Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-01-04

no opposition, and they had seen not
even single soldier. The open coun-
try lay before them, the turrets of the
town sinking in the rear.
NV foolish words have frightened
you Forget them! / am accumulat-
ing experiences that will interest you
to hear when the time comes for the
telling of them, bat of one thing
am assured, the good Lord stands by
his own. and he has shielded me since
yesterday morning broke. Come, Fran
ces, let us gallop. That and trust
in the Lord will remedy all the ills of
man or woman"
She was glad of the respite, and they
set off at full speed. Nevertheless her
mind was sorely troubled. "What did
he know, what did he know" beat
| through her brain in unison with the
clatter of the horses hoofs. 1t was not
possible that chance had brought him
thus to the very center of her guilty
secret: Cromwell, treachery, midnight
stealth, the Broughton rOad-these
words and phrases tortured her. Was
| this, then, the line of his revenge? Did
he know all, and did he purpose to
keep her thus in suspense, limiting,
soothing her fears, then reviving them,
making her black crime the subject OF
Jest and laughter? She cast glance
over her shoulder. Banbury had dis
appeared; they were alone, flying over
the land. The doubt was unbearable;
she would endure it no longer. I'm
petuously she refined her horse to a
stand. "Stop!" she cried, and at the
word her own horse and Bruce halted
and Stood The young man turned with
alarm to her agitated face.
"What do you mean by your talk of
Broughton and CROMWELL"
ooh, that is secret! l did not in
tend to tell you until our journey was
ended, when we could laugh over it to.
gether"
at is no laughing matter. I must
know what you mean"
"All dangers are laughable once they
are past. An unknown, unsupported
, danger threatened me at Banbury. i
is now past and done with, and tn,
: person who plotted against me ca,
, harm me no more. There are reason
why do not wish to mention this per
: sons name. Barring that, / may tel
you now MS well as another time, If yol
/, care to listen"
"Tell me the story, and l will tel
you the name of the thief" salt
Frances.
you slept badly last night. Did yo'
\ hear anything"
u I'LL heard the clock strike IL
II hours"
II 81 heard 1t strike three, but lay I
II locked in drowsincss that knew NJ
ii the Lord was calling to me. If Il
Seven Sleepers were melted into one,
N would outsleep that one. Well, to 6
ri on, / was robbed in the night. 1t mu
II have been ut that hour, for rememb
u dimly some sort of disturbance. B
"A Providence stood my friend. By t
n merest chance, it might seem, but n
ID by chance, as believe, saw the ere
n ture maka for Broughton. so, here
ii for Broughton,' cried l, 'on the ba
IL of Bruce, and see If my good pistt
Ill would win back what had been stol
II from me- The Broughton road it w;
N and the pistols did the business" Sa
II ing this, he whisked from his pOcli
il the kings commission, waving 1t {
III umphantly aloft. Her wide eyes dral
IL in the amazing sight of it, slowly bri
ii ming with superstitious fear, and til
III she asked duplicate of the questi
81 that had been asked of her few hot
" before.
81 ''pfeuisen... fiiesefs saw ''in nm.
III ooh, am going mad! Who is [
n thief? Who is the thief?"
III "De Courcy, if you must know. w
n does this trivial matter so disturb yc
IN De Courcy followed us from Oxft
III last night and was lodged at our Il
III BY some means lie penetrated into
N room, stole this from me, and ne
IN missed 1t until saw him ride
Broughton, and not even then, to
"a the exact truth. But remembered Il
a he had seen me place this paper in
inside pocket Of my vest, in the kin
own presence, and then the whole +
came to me. Before he saw Brought
80 Bruce and We're down upon him
, d highland storm on the lowland."
'Au This is not the kings commissio
she said.
wv ooh, but it isl"
le at is not. Have YOU read it?"
~ "No, but that's soon done"
He united the cord and unfolded
sheepskin. She leaned eagerly forwi
and scanned the writing, while Al
'iu' strong read it aloud.
"YOu see," he cried gleefully.
~ course 1t is the commission. There
the names Of Traquair and all the r,
lnd just as gave them to the sccreta
ian and there is Charles Rex in the kin
own hand"
MS at is a duplicate. Cromwell has
llte original. You never left De Cou
aV- alive within mile of Broughton c
the tleY'
lno II did that very thing. Not as liv
as l have seen him, yet alive nevert
ihs less"
aas "Then ride, ride for the north.
h;s have stood too long chattering here.
ano "All in good time, Frances. TIL
I'm is no more hurry than ever there W
=. less, indeed, for it seems to me Il
- Cromwell for some reason, wants
,,s+ come at this by fraud and not by fol
- But now that De Courcy's name
Ia mentioned between US, ask you WI
hor you know against him more thar
;an have told your"
on. Against him? l know everyth
,an against him. Would that you had h
ok "iu 'e.1 No SUI, -