Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-05-02
Dost get their meaning. God


| "Fair love, thy pure and generous
soul could never grasp the meaning OF
their cruel and wicked ignorance" he
answered, then, seeing that the shad-
ow still rested on her face, cried IN
vexed tones:
Margaret, cease sorrowing! Sweet,
thou hath done naught but show them
acts Of kindness! Some enemy of
thine hath been at his foul work most
diligently. TITS man I've had mine
eyes on!"
Thou meanst my cousin Jcsiah?"
The blood rushed to La Fabienne's
face
Call him not thy cousin, Margaret %
he cried holly, 'for 1 swear he hath
no feeling of kinship for thee. Damme,
but detest the man! The mere men
ton of his name doth cause my gorge
to rise"
Just then a large, hulking lad who
was coming toward them with bun
die swung on stick over his shoulder
humming a tune as he came, at the
sound Of their voices ceased his noise
suddenly, hesitated to make sure, then
pushed through the brushwood and
skunk away under the trees in the op-
posite direction.
WAS not that Toby, the horse boy?"
Margaret asked. Strange that be
should dodge and hide In that odd man
| ner!'
| Sir Godfrey shook his head and
frowned, then, as If anxious to dispel
the gloom that had fallen on them,
called out gayly to Margaret, who was
riding ahead: "See the sun setting be-
hind the hills, sweet love. What red
ness it doth reflect against the sky!
wot tomorrow will be warmer STILL"
By now they had reached the open
roadway, and the lands Of the Maryland
estate spread out before them.
An there is Elsbeth at the gate"
Margaret said, with a happy laugh.
''Fie on thee for foolish old womanw
she called to her in passing, with afec-
tionate gayety. Hast naught to do but
look out for our return?"
| Urging on her horse, she galloped to-
ward the house. Suddenly La Fabi-
enne, who rode slowly to look at some
thing by the wayside that attracted his
attention. felt the pressure Of a hand
on his arm. Turning, he saw Elsbeth.
Sudden misfortune hath befallen
u.s." she said in an agitated whisper.
''The servants, even old. Giles, have
left"
He returned her gaze steadily.
$50, no, thou tellest me but what l
did suspect moment since" he an
swered. What reasons gave the cow
ardly churlsY'
They said" she replied, with tears
in her eyes, that they would work no
longer for mistress who wore such an
evil cross, that there were strange
tales going about that our bonny Mar
garet was witch, and that she kept
her evil magic and black arts in the
! papist cross she wore upon her bosom"
La Fabienne's hand clutched tighter
to the rein
| said they so?. The low bred pol
| troons! What further mischief dost
think that gray clad villain, Josiah
Taunston, doth mediate, good Els
beth? Parbleu, doth the fool think he
Is aiming blows at defenseless wo-
man? the past have thought his
petty spite and covetousness were too
small to notice; but, bon Dieu. an he
persists in his prosecutions I'll have
settling with the fellow"
| Then he added in lower voice:
"'Twere better, methinks, not to dis
tress thy mistress with this news.
Prithee, too much already of unpleas-
ant nature hath happened to grieve
| her"
His horse cantering up to the door
way where Margaret had pulled rein,
letting her animal nibble some grass
growing beside the path, he sprang
down and assisted her to alight.
1--WE called Giles" she said, "but no
one answers. Whistle, Godfrey, SO that
they may know we have returned"
Sweet, I'll be thy horse boy" La
Fabienne caught her horse by the rein.
"Elsbeth says thy servants rose against
her authority, and she sent them pack
Ing Look not SO serious, Margaret"
be urged. 1--WE can replace them ere
the dawn of another day"
"Elsbeth Margaret turned her white
face to the old woman and spoke stern
ly-"speak truth to me, 1 command 1t.
Did my hirelings leave my house be-
cause of any feeling of dislike or aver
sion to me?"
"Bonny babe, sweet Margaret" cried
the old woman tremblingly, "they said
nay. naught against thee SO much
but that the cross thou didst wear vast
papist and wicked, containing evil that
wrought harm to others! Happen
thou'lt take it off, sweet" she added,
with hope Of encouraging Margaret,
II wot they'd all come back and be
| glad to serve thee.
The young mistress of the Maryland
farm raised her head quickly, and the
color that had forsaken her cheeks at
the unexpected tidings of her servants
detection returned to them. Her eyes
sparkled dangerously.