Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1906-08-17

and have thee In his holy keeping. The
Lady L0ring hath asked me. the priest.
80 set down Ia writing what hath befallen
at Twynham, aud all that concerns the
death OF thy m nelghbOr the S0cman Of
Minstead. For when sc had left us, this
evil man gathered around him all outlaws,
yllleins, aud mastefless men, until they
we're come 10 such force that they slew
ana scattered the kings men who went
against them. Then. coming forth from
the woods, they laid Siege 10 thy castle,
aud for two days they grit US ln and shot
hard against US, with such numbers as
we're q marvel 10 see. Yet the Lady Lor-
ing held the place stOutly, and on the
second day the Socman was slnln-by
his own men, as some thlnk-so that We
were delivered from their hands, for
which praise he TO all the saints, and
more especially to the holy Anaelm, upon
whose feast II came 10 pass. The Lady
Loring aud the Lady Maude, thy fair
daughter, are IN good health. May all
the saints preserve theel'
MY fair lord, said Alleyne. with n
flush ON his weather-stalned cheeks. 81
love your daughter, the Lady Maude; and,
unworthy as / am, I would give my
hearts blood 10 serve her."
by st. PAUL Edrlcson." said the
knight coldly, archng his eyebrows. "you
aim high in this matter. Our blood Is
very old"
"And mine also is very DID," answered
the squire.
"And the Lady Maude is our single
child All our name and lands center upon
| her. F"
"Alasl that l should say II, but l also
am now the only EdricsOn."
''And why have l not heard this from
you before, AlleyneI In sooth, think
you have used me ILL.,"
may, my fair lord, say not so; for I
know not whether your daughter loves
me, and there is no pledge between us q"
| Sir Nigel pondered for a few moments
and then burst out a-laughlng by St.
| Paul!' said he, 81 know not why / should
mix In the matter; for I have ever found
that the Lady Maude vas very well able
to look TO her own affairs. Since first
she could stamp her little foot she hath
ever been able to get that for which she
eraved; and II she set her heart on thee,
Alleyne, and thou o. -, I do not think
that this Spanish king, with his three
score thousand men, could hold you apart
Yet this ! will say, that I would see you
a full knight ere you go 10 my daughter
with words Of love. I have ever said that
a brave lance should wed her; and by my
that you will acquit yourself well. But
enough OF such tribes, for we have our
work before us, and 1t viii be time to
speak Of this matter when we see the
white cliffs OF England once more Go to
Sir William FELTON,, / pray you, and ask
him to come hither, for It is time that
we We're marching. There Is no pass at
the further end of the valley and It Is a
perilous place should an enemy come upon
u.s."
Alleyne delivered his message, and then
wandered forth from the camp, for his
mind was all In a whirl with this I'M
expected news, and with his talk with
Sir Nigel. Sitting upon a rock, with his
burning brow resting upon his hands, he
thought Of his brother, of their quarrel
Of the Lady Maude In her bedraggled rid
lng-dress, OF the gray old castle, of the
proud pale face in the armory, and Of the
last fiery words with which she had sped
him on his way. Then he was but a
penniless, monk-bred lad, unknown and
unfrlended. Now he was himself Socman
Of Minstead, the head of an old stock and
the Lord Of an estate which, II reduced
from Its former size, was still ample to
preserve the dignit-T Of his family. Further
he had become a man of experience was
counted brave among men, had won the
esteem and confidence of her father, and
above all, has been listened to by him
when he told him the secret of his love.
AS to the gaining of knlghthood, in such
| stirring times It was no great matter for
brave squire of gentle birth to aspire to
that honor He would leave his bones
among these Spanish ravlnes, or he would
do some deed which would call the eyes
Of men upon him.
Alleyne was still seated on the rock, his
griefs and his joys drifting swiftly over
his mind like the shadow of clouds upon
a sunlit meadow, when of a sudden he
became conscious Of low, deep sound
which came booming up to him through
the fog. He shouted an alarm to the
camp.
ut is a great body Of horse" said Sir
William FELTON,, land they are riding very
swiftly hitherwards."
The Company stood peering into the
dense fog wreath, amidst a silence so
profound that the dripping of the water
from the rocks and the breathing of the
horses grew loud upon the ear. Suddenly
from out the sea of mist came the sound
of neigh, followed by long blast Of a
buge.
ut is a Spanish call, my fair lord said
Black Simon
by my faith, said Sir Nigel, smiling,
1--WE may promise them some sport ere
luey bOuHu lue LlOIb ONSI us DuL lHtle
is hill In the center of the gorge upon
which we might make our stand.
81 marked 1t yester night" said FELTON,
"and no better spot could be found fol-
our purpose, for it is very steep at the
back
The whole Company, leading their
horses, passed across to the small hill
which doomed up from the mist. 1t was
, indeed admirably designed for defence, fol
it sloped down In front, all Jagged ant
boulder strewn, while 1t fell away behind
. in a sheer cliff of hundred feet or more
On the summit was a small, uneven
plateau, with a stretch across Of hun
dred PAGES, and a depth of half as much
again.
''Unloose the horses,' said Sir Nigel
Now order the ranks, and fling wide tht
banners, for our souls are Gods and oul
bodies the kings, and our swords fol
Saint George and for England
Sir Nigel had scarcely spoken when tht
mist seemed to thin in the valley, and t
, shred away into long ragged clouds which
trailed from the edges Of the cliffs, and
the sun broke through. 1t cleaned anC
I shimmered with dazzling brightness upor
the armOr and headpieces of vast body
! of horsemen who stretched across thu
! barranca from one cliff to the other, anC
extended backwards until their rear-guar(
were far out upon the plain beyond. Line
after line, and rank after rank, they
checked the neck of the valley with {
long vista of tossing pennons, twinklini
, lances, waving plumes and streaming
banderoles while the curvets and gam