The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-05-05

when should be alone. And when the
priest had told me all the news at
large, we came again to speak of Mar
gerry.
Il go and come through all this Dor
derland," he said, when | asked him
how and why he came to Appleby Hun
dred, but it was mam'selle's message
brought me here. She is my eve lamb
in all this region. and | would journey
far to see her
that day the west was fiercely Protest
ant and the mother church had scanty
footing in the bor-lerland
But Mistress Margery Is not Cath
olic," said |.
His look forgave the protest in the
words.
Indeed she is. my son. Has she
not told YOU"
Now truly she had not told me so in
any measured word or phrase: and yet
| might have guessed it, since she had
often spoken lovingly of this same Fa-
ther Matthew. And yet 1t was incred-
ible to me.
But howl do not understand how
that can be-" l stammered. Surely,
she told me she was of Huguenot blood
on the mothers side. and that is
The missionary's smile was lenient
still, but full of meaning.
Not all who wander from the Cath
Ollie fold are lost forever. Captain Ire
ton. The mother of this demoselle
lived all her life Protestant. think.
but when she came to die she sent for
me. And that is how her child was
sent to France and grew up convent
bred. Monsieur Stair gave his promise
at the mothers deathbed. and though
he liked 1t not, he kept It,"
Aha, see. And for this single lamb
Of your scant fold you brave the terrors
OF our hereto backwoods? 1t does you
credit. Father Matthew. The war fills
all horizons now. mayhap. but l have
seen the time in Mecklenburg when
your cassock would have been a chal-
lengc to the mob"
His smile was quite devoid of bitter
ness. THE time has not yet passed"
he said, gently. Il have been six weeks
on the way from Maryland hither, hid
ing in the forest by day and faring on
at night. Indeed, | was in hiding ON
Il neighbOring plantation when our
demoiselle's messenger found me-" :
This put me keen upon remembering
what had gone before; how he had said
at first that she had sent for him. /
thought it strange, knowing how PERIL
Gus the time and place must be for
such as he. But not until he rose and
DluulHS me SoOu-uay, lett me TO my
self, did | 50 much as guess the thing
his coming meant. When l had guessed
it. when | put this to that-her telling
me Sir Francis had proposed for her.
and this he: sending for the priest
the madness of my love for her was as
naught compared to that anger which,
seized and racked me.
| know not how the hours of this
black day We're made to come and goi
Irr n n n nd &c in hai
passage yet leaving me alive and keen
to suffer at the end.
A thousand times that day | lived int
torment through the scene in which,
the priest had doubtless come to play!
his part of joiner The stage for it,
would be the great room frontingt
south: the room my father used to
call our castle For guests | thought
there would be space enough and some
to spare, for, as.you know, our Neck.
lenburg was patriot to the core. But
as to this. the bridegroom's troopers
might fill out the tale, and in my heat
ed fancy could see them grouped be-.
meath the candle sconces with belts,
and baldrics fresh pipe cayed, and,
Shakos dotted, and sabretaches we'll in
front. "A man full grown-a soldier,"I
she had said; and trooper guests Were
fitting in such case.
From serving in a Catholic land Il
knew the customs of the mother|
church. SO l could see the priest inj
cassock, alb and stole as he would
stand before some makeshift altar lit,
with candles. And as he stands they
come to kneel before him; my winsome'
in all her royal beauty. child
to love, and yet an empress peerless I'M
her woman's realm; and at her side,l
with his knee touching hers, this mani
who was a devil!
What wonder if I cursed and choked
and cursed again when the maddeningj
thought of what all this should meaM
for my poor wounded Richard-and la-
ter on. for Margery herself-possesseG
me? In which of these hot fever gusts
of rage the thought of interference
came, know not. But that it came a 4
thought and plan full-g.ow}
at BIRTH do know.
The pointing of the plan was desperl
ate and simple. 1t was neither more
nor less than this l knew the house,
and every turn and passage in it, and,
when the hour should strike l said
l should so down and skulk
the guests, and at the cru-
cial moment find or seize a weapon and
fling myself upon this bridegroom as
he should kneel before the altar
With strength to bend him back and
strike one blow, l saw not why it might
not, win. And as for strength, I have
learned this in war, that so the rage
be hot enough, twill nerve dying man
to hack and hew and stab as with tho
OF ten.
Continued Next Weekly