The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-08-10

~God be with thee. ms honored lord
and have thee ID his holy keeplng In
Lady Loring hath asked me, the priest
so set down ia writing what hath DeIallel
lat Twynham, and ali that concerns Tn
ldeath VI thy III neighbor The sOcman o
Minstead. For When ye had lett US, thi
evil man gathered around him all outlaws
vilIeins. and masterless men. until the!
were come 10 such a force Jnat they slew
land scattered the kings men WIG wen
Iagainst them. Then, coming form iron
/ he woods, they laid siege 10 Thy castle
nd for TWO days they girl us IN and shol
| lard against US. with such numbers al
| we're a marvel 10 see. Yet the Lady Lor-
| ng held the place stoatly, anu on the
/ second day the Socnan was siain--by
lhts own men, as some thinkso that We
were delivered from their hands; FOL
which praise be to all the saints, and
more especially to the holy Anselm, upon
whose feast 1t came to pass. The Lsdr
I.oring and the Lady Maude. thy fail
daughter. are in good health. May all
the saints preserve thee.
My fair lord 4" said Alleyne. with n
flush on his weather-staiued cheeks, 81
love your daughter, the Lady Maude; and.
unworthy as ! am, would give my
hearts blood to serve her
BY st. Paul! Edricson," said the
knight coldly, arching his eyebrows, you
aim high in this matter. Our blood is
very DID,
"And mine also is very old. answered
the squire.
and the Lady Maude is our single
child. All our name and lands center upon
her.
sG.t..t 4ta4 7 h..,,a - a. -. -
am now the only Edricson.
'And why have ] not heard this from
You before, Alleynef In sooth, | think
you have used me III.
may. my fair lord. say not so; for I
know not whether your daughter loves
me, and there is no pledge between us :"
Sir Nigel pondered for a few moments,
and then burst ont a-laughing. "By St
Paul. said he, ~ 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
craved; and IL she set her heart on thee,
Alleyne, and thou or r, ] DO not think
that this Spanish king, with his three
score thousand men, could hold you apart.
Yet this ! will say, that ] would see you
a full knight ere YOU so to my daughter
a brave lance should wed her: and, by my
SOUL Edrcson. II God spare you. / think
that you viii acqnit yourself well. But
enough OF such trifles. for we have our
work before us, and It 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 1t Is time that
we were marching There is no pass al
the further end OF the valley, and II is
perilous place should an enemy come upon
u.s..
Alleyne delivered his message and then
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
hought OF HIS brother, OF their quarrel |
# the Lady Maude In her bedraggled rid |
ng-dress, OF the gray old castle, of the
'roud pale face In the armory, and OF the |
asst fiery words with which she had sped |
lin on his way. Then he was but
'ennlless monk-bred lad. unknown and
Now he was himself Socman
Z Minstead, the head OF an old stock, and /
he Lord of an estate which, II reduced |
rom its former size, was still ample to
reserve the dignity OF his family. Further,
e had become a man OF experience was
ounted brave among men, had won the
steem and confidence OF her father, and
bove all, has been listened TO by him
rhen he told him the secret OF his love
IS TO the gaining of knlghthood. In such
tirring times 1t was no great matter for
brave squire of gentle birth to aspire to
nat honor. He would leave his bones
mong these Spanish ravlnes, or he would
0 some deed which would call the eyes
men upon him.
Alleyne was still seated on the rock, his /
riefs and his joys drifting swiftly over
Is mind like the shadow of clouds upon ,
sunlit meadow, when OF sudden he
ecame conscious OF a low, deep sound |
hich came booming up to him through /
lie fog. He shouted an alarm TO the q
mp. i
ut Is great body OF horse" said Sir
lillian FELTON,, "and they are riding very Q
Witty hitherwards. +"
The Company stood peering into the !
,nse fog wreath, amidst silence so :
'ofound that the dripping of the water {
ON the rocks and the breathing of the ]
)rses grew loud upon the ear. Suddenly $
ON out the sea Of mist came the sound /
neigh, followed by a Icing blast of 9
lgle.
ut is a Spanish call, my fair lord. !" said
lack Simon.
by my faith, said Sir Nigel, smiling :
we may promise them some sport ere
ey sound the mort over US. But there !
a hill In the center of the gorge upon
hlch we might make our stand.
81 marked it yester night" said FELTON,, Q
and no better spot could be found for 6
II purpose for 1t is very steep at the
eek. 7
The whole Company. leading their
rises, passed across to the small hill :
hich doomed up from the mist. 1t was
deed admirably designed for defence, for
sloped down in front, all jagged and
uder strewn, while II fell away behind !
a sheer cliff OF a hundred feet or more.
n the summit was a small, uneven
ateau, with a stretch across Of hun
ed PAGES, and depth of half as much !
min.
'Unloose the horses said Sir Nigel. =
Vow order the ranks and ding wide the :
nners, for our souls are Gods and our +
dies the kings, and our swords for 1
lint George and for EnglandI y
sir Nigel had scarcely spoken when the :
st seemed to thin IN the valley, and to !,
red away into long ragged clouds which !,
Tiled from the edges Of the cliffs, and g
e sun broke through. 1t cleaned and :
lmmered with dazzling brightness upon !,
E armor and headpieces of a vast body !,
horsemen who stretched across the
rranca from one cliff to the other, and
tended backwards untIl their rear-gnard =
re far out upon the plain Beyond. Line 3
ter line, and rank after rank, they =
Dcked the neck of the valley with = !,
g vista of tossing pennons, twinkling y
ices, waving plumes and streaming {,
nderoles, while the curvets and gam i,
ies Of the chargers lent a constant mo- -
n and simmer TO the glittering, many 4,
ored mass A yell Of exultation, and a Il,
est ~ waving atapI through the length -