The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-02-02
r I.

frosty dp-that the King. with the
Prince OF Wales, the Princes Rupert and
Maurice. and n great company Of lords
and gentlemen, horse and foot, came
marching hack 10 us from Reading. i
was n pupil OF Trinity College In Ok
ford nj that time, and may begin my
history OF 3 o'clock on the same after
noon. when going 20 Mr.. Rob Drury for
my fencing lesson. I found his lodgings
empty.
They stood at the corner OF Ship street,
a. you turn into the Corn Market
low wainscoted chamber, III lighted but
eommodious. "He IL of TO see the
show" thought I as I looked about me:
and finding an easy cushion In the win
dow. sat down to await him. Where
presently. being tired out and In despite
Of the open lattice. / fell sound asleep.
IL must have been an hour after that
I awoke with q chill and was stretching
out a hand TO pull the window close.
but suddenly sat down again and fell to
watching instead.
The window looked down, at the
height of ten feet or 80. pom a bowling
green at the back OF the Grown Tav-
srn, and across IL to a rambling wing
OF the same inn: the fourth side, being
but en- old wall, with q broad sycamore
growing against II. Twas already twi-
light, and I'm the d~arkening house, over
the green, was now one easement bright
" liz, the curtains undrawn, n within
a noisy company round n table. They
we're gaming. as was easily told by their
clicking OF the dice and anon the below
Of some chorus would come across.
Twas one OF these catches. l dare say.
that woke me: only just now my eyes
were bent. not toward the singers, but
on the still lawn between us.
The sycamore. l have limited, was a
broad tree. and must, In summer. have
borne a goodly load OF leaves; but now.
In November, these were strewn thick
over the green, aud nothing left but stin,
naked boughs. Beneath IL n garden
bench rested. On this a man was now
seated.
lie was reading in a little book: and
this first logged my curiosity; for twas
unnatural a man should read print Mt
this dim hour, or he should choose n
eold bowling green for his purpose. Yet
he seemed to study his volume very Mt
tentively. with n sharp look, now and
then. toward the lighted window. ms IL
the jewellers disturbed him. His back
was partly turned to me: and what with
this and the growing dusk. ] could but
make n guess at his face: but a-plenty
OF silver hair fell over his fur collar.
and his shoulders were bent n great deal.
/ judged him between fifty and sixty.
For the rest, he wore q dark, simple
suit, very straitly cut. and a hat rather
tall. after the fashion OF the last reign.
Now. why the mans behavior so en-
gagged me, I don't know. but nj the end
OF half an hour ! was still watching him.
By this. twas near dark. bitter cold. and
his pretenSe To read mere fondness; yet
he persevered-though with longer
~glances at the easement above. where the
din at times was ft to wake the dead.
f. And nov u OF the diccrs upsets his
chair. and gets on his feet. Looking up,
I saw his features for q moment
slight. pretty boy. scarce above eighteen,
with fair curls and flushed cheeks Ike a
girls. IL made me admire to see him
In this ring OF purple. villainors faces.
Twas evident he was a young gentle
mar OF quality, as well by his bearing
as his handsome cloak OF amber satin
barred win black. Il think the demon
Is In these dice"' | heard him crying. and
a pretty hubbub all about him: but pres
entity he sits down quietly TO a fresh
game.
As soon as twas started. one OF the
crew. that had been playing but was
now dropped out. lounges up from his
scat. and coming 10 the easement pushes
IL open for fresh air. lie vas n tall
bully, with n gross pimpled nose. and led
the catches in n bulls voice. The rest OF
the players paid no heed to his rising.
and very soon his shoulders hid them.
a. he leaned out. drawing In tho cold
breath.
During the late racket l had forgot for
n while my friend under the sycamore.
but now. looking hat way, TO my aston
lAhment | Jaw him risen from his bench
and stealing across TO the house oppo-
site. lie kept all the way 10 the darker
shadow OF the wall. and besides had a
curious trailing motion with his left foot
as though the ankle OF IL had been wrung
or badly hurt. As soon AS lie was come
beneath the window he stopped and call
cd softly:
"Histl'
Inc puly gave " hAdEN anu iVohsu
down. | could tell by this motion he did
not look TO find any one in the bowling
green at that hour. lie now moved 50 as
10 let IL fall on the man that addressed
him. The other stands close under the
window. as II TO avoid that, and calls
again:
Hist" says he. aud beckoas with a
Anger.
The man at the window still held his
tongue. and 80 for a while the two men
studied one another In s~ilences rs IL con'
slderiug their next moves. After n bit,
however, the bully lifted n hand, and
turning back into the lighted room. walks
90 TO one Of the players. speaks a word
or two and disappears.
l sat up on the window seat, where ill
sow l had been rrouching for fear the
shaft Of light should bctray me, and
presently heard tie latch OF the back
porch gently lifted. aud spled the heavy
form OF the bully coming softly over the
grass.
The bully must have closed the door
behind him but carelcsSly, for hardly
| could be take n dozen steps when IL open.
ed again with a scnille, and the large
house dog belonging 20 the Crown hew