with the break
fast leavinps. Twas worth something
to see her start of surprise When
opened to her; but she was far too true
a lady to be one thing to the unwashet
vagabond and another to the gentle
man-clad.
l gave her good morning. and wa
beginning in some formal fashion t.
thank her for her thoughtful care
when she cut me short.
"'Tis my bounGcn duty. sir" she sait
twanging once again upon that fraye,
string. You are my guest and III,
| husband; though God knows | woul
you We're neither
!. "Merci. Madame" said I; stung $
. sharply that the retort would out i
spite of everything. LAS once before,
!, am your poor nlls~fortunate prisone,
! but this time YOU are not less Nillin
, to give than ! am to receive
: She gave me a look hat l could no
fathunl, and for a fitting instant
could have sworn there was Il mockin
: smile a-Iurk at the bach of the beau
liful eyes. Then she went straight t
\ the subject matter of her errant
brushing aside the small passage a
arms as if ii had not been.
You are in a most perilOus situation
- Captain lreton; do you not know it
News Of your presence in Charlotte ha
got abroad. and at this Very momer
: Tarleton's dragons are making
housc-to-house search for YOU
80; some one has betrayed me?''
II She nodded.
G DO you know who it WASP"
She nodded again.
i l considered of ii for a little tim
X and then said: Il must not /
e taken here. vii your-ah-dut
e stretch the length of showing me a
s unmatched door?"
There are no doors unmatched. Yo
must stay here till nightfall."
Nay, that I will not. vii you tie
l me who it was set them on?'
Twas a man you hate-and WI
G hates you heartily in return. He sa
you come here last night; he knows yc
o are here now-or gueSses it,
ie 1 had no right to pry into her cont
dence as a thief would break into
house. But l was loath to fight n
y battle in the dark if she, or any on
10 could give me light.
IS His name, if you may give it, Mi
tress Margery. 1t may point the Wa
n @-,+ - %L;~# roSI