Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-05-26
HOW A GOLDEN KEY UNLOCKED
A DOOR.

A DOOR.
Having my dismissal and reprieve |
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 orr
ders literally. he suffered me to keep
my own room for the night. / had ex-
pected manacles and 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 IN y 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, / was far sped on
that road which ends against the blind
wall OF exhaustion, as you may well
For while a mar may borrow
strength of wine or rage or passion,
these lenders are but p~itiless usurers
and will demand their pound of flesh
aye, and have Ii, too, when all the prtn-
cipal is spent.
SO, when Tybee barred the door and
left me with a single candle to my
lighting. / was fain to fall upon the
bed in utter WEAKNESS, thinking that
the respite bought by my sweet lady's
humbling was more dearly bought thar
ever. and that the truest mrecy would
have been the rope and tree without
this interval OF waiting.
To me In this grim Doubling Castle
of despair the priest came. He was q
good man and a true, this low-voiced
missioner to the sayages, and he would
be a curster man than l who failed to
give him his due need OF praise anc
love. Fol in this dismal interval OF
waiting, with death so sure n near
that all the air was growing chill and
Iifeless at It's presence, he was a ready
help In time Of need. IL l were her
etic'' TO him. I swear | knew 1t not fol
aught he said or did, and though
trusted that when my time was come
should stand forth with some small
simpIe-hearted show of courage, We
when he went away I felt | was tn
stronger for his coming. And this
mark you, though l was still unshriven
and he had never named the churchi,
rite to me.
When he was gone ] fell to wearing
| out the time afoot. and. lest you thinl
me harder than | was, II may be sait
that while I did o make confession Il
| the kindly priest, l hope ! tried to MAKE
my a with God iE some such sim
pler fashion as our forbears did. 'Twa!
none so great a matter. for one wht
lives a soldiers life must needs be rips
for plucking hastily.
But in the final casting of account
| there was an Item written down II
| red and one IN black, and these wouiS
not be scored across for all the travail
OF a soul departing. The n In blacl
was bitter sorrow for the fate from
which I might not live TO a v m!
loved one; the one in red was this
that I should die and carry hence th'
knowledge that might else nip the In
dian onfall in the bud.
No sooner was the priest away thar
began TO upbraid myself because
had not told him OF this British Indial
murder plan. And yet on secon,
thought twas clear that il had beel
but a poor shifting OF the burden 4
weaker shoulders; and thankless, toe
for Tarleton would be sure TO put hin
on the question-ra to make him tel
4 or all that passed between as.
AS I had let him go, he would hay
naught TO tell, and so was safe wher
otherwise ne might be hanged orAprie
In the huiks for knowing what < Know
No. Il were best he knew II net; bu
how was l to rid me OF this BURDEN
OF this and or that other laid upon m
for my love?
The question asked itself many
time. and was as often answerless, be
fore there canfe a stir without an
voices In the corridor. 1t was tn
changing Of the guard. l guessed. an
> o At proved. since presently 1 heard til
clanking OF the oflcers sword. an
double footballs minishing into silenc'
The sentry newly come paced bac
and forth to a low -hummed qtuck-ste
OF his own bestirring himseha as on
who, roused but now from Sleep woul
wake himself and be alert. He mad
more noise than did the other, and ths
Il why I marked Il when the football
ceased abruptly. A moment sfterwar
the bar VA lifted cautiously from II
ecclket, the latch clicked gently and III
door swung open looked. and mul