Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-07-14

We round him In the nook maze Dy
the turn Of the stair, flung thither, as
1t seemed, by the recoil OF the great
bell mouthed blunderbuss. which he
was still clutching. The fall had partly
tunne him, but he was alive enough
to protest feebly that he would take a
dozen oaths OF his loyalty to the cause;
that he had mistook us for some thiey-
ing marauders of the other side; craft
lily leaving cause and party without a
name till he should have his cue from
us.
Whereupon Richard loosed his neck
cloth to give him better breathing
space, and bidding me see IL the rev.
elers had left a heel-tap of wine In any
bottle nearer han the wine cellar.
lifted the old man and %propped him in
the corner Of the high backed hall
settle.
The wine quest led me to the ban
quoting room. Here disorder reigned
supreme. The table stood az the rois-
terers had left II, the very wreck and
litter of a bachanalian feast. Bottles,
some with the necks struck or, were
scattered all about, and the floor was
stained and sticky with split wine and
well sanded with shattered glass.
/ found a remnant draining in one of
the broken bottles, and a cup to pour 1T
IN. and with this salvage from the
wreck returned to Jennifer II
his charge. The old man had
come to some better sensing of
things-he had been vastly more fright
enod than hurt, as / suspected-and TO
Richards eager q~uestionings was able
TO give some feebly querulous replies.
Yes, they're gone-aH gone. curse
'em: and they've taken every plack n
bawbee they could lay their thieving
hands upon he mumbled. TITS like
the dogs: to stay on here and eat and
drink NE out of house and home, and
then to scurry off when I'm most like
to need protection
But Madge?" says Richard. is she
safe In bed?"
She's a jade" was all the answer he
got. Then the old man sat up and
peered around the end of the settle to
where / stood, cup and bottle in hand.
TITS a Christian thought" he quaver-
ed. give me a sup of the wine, man"
served him and had a Scottish
blessing for my wastefulness, because,
forsooth. the broken bottle split a Thin
bleful i'm the pouring. / saw he did not
recognize me, and was we'll enough con-
tent TO let it rest thus.
Richard suffered him to drink in
peace, but when the cup was empty ne
renewed his asking for Margery. At
his the master Of the house, heartened
SoiiltW 10 bN my dNAAN > SCcN
made shift to get upon his feet in some
tremulous fashion.
"Madge, dye say? She's gone; gone
where neither you nor that dour-faced
deevil that befooled us all will find her
soon. [ promise you, Dickie Jennifer!"
he snapped; and ] gave them my back
and stumbled blindly to the door, max
ing sure his next word would tell my
poor wronged lad all Shat he should
t - Ga@~, 40 30 - ~ ntInv l1nG
but mine own. But Richard himself
parted the impending stroke Of truth,
saying:
$50 she is safe and well, Mr.. Stair,
tits all / ask to know
"She is safe enough; safer by far
thar you are at this minute, my young
cock-a-hcop rebel, now that the king
God save himi-has has own again"
| turned quickly on the broad door
stone to look within. Out of doors the
early August dawn was CRAVING mist
lily over head, but in the house the
sputtering tallow dip still struggled
feebly with the gloom. They stood
facing each other, these two, my hand
some lad, the pick and choice of a
comeIy race. looking, for all his tolls
and vigils, fresh and fit; and the old
man in his wooden dressing gown, his
wig awry and his lean face yellow in
the candle light.
How is that you say, Mr.. Stair?"
says Dick. The ~king-but that. is
only the oldtTory cry. There will never
be a king again his side of the water"
The old man reached out n hooked
a lean finger in the lads b~uttonhole.
Say you so, Richard Jennifer? Then
you will never have heard the glorious
news?" This with a leer that might
have been of triumph or the mere whet-
ting of gossip eagerness--I could not
tell.
NO says Richard, with much indif-
ference.
Hear It. then. Twas at Camden,
four days since. They came together in
the murk of the Wednesday morning,
my Lord CORVALLIS and that poor fool
Gates. De Kalb Is dead; your blether-
ing Irishman, Rutherford, is captured;
and your ragtag rebel army is scatter
ed to the tour winds. And that's not
all. On the Friday, Colonel Tarleton
came up with Sumter at Fishing Creek
and caught him mapping. Whereupon.
Charlie Mcdowell and the over-moun-
tain men, seeing all vas lost, broke
their amp on the Broad and took to
their heels, every man jack of them for
himself. So We see. Dickie J%ennifer,
there's never a cursed corporal's guard
|lClL III ~ &ai ~ NNAiA III tAC
king s way.
He ratified all this off glibly, like a
child repeating some lesson got by
heart; but when / would have found a
grain of comfort in the hope that 1t
was q farrage OF Ealesnns.,s Hes. Jvfi-
infer made the truth appear in answer
to a curt question.
'"Tis beyond doubt2-all this, Mr..
Stair?
The old loyalist-loyalist now, IL
never certainly before-sat down on the
cackle of a laugh that sounded like the
crumpling OF new parchment.
You'd best be off. light foot and
tight foot. Master Richard. lest you
learn shrewdly for yourself. lis in
everybody's mouth by this. There were
some i've int forty OF the kings friends
come together here no longer ago han
yestere'en to drink his majesty's health.
and Ell, man. but IL will cost me a
pretty penny. Will that satisfy YEP
Yes" said Jennifer. thinking, may
hap, as ! did. that nothing short of
gospel-true news woul have sufficed
to unlock this poor old miser's wine
cellar.
Well. then; you'd best b OF while
You may; dye hear? I bear We no ILL
viii. Richard Jennifer. and IL Mr..
Tarieton lays hold OF you. you'll hang
higher than Haman for evading your
parole, l promise you. Wen say naught
about this rape or the door-lock. though
It's ~actionable, sir, and Ill warn you
the law would make you smart finely
FOR II. But Wen enter a nolle proseaui
on that till you're amnestied and back,
then you can pay me the damage Of the
broken lock and We'll cry quits"
AT this my straightforward Richa I'd