The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-04-21
all their stays and furbelows, could
match her supple grace and lissom fig

ure.
What with the blood lettings and the
wound fever, coupled with the subtle
wtchery of her presence thus in my
sick room, It Is little to be wondered
at that curious madness came over
me, or that | forgot for the moment
the loyalty due to my dear lady Could
| have stood before her and. reading
but half consent in the deep welled
eyes, have clipt her in my arms and
laid my lips to hers, l would have run
to pay the price, in earth or heaven or
hell, thought deeming the fierce joy
Of it well worth any penalty.
At this should have stirred, ! sup
pose. for she came quickly and stood
beside me
You have slept long and well, Cap
tain lreton," she said; and in all the
thrllling JOY of her nearer presence
found space to mark that her voice had
in it that sweet quality of sympathy
which is all Womanly. They say | am
good only to fetch and carry-may
fetch You anything?"
| fear the madness Of the moment
must still have been upon me, for I
said: Since you are here yourself
dear lady, | need naught else"
At a flash I had my whipping in a
low dipped curtsy and a hooking smile
like that she had flung to Falconnet.
'Merci' mon Capitaine." she said;
and for all my wincings under the
sharp lash of her sarcasm | was moved
to wonder how she had the French of
1t. And then she added: rs it the
custom for her Apostolic Majestys Off
GERS to come out Of death wound
only to pay pretty compliments"
Twas no compliment. | denied:
and, indeed, | meant it, Then | asked
where | was. and to whom indebted
though | had long since guessed the
answer to both questions.
In trice the hooking mood was gone
and she became my lady hostess
stepped to her finger tips in gracious
dignity.
You are at Appleby Hundred. ST.
Twas here they fetched you because
there was no other house so near, and
you were sorely hurt. Richard Jenni-
fer and my black boy made a litter of
the saddle cloths and with Sir Fran
els and Mr.. Tybee to help"
| think She must have seen that this
thrust was sharper than that of the
German long sword. for she stopped in
mid sentence and looked away from
me. And. surely. I thought it was the
very irony Of fate that ! should thus be
brought half dead to the house that
was my fathers, with my enemy and
his second to share the burden of me.
But your father?' l queried, when
the silence had grown over long.
My father is away at QueenSbor-
ough, so you must cen trust yourself
to my tender mercies. Captain IretOn.
Are you strong enough to have your
wound dreSSed?''
She asked. but waited for no answer
of mine. Summoning a black boy to
hold the basin of water. she fell to upon
the mountaineering with as little ado
as If she had been a surgeons appren-
tice on a battle field. and | a bloodless
ancient too old to thrill at the touch
| Of a Womans hands.
Dear heart! It's a monstrous ugly
| hurt" she declared, replacing the wrap
pings with deft fingers. How came
you to go about picking a quarrel with
| Sir Francis?"
Twas not of my seeking I re-
| turned and then l could have cursed
my foolish tongue
rs that generous, Captain Ireton
| We hear something of the talk of the
town. and that says
THAT says l struck him without suf-
| ficient cause. L am content to let it
stand So
Nay, but you should not be content.
Is there not strife enough in this un-
happy land without these causeless
! chickering's"
Here vas my lady turned preacher
| all in a breath and | with no words
to answer her. But l could not let it
go thus
Il knew Sir Francis Falconnet in
| England" said l. hoping to turn her
safe aside.
"Ah; then there was cause. Tell
| it me-
May. tina: I may not"
| Though she was hurting me SOrely
in the wound dressing, and knew it, she
! laughed
Ills most ungallant to deny lady
sir. But ! shall know without the tell
ing; twas about a woman. Tell me
| Captain Ireton, is she fair?'
Seeing that her mood had changed
again, | tried to give her quip for jest
but what with the pain of the sword
thrust and the sweet agony of hel
touches 1 could only set my teeth
against a groan She went on drawing
the bandageings. little heedful how she
racked me. l thought: and yet when al
was done she stood beside me all of {
tremble, as any tender-hearted woman
might.
There" she said; Its over for
time, and 1 make no doubt you are gla,
enough Now you have nothing to dc
save to lie quiet till it heals"
And how long will that be, thinl
you?"
I'VE shall see; long time, 1 hope
You shall be punished properly fo
your hot temper, | promise you, Cap
tain Ireton.
Continued Next Weekly