The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-03-30

WAS white anu uOllOQleSS. Oue udQ
swooned indeed from WEAKNESS and hum
ger. So took her in my arms and STUN
bled forwad, hoping to find the end Of
the woods soon. For now the rattle Of
artillery came louder and incessant
through the trees and mingling with 1t a
multitude Of dull shouts and outcries.
The trees in a short while grew spars-
er and between the stems l marked q
rudy light glowing. And then I came
out on an open space upon the hillside,
with a dip Of earth In front and beyond
long ridge Of pines standing up black
because Of a red glare behind them, and
saw that this came, NOT from any setting
sun, but was the light Of a confagra-
ton.
The glare danced and quivered in the
sky as / crossed the hollow. It made
even Delia's white cheek seem rosy. Up
amid the pines l clambered and along
the ridge to where it brofe off in steep
declivity. And 10! in a minute looked
down, as 'twere, into the internal pit
There was a whole town burning BE-
low. And in the streets men were fight
ing. as could be told by their shouts
and the rattle and blaze of musketry.
attacking force body Of royal troops
sent from Oxford to Dust the garrison Of
the Parliament, which they did this
same night with great slaughter, driving
the rebels out of the place and back on
the road to Bristol. Had we guessed
this much i'll luck had been spared rs,
but we knew naught Of it, nor whether
friends or foes were getting the better.
So we determined to pass the night In
the woods, and on the morrow to give
the place a wide bertl.
Retreating, then, to the hollow, gath
cred pile OF great stones and spread my
cloak thereover for Della. To sleep was
impossible, even with the will for 1t. For
the tumult and fighting went on and only
died out about an hour before dawn,
and once or twice we were troubled to
hear the sound of people running on the
ridge above. So we sat and talked in
low voices till dawn, and grew more des-
perately huDgered than ever.
With the chill Of daybreak we started,
meaning to get quit of the neighborhood
before any espied US. and fetched COM
pass to the south without another look
ar Marlboro.
But before an hour had passed by we
were captured by a troop of rebels and
taken to Bristol, where 1 was searched
and my letter to the King taken from
me by Col. Essex.
You are now to be ask'd to pass over
the next four weeks in as many minutes;
as would had done at the time! For
spent them In bitter cold cell in the
main tower Of Bristol keep. with a chair
ox,1 1.< -
ture, and nothing to stay my fast but
the bread and water which the jailer
brought me twice a day.
What concerned me most was the cold
that gnaw'd me continually these winter
nights as lay thinking Of Della (whom
I had not seen since our capture), or
gazing on the patch of frosty heaven
that was all my view. Twas thus 1
had heard Bristol bells ringing for
Christmas in the town below.
Col. Essex had been thrice to visit me,
and always offer'd many excuses for my
treatment; but when he came to question
me, why, of course, 1 had nothing to
tell, so that each visit but served to vex
him more. Clearly 1 was suspected to
know a great deal beyond what appear'd
10 the letter; and no doubt poor Anthony
Killigrew had receiv'd some verbal mes
sage from His Majesty which he lived
not long enough to transmit to me. As
twas, 1 kept silence; and the Colonel
in return would tell me nothing Of what
had befallen Della.
One fine, frosty morning, then, when
had lain in this distress just four
weeks, the door Of my cell open'd. and
there appear'd young woman, bringing
in my bread and water. She was the
jailer's daughter. and wore a heavy
bunch Of keys at her girdle.
"Oh, good morning. said I, for till
now her father had visited me, and this
was a welcome change.
Instead Of answering cheerfully she
gave a little nod Of the head, rather
sorrowful. and answered:
Fathers abed with the ague."
Nov, you cannot expect me to be
sorry"
May" she said; and caught her look
ing at me with something like compass
sion in her blue eyes, which mov'd me
to cry out suddenly:
Il think you are woman enough to
like a pair of lovers"
"Oh, aye; but where's t'other half of
the pair?"
"You are right The young gentle
woman that was brought hither with me
Il know not il she loves me; but this I
do know--I would give my hand to learn
her whereabouts and how she fares
Better eat thy Loaf" put in the girl
very suddenly. setting down the plate
and pitcher.
Twas odd, but l seem'd to hear a sob
in her voice. However, her back was
toward me as glanced up. And next
moment she was gone, locking the iron
door behind her.
| / turn'd from my breakfast with a
sigh, having for the moment tasted the
hope to hear something Of Della. But
in a while, feeling hungry, pick'd up
the loaf beside me and broke it In two.
| To my amaze, out dropp'd something
that jingled on the stone floor. Twas
a small file; and, examining the
loaf again, / found a clasp
knife also, and strip of paper, neatly
folded, hidden in the bread:
| Dear Jack
| Colonel Essex, finding no good come
OF his interrogatories, hath set me at
large; tho 1 continue under his eye, to
wit, with dowager Of his acquaintance,
q Mistress Finch. Wee dwell in q pri-
vate house midway down St Thomas
street, in Radcliffe; and she hath put q
dismal dress upon me, otherwise uses me
not III. But take care Of thyself, my
deare friend for tho the Colonel be q
gentilman, he is press'd by them about
him, and at our last interview noted
l. ~ Il