Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-06-01


she made no sign he gave the word to
recommit me.
Take him away. Lieutenant Tybee.
and see he has a bribe-proof man this
| time to keep him company. Madam
] heton. I'll put You on your honor; you
may have access to him. but there
/ must be no messages carried in or
out. TO your quarters, gentlemen. We
must ride far and hard tomorrow"
Wheti his final word had set her free.
4 my frozen maiden came to life and
ran to throw herself in helpless sob
bings. not upon her father as you
would think, but upon the good priest.
And it was Father Matthew who led
| her. still crying softly, out of the
! throng and up the low stair: and now
l marked that all the rough soldiery
stood aside and made way for her with
4 never man among them to scott or
sheer or point Il gibe.
At her going. Tybee drew his sword
and cut the cord that bound me.
"These Nouneling cubs are over
4 cautious. Captain lretcn. We shall not
( make it harder for each than we must
he said, With bluff good nature. And
then: will you lead the way to your
ROOM sir?"-this to give the youngling
cub another lesson, | suppose.
l walked beside him to the stair, and
when ! stumbled, being weak and spent.
he took my arm and steadied me. and
l did think 1T kindly dome At my own
door he gave me precedence again. saw
ing. With touch of the grateful old
4 world courtesy, After You, sir" and
standing aside to let me enter first.
\ When we We're both within he touched
upon the colonels mandate.
II must obey my orders, Captain
Iretcn. but by your good leave | shall
not lock you up with any trooper; I'll
stay with YOU myself"
l thought this still more kindly than
aught he bad done before and so l
| told him. Put he put il off lightly
/ Tis little enough any one can do
for YOU, my friend. but I will do that
little as | can. You are Ike To have
a visitor. | take 1t; If you have. I'm
sure twill be a comfort If your body
guard can be stone Mind and deaf"
So saving, he dragged the big wicker
\ chair into the window-baY planted
4 himself deep within it with his back
4 to all the room, and SO left me To my
/ own devices
4 Being spent enough to sleep beneath
! the shadow of a giboet, ! threw myself
! full -length upon the bed and was I
think. adrift upon the ebb tide of ex-
! haustion and forgetfulness when once
again the shifting of the wooden door
bar reused me. ] rose up quickly but
I 1Fybee was before me. There was some
! low voiced conference at the door;
!
"'Tis Mr.. Gilbert Stair he said.
4 He has Permission from the colonel
and insists that he must you solus
4 I'll take your word and leave YOU If
4 you like"
4 At first l hung reluctant, wanting
4 little of the host vino came so late to
see his guest. Then, as If a sudden
I fash of lightning had revealed il, |
realized, as had not efore. how had
set the feet of my dear lady in u most
j hideous labyrinth of deception; how
4 this lie that i had told To bridge a
/ momentary gap must leave her neither
maid nor widow in the morning.
Yes, yes: for Gods sake let him in,
4 Mr. Tybee." burst out Il am fair
crazed with WEAKNESS, and had for
I got lis most important, do
4 sure YOU.
The thing was done at once, and be-
fore ] knew it was alone with the old
man who though he was my suppant-
4 en- WAS also Margery's father He en-
tered cautiously, shielding his bedroom
4 candle With his hand and i,eering over
it to make me out, as If his ventuling
in were not unperious. Aud | marked
4 that when he put the candle down up
on the table he edged Away and felt
behind him for the door as if to make
sure of his retreat in case of need.
sit down, Captain lr"tom, sit down,
beg of you." he said. in his thin,
taspiHg treble And when had
\ obeyed II think you must know what
I've came For, captain Irelon2"
K said ! could guess; and he began
a@ain. voluldy NOW, as If to have it
over in the shortest spice.
Twas not ge,ltlemanly thing for
You TO do. CAPTAIN lretone this marry
ing of u foolish girl ont of hand while
you We're here q guest ana as for the,
priest that did it. I'LL have him
hanged before the army leaves, prom
Use You. Eut nov It's done, / hope
yere prepared to make the best of it,"
saw At once that his daughter had
not yet confided in him. that he was
! still entangled In my He. SO thought
it We'll to probe him deeper while
might
What would you call the best If
may ask? said |, growing the cooler
With some better seeing of the way
ahead
The marriage settleinents," he cried
shrlly, coming 10 the point at once,
as amy miser would. lis the nlerest
matter of form. as ye may say for your
title 70 ApplcbN Hundred is we'll burnt
out, promise you Rut for the decent
1 look of you might make over your
quitclaim to your wife
Aye truly so ! might"
And so you should, sir; that you
should. ye miserable, spying runag"-
he choked and coughed behind his
hand and then began again without the
epithets. lis the very least ye can
do for her now, when you have the
rope fair around your ours ahem-
Eour-your rebel neck. only for the
FORMS sake. to be sure, We understand.
( for she'd inherit after you In any case"
saw his drift at last, and, not car
ing 10 spare him, sped the shaft of
| truth and let it find the joint in hts
harness.