Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-10-06
CHAPTER XXXIII.
IN WHICH I HEAR CHANCEFUL
THINGS

IN WHICH I HEAR CHANCEFUL
TIDINGS.
You are not to suppos that the haz-
ards of this hiding place in my Lord
Corvallis headquarters would keep
me from sleeping well and soundly. one
of the things q soldier learns soonest
is to take his rest when and as he can;
and after peering curiously into the
hooks and corners of my garnet to
make sure i was alone, L flung myself
a-sprawl on the broad settle n was
dropping off into forgetfulness when l
heard a tapping at the wainscot.
1t fetched me wide awake with a
start, nd l was up and weaponed in
stantly-having taken the precaution
to lay my sword in easy reach before
blowing out the candle. Cropping my
way cautiously to the secret door, i
crouched and listened. All was silent
save for the intermittent clamor of
the w~assailers in the beneath.
After waiting a full minute l opened
the door and looked without. The high
dormer window in the n of the cor
ridor made the darkness something
less than visible, and / could see that
the passage was empty. But on the
foo at my feet was my supper; a
roasted fowl on a server, hot from the
spit, with maize bread and furnishings
fit for an epicure.
Since, as an appanage of Appleby
Hundred, this was mine own house,
and, by consequence, the fowl was
mine, l ate as a hungry man should,
making no scruple on the score of
pride. Nor did / forget to be CRATE
full to my lady; though when l remem-
bered that this was doubtless but an
other leaf out of her duty-book, the
meat was like to choke me. And ii
was this thought that made me re-
solve thrice over to loose her from the
onerous burden of me so soon as ever
the morning light should come to help
me find the way out of my covert
prison.
None the less, for all my rine resolves
to be astir and off by daybreak, the
sun was shining broadly in at my gar
ret window when / awoke.
Seeing the sun, l tumbled out of my
settle-bed, with a malediction on the
sloth that had bound me so fast, and
made for the door. Blu some one had
been before me, entering whilst l slept.
On a broken chair were a basin and
ever, with soap and towels; beside the
chair was my -portmanteau; n o. a
lei box, neatly covered with a linen
cloth. was my breakfast.
You, my dears, who have your maid
Vi AAioAi " VII ~ "1iSA yNNt DoN -
ready, and to lay out the fresh, clean
garments sweet from the laundering,
may wonder that L put away the
thought of flight and let the breakfast
DOL whilst / shaved and washed and
scrubbed, and DOTTED the vagabond and
donned the gentleman. / did it; did 1t
leisurely, rolling the privilege as a
sweet morsel under by tongue. They
say the raiment never makes the man;
L. N hal NxNf only LNAr IN bis nxxffN
regard, at least, the man is vagabond
gentleman as he Ia dress the one
part or the other. And / am sure of
this; that when ] drew up another Of
the cast off chairs to sit at meat,
freshly groomed, n clad in the field
uniform Of a captain Of her Apostolic
Majesty's hussars, / was the filter by
transmigrations to cope with fate
or any other adversary.
And now, the claims of decency paid
in full, and the keen edge of hunger
somewhat dulled, / vas free to think
of my sweet lady's loving kindness to
one she hated-and to wonder what
she would do and be for one she
loved. AS you would guess, there were
dregs of bitterness in that cup; and |
was once again set sharp upon re-
her of the burden of me.
Having my Austrian uniform, I was
now ready to move in that venture out
lined in part to Colonel Davie; but to
set my plan in action / must first get
free of the house unseen by my Lord
or any of his suite. How to do this
unaided / could not determine; and,
any fresh laundering would sure
ly breed new trouble for Margery, /
was forced to wait for her return.
/ made sure she would come, il only
to be- the sooner quit of me; and SO
she did, tapping at the wainscot door
whilst / was dallying with the break
fast leavings. Twas worth something
to see her start of surprise when /
opened to her; but she was far too true
a lady to be one thing to the unwashed
vagabond and another TO the gentle
man-clad.
/ gave her good morning, and was
beginning in some formal fashion to
thank her for her thoughtful care,
when she cut me short.
Its my bounden duty, sir she said
twanging once again upon that frayed
string. You are my guest n my
though God knows / would
you were neither"
"Merci, Madame said +; stung so
sharply that the retort would out in
spite of everything. A once before, /
am your poor misfortunate prisoner;
but this time you are not less willing
to give than / am to receive"
She gave me a look that I could no
fathom, and for a fitting instant I
could have sworn there was a hooking
smile a-lurk at the back of the beau
tiful eyes. Then she went straight to
the subject matter of her errand.
brushing aside the small passage at
arms as if ii had not been.
you are in a most perilous situation.
Captain Ireton: do you not know 1t?
of your presence in Charlotte. has
abroad, and at this very
Tarleton's dragons are making a
ho~use-to-house search for you"
so; some one has betrayed me?"
She nodded.
do you know who it was?"
She nodded again.
/ considered OF it for a little time.
and then said: Il must not be
taken here. Will your-ah-duty
stretch the length Of showing me an
door?''
There are no doors unmatched. You
must stay here till nightfall."
Nay, that / will not. Will you tell
me who Il was set them on?"
Twas a man you hate-and who
hates o heartily in return. He saw
you come here last night: he knows you
are here now-or guesses IT."
i had 10 right TO pry into her conf
dcnce as a thisf would break into a
house. But / was loath to fight my
battle in the dark If she, or any one,
give me light.
His name, If you may give II, Mis-
tress Margery. 1t may point the way
out Of this coil"
TITS owen Pengarvin. He was here
last night when YOU came