Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-10-20
THE MASTER OF APPLEBY|
CHAPTER xxxvL.-continued.

beLOTe L knew WHAT i WOulQ 1 was
beside her, and honor, or what may
stand therfor. betwixt a man and his
friend, was flung away. But when
would have crushed her sweetness ia
my arms she went upon her nee to
me. All. Cod she knelt TO me as
she had knelt to that other would-be
ravisher and begged me for mine
honor's sake TO bethink me of what
would do.
''Oh. Monsieur john be merciful as
you are strongl" she pleaded. Think
what IL will mean to you, and how you
win loathe me and yourself as wql
when this madness Is ~oyerpast! oh,
go; go quickly. lest l. too, forget"
And so IL was that / found sudden
strength to turn and leave her kneel-
ing there; turned TO grope blindly for
the doo- with all the pains of hell
afiame within me.
For now / had put honor under foot;
now l kne l had truly earned her
scorn and loathing. l could no longer
plead that | was the puppet OF fate
flung against my will between this
maiden and my dear lad. | was the
wilful offender; false to my love, false
to my friend, a recreant to every oath
wherewith / had bound myself 70 be
true and loyal TO these two.
With such a flaming sword to drive
IllC IOIlub Il SluiilDAcu A-Oil AlS iOO'Aib
thinking only how I should quickest
rid me of myself. fastening to my
garnet sleeping place. | buckled on my
sword, found my shake. and went
straight to my lords bed-chamber.
My rap at the door went unanswered,
and a broad shouldered young fellow
in n l~leutenant's uniform. lounging on
a settle in the clock landing of the
stair, told me Lord CORVALLIS was
gone out.
| was face TO face with this young
lieutenant before ] recognized him; be-
ing so benz upon haste | hould have
passed him on the landing without a
second glance had he not risen to grip
me by the shoulders.
"By the Lord Harry" he cried, lis 1t
thu you pass an old friend without a
word, Captain Ireton?"
Twas my good death-watch; hat
Lieutenant Tybec Of the lighthouse
who had sunk the British officer in the
man in that trying night at Appleby
Hundred. l returned his hearty greet
ing as well as / might, and would have
explained my present state and stand
ing but that | was loath to lie to him.
But as to this, he saved me the shame
of 1t.
II could have sworn you We're no
rebel, Captain Ircton; indeed. / made
bold to say as much to our colonel, af-
ter it was all over. / told him a soft
word or two would have won you
back to your old service. You see /
knew better than the others what lay
beneath all your madnesses that
night
You knew somewhat, but not all" l
said; and thereupon, lest he should in
volve me deeper n detain me longer
when l was athirst TO be rome, l
FASTENED to ask where / might hope
TO nnd his lordship and Colonel Tarle-
ton. {.
TITS the hour for parade; you viii
find them at the camp ne replied. And
then. out Of the honest English heart
of him: Have you made you peace,
Captain? Do you need a friend to go
with you?"
l said I had been granted a hearing
by Lord CORVALLIS but a little while
before; that by my lords appointment
l was ne a sort of honorary aide-de-
camp.
Good" said the lieutenant, gripping
my hand in q way to make mo Vince
for the lie-in-effect hidden in the sim
pie statement OF fact. Then he roared
at the soldier standing guard at the
house door below: "A mount for Cap,
tain Iretcn-and be swift about it,"
He held me IN talk till the horse was
fetched, happily doing most of the talk
ing himself. and when | was I'm the sad
die gave me "A hearty God-speed. Be-
Ing so sick with sel~f-despisings, l fear
/ made but a poor return for all this
good comradeship; but at the time |
could hin of nothing but the hell that
famed within me, and of how l could
soonest quench the fires OF II.
The town, which / had not seen since
early summer, was but little changed
by the British occupation, save in the
livening OF it by a near-at-hand camp
OF an armed host. Being but a half
point en- route in the northward march,
it was not fortified; indeed, FOR the
matter OF that, the camp proper was a
little way without the town, as / have
said.
/ rode slowi.' across the
skirting the commissary's quarters and
making mental notes OF all L saw; this
from soldier habit solely. for at the
time / had little thought OF living on
to make q spy's use OF them. Arrived
at the parade ground, I found my lord
galloping through the ines on inspec-
ton, and SO l must draw rein in the
background m wait my opportunity.
The pause gave space for some eye
sweep Of the scene. n all the soldier
| blood In me was stirred by the sight,
the first l had had In many n day, of a
wel~crdered army. fit, disciplined. ma
chine-drilIed to move like the parts of
1 u NOI4l VQo liOAi AiiCiiis
At the back Of Lord CORVALLIS and
his galloping suite, Tarleton's famous
lighthouse legion was drawn up; and
fronting it was the infantry. rank on
rank. the Slittering bayonets sianting
In the October sunlight as the regi-
ment moved into place, or standing in
rigid groves OF steel at the command to
halt and port arms.
What was there in all our poor raw
land 20 stand against this well-trained
host, armed--as we were not-with the
deadly bayonet, and moving as one
mar at the word of command? Not the
bravest home guard or militia troop, l
thought; and this seeing of what ne
had had TO front on the field Of Cam
den made me think less scornfully of
Horatio Gates.
Riding presently around the field to
be nearer TO the general when my time
should come. l missed the mark COM
pietely. 1t SO Glanced that as the pa
rade was ended my lord and his suite
were at the extreme right; and when
the regiments broke ranks l was forced
to skirt the, entire camp to come into
the road. BY this ime those l sought
were gone into the town. so / must
needs turn about and follow. with the
thing i had TO say still u~nspoken.
I need not drag you back and forth
With me on the search to find Lord
CORVALLIS again. IT'S enough to say
that after missing him here and there,
! ran him 10 earth IT the house.
where, ii was told me. my lord was sit
ting In council with his stan officers.
Thinking it worse than useless TO try