The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-03-23
SILVER SPUR
CHAPTER vi.

my eyes rested as 1 pushed the door
wide. Twas long room, wainscoted
half up the wall in some dark wood, and
m daytime lit by one window only, which
now was hung with red curtains. BY
the fireplace, where a brisk wood fire
was cracking, leaned young gentle
woman who, as she now turned her eyes
upon me, ceased lingering the guitar or
mandolin that she held against her waist,
and raised her pretty head not without
curiosity.
But twas on the table in the center OF
the chamber that my gaze settled, and on
two men beside 1t, Of whom l must speak
more particularly.
The elder, who sat in a high-backed
chair, was little, frail, deformed gen.
tleman Of about fifty, dressed very rich
~ in dark velvet and furs, and wore on
his head velvet skullcap, around which
his white hair stuck up like a feFret's-
But the oldest thing about him was
complexion that any maid Of sixteen
would give her ears for-of a pink and
white so transparent that 1t seemed
soft light must be glowing beneath his
skin On either cheek bone this deli
cate coloring centered in deeper flush.
His eyes were very bright and sharp, and
his chin stuck out like vicious mules
The table before him was covered with
TASKS, in the middle of which stood
silver lamp burning, and over it silver
saucepan that sent up q rare fragrance
as the liquid within it simmer'd and
bubbled- So eager was the old gentle
man IN watching the progress OF his mix
ture that he merely glanced up at my
entrance. and then, holding up hand for
silence, turn'd his eyes on the saucepan
again.
The second man was the broad-shoul-
dered lackey, and stood over the sauce
pan with a twisted flask in his hand.
from which he pour'd a red syrup very
gingerly, drop by drop, with the tail Of
his eye turn'd on his masters face, that
he might know when to cease
Now it may be that my entrance upset
this experiment. At any rate, l had
scarce come to a stand about three PAGES
inside the door, when the little old gen.
tleman bounces up in a fury, kicks over
his chair, hurls the nearest bottles to left
and right, and sends the silver saucepan
spinning across the table to my very
feet, where it scalded me clean through
the boot, and made me hop with pain.
"SpoiPd spoiIdr" he screamed /;
"drench'd in filthy liquor. when 1t should
have breath'd but a tastew
And, to my amazement, he sprang or
the Swapping servant like a wild cat,
and began to beat, cuff and belabor him
with all the strength Of his puny limbs.
Twas ike a scene out Of Bedlam.
Yet all the while the girl lean'd quietly
against the mantel-shelf, ana softly
touched the strings OF her instrument,
while the servant took the rain of blows
and slaps as though 'twere a summer
shower. grinning all over his face. and
making no resistance at all.
Then. as / stood dr.mb with perplexity,
the old gentleman let go his hold of the
fellows hair, and, dropping on the floor,
began to roll about in fit of coughing,
the like OF which no man can imagine.
Twas hideous. He bark'd, and writhed
and bark'd again, till the disorder seem'd
to search and rack every innermost inch
OF his small frame.
Hes dyingw 1 cried, and rar forward
to help.
The servant pick'd up the chair, and
together we set him in it. By degrees
the violence of the cough abated, and
he lay back, livid in the face, with his
eyes closed and his hands clutching the
knobs of the chair. / turn'd to the girl
She had neither spoken nor stirr'd. but
now came forward, and calmly ask'd my
business.
Il think" said l, shat your name is
Killigrew?''
Il am Della Killigrew, and this is my
father, Sir Deakin."
Now on his way to visit his estates
in CornwallY'
She nodded.
! Then / have 70 warn you that you,
lives are in danger" And, gently as DOS
sible, / told her what / had seen and
heard downstairs. In the middle Of my
4 tale, the servant stepp'd to the door, and
return'd quietly. There was no lock or
the inside. After a minute he went
across and draw the red curtains. The
window Lad grating within, of iror
bars as thick as a mans thumb, strongly
clamp'd in the stonework. Clearly, hs
was a man Of few words; for, returning
he merely pull'd out his sword, and
waited for the end Of my tale. The girl
also. did not interrupt me, but hsten'e
in silence. As l ceas'd, she said:
us this all you known
NO" answered 1, 1T is not. But tn,
rest I promise to tell you if we escap,
from this place alive. VIM this conten
your
She turn'd to the servant who nodded
Whereupon she held out her hand yer,
cordially.
aSir. listen; we are travellers bound To-
+. Cornwall, as you know, and have SOM
!, small possessions, that will poorly re
q ward the greed Of these violent men
+. Nevertheless, we should be hurrying OF
n our Journey did we not await my brothe
~ Antaony, who was to have ridden fror
n Oxford to join rs here. but has been de
81 layed. doubtless on the Kings bust
~ ness
a l started; for below heard the mali
& door open, and Captain Settles voice /,
the passage. The arch villain had re
8 turn'd-
Mistress Della" 1 said burriedly
\ "the twelfth man has enter'd the house
4 and unless we consider our plans at once
ais up with u.s."
"Tushw said the old gentleman in tn,
chair. who, il seems, had heard all, ant
now sat up brisk as ever. 81, for m,
y part. leave it all to Jacques. Come, ST
| By me, sir, and you shall see some pretty
play. Why, Jacques is the neatest rogu,
al with a small sword in all France"
81 "Sir," 1 put in. ''they are round doz
Ten In all, and your life at present il
|suot worth pcnny's purchase"
IN THAT'S a lie! IT'S worth this bow
before me, that, with or without you,