The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-05-26
CHAPTER vIm.-continued.

smile that dashed me SharpeSt. III
smile and what he said: and yet no
ferred.
"Ha! How is this. Mistress Mar
gerry? Do you keep open house for tn,
kings enemies? That spells treason
my dear young lady. and hath an ugl.
look for you. besides"
1T should have no look at all. saw,
that of hospitality. SIR" she countered
bravely. Surely l nay plead for JUS
tice to a wounded man who was. anC
is. my fathers guest"
And yet he is a spy, and spies nus
hang
II is no spy"
The colonel's bow made but a mocl
of true politeness.
"Yon should not make me contradict
a lady, Mistress Margery. 'Tis evident
you have not all his confidence. He
was captured red-handed in the act a
yonder window, listening to that which
he may never kno and live to pirate
about. Besides, he killed a sentry. fol-
his chance to listen. and for that IC
hang him il he were my own fathers
guest"
So much he said as mild as il he had
not left his reading OF the law to fig
butcher. hen in a sudden gust OF
rag he urne upon the priest. cursing
him brutally and threatening VEN
geance for his bringing Of the lady to
the court room.
My brave one stood for a moment.
shocked as she had warrant for. Then,
before the priest or I or any one could
stop her. she ran to throw herself upon
her knees at Colonel Tarleton's feet
to kneel and plead for me as 1 would
gladly have died a thousand deaths
rather than have her plead: for life for
me. or II not that. at least for some
brief respite that the priest might
shrive me.
And in the end she won the respite.
though l did think it far too dearly
bought. When he granted it the colo
mel lifted her and too her hand. bow
Ing low over 1t with courtly Difference.
For u sake. Mistress Margery, it
shall be put off till morning." he said:
then CAV the order: At dawn they
would march me out and hang me. and
l would best be ready. Fo later than
the sunrise of a new day the king him.
self might not delay my taking off.
YOU know too much, my cursing
captain" was his parting word. Were
it not for Mistress Margery and my
promise, o would not keep the breath
to tell it over night"
IN.
HOW A GOLDEN KEY UNLOCKED
A DOOR.
Having my dismissal and reprieve 1
was remanded to the custody Of that
young Lieutenant Tybee whom you
have met and known as Falconnet's
second in the duel. Interpreting his Or
ders literally, he suffered me to keep
my own room for the night. I had eX-
pected manacles n a roommate
guard at the least. but my gentlemanly
jailer spared me both. When he had
me safe above stairs, he barred the
door upon me. set a sentry pacing back
and forth in the corridor without, and
another to keep an eye upon the win
dow from below, and so left me.
There was no great need for either
sentry, or for bolts and bars. What
with the nights adventures and my
scarce-healed wound. l was far sped on
that roa which ends against the blind
wall Of exhaustion, as you may well
suppose. Flo While a man may borrow
strength of wine or rage or passion.
these lenders are but pitiless usurers
and will demand their pound of flesh;
aye, and have it, too, when all the prin-
cipal is spent.
So, when Tybee barred the door and
left me with a single candle to my
lighting. 1 was fain to fall upon the
bed in utter weariness. thinking that
the respite bought by my sweet lady's
humbling was more dearly bought than
ever, and that the truest mrecy would
have been the rope and tree without
this interval of waiting.
To me in tins grim Doubling Castle
of despair the priest came. He was a
good man and a true. this low-voiced
missioner to the savages and he would
be a curster man thar l who failed to
give him his due need of praise and
love. For in this dismal interval of
waiting, with death so sure and near
that all the air was growing chill and
lifeless at its presence. he was a ready
help in time of need. If l were her
etc" to him. I swear I knew it not for
aught he said or did: and though
trusted that when my time was come
I should stand forth with some small.
supplemented show of courage, yet
when he went away I felt I was the
stronger for his coming. And this,
mark you. though l was still unshriven.
and he had never named the churchly
rite to me.
When he was gone I fell to wearing
out the time afoor; and, lest you think
me harder than I was, 1t may be said
that while I did not make confession to
the kindly priest. l hope l tried to make
my peace with God in some such SIM
pier fashion as u forbears did. Twas
none so great d lnatteI, lOI OHe WIG
lives a soldiers life must needs be ripe
for plucking hastily.
But in the fina casting of accounts
there was an item written down in
red, and one in black. and these would
not be scored across for all the travail
Of a soul departing. The n in black
was bitter sorrow for the fate from
which might not 1.-Two to save my
loved one; the one in red was his;
that I should die and carry hence the
knowledge that might else nip the In
dian onfall in the bud.
No sooner was the priest away thar
I began to upbraid myself because
had not told him OF this British-Indiar
murder plan. And yet on SECOND
thought twas clear that it had beer
but a poor shifting Of the burden to
weaker shoulders; and thankless, too
for Tarleton would be sure to put hin
on the question-rack to make hin tel
Of all that passed between us.
AS I had let him go, he would have
naught to tell, and 50 was safe. where
otherwise he might be hanged or buried
in the hulks for knowing what l knew
No, it were best he knew it not: bul
how was l to rid me OF his burden?-
Of this and OF hat other laid upon nj
for my love?
The question asked itself many
time. and was as often answerless, be-
fore there came a stir without anG
roicoc In tho norri1o. II 4, ~