The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-07-05
First InstalIment.)
CHAPTER I.

-
mTte than usually fina and now
III the beginning of 4S4vc1hber was
following the good example set
by its prede cessor. In the Home park,
the only part Of theNextensive grounds
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Court palace that
was well w,,oded, the leaves had not
entirely left the branches ands the turf
beneath was areen and firm, as yet I'M
sodden by auu imnal rain.
Along one Oh the forest aisles there
walked disti1 guished party. proceed
ing slowly, for' the pace wasAset by a
disease stricken man whoseAprogress
was of painful xdeliberation. He was
tall and thin. His body was premature
~ bent, though accustomed to be
straight enough ifs one might Judge by
the masterful brow, now, pallid with i'll
ness, or by the glance3of the ,piercing
eye, untamed even by, deadly malady.
That he was not long flor this earth, If
nature had her way, a scrutiniZer OF
that handsome, powerful face might
have guessed, yet he sssingled out
for destruction evenl before his short
allotted time, for atAthat moment his
enemies, hedged in secrecy behind
locked doors, were anxiously% planning
his ruin. They were wise in their
privacy, for had a whisper Of their in
Mentions gone abroad the Earl of STRAIT
ford would have struck first and.struck
hard, as indeed he intcndedsto do in
any case.
Thomas wentworth, earli Of STRAIT
ford, was accompanied iby an imposing
brain. On either side oflhim,, accommo-
Hating their slow steps to his, were
Some of the highest in the tland, who
waited on his words andfaccprded him
a Difference more ooseauionsi than that
with which they might have distin-
guished the king himself, for all knew
that this shattered frame was more to
be dreaded than the ,most'stalwartl per
sonage who that dayjtrod English soil.
Behind this noble circle followed a
numerous band of attendants, alert
for beck or call, each having place
according to his degree. A huntsman
was surrounded by dogs kept in thrall
by fear of the whip. Falconers with
hooded hawks nttested favorite sport
of the earl who 'lovedsto have the birds
near him even, though he made no trial
of their fight. And here he walked
the grounds OF the king as If he owned
them; as though he were permanent
master instead Of transient guest.
Here he rested for the moment, hop
Ing to recover some remnant of health
by the placid Thames, after his trou-
blous journey from Ireland, which
turbulent country lay numb under his
strong hand, soon to be vocal enough
when the hounds were upon him. No
echo of London's Glamour came to this
green paradise. He knew the mob was
crying out against him, as in truth the
whole country cried, but he needed not
the howl, despising his opponents.
Better for him had he been more wary
or more conciiiatory.
Among those now in his company
was young De Courcy, one of the nu-
merous band of Frenchmen smilingly
received at courtt because the consort
of Charles had prediction for her
countrymen-a preference unshared
by any save her husband. The Wrench
contingent thought little of the scowls
of the English so long as those in au-
thority smiled on them and the smile
brought profit. They were regarded as
ttled mercenaries, spies probably,
anxious to feather their own nests at
the expense of the treasury, possibly
the propagating agents or church of
which England had a deep distrust,
certainly possessing an overweening
influence at court, dividing still fur
ther the unfortunate king from his sus-
picious people.
\ 1t might have been imagined that
SO thoroughly English, so strenuous,
a man as STAFFORD, the last to be de-
auded by suave manners or flattery,
although he had an Unsuitable appetite
for cringing Difference, yet uninfuenced
by 1t (as witness his crushing of Lord
Montmorris in Ireland, would have
shown scant friendship for frivolous
French mobiles, but it was a fact that he
bore from young De Courcy a famili-
arity of address that he would have
suffered from none other in the king
dom.
! Courtiers ind ready reason for
every action, and they attributed
Straffords forbearance to the influence
De Courcy possessed with the queen.
for his lordship was well aware that
his sovereign lady showed small lik-
ing for the kings most powerful min
lister. STAFFORD was too keen a poll
tician not to make every endeavor to
placate an enemy who ut all hours had
access TO the private ear of his master,
on whose breath depended his own ele-
walton. Therefore it may we'll be that
he thought ii worth while to conciliate
one of the naughty lady's favorites.
The conversation under the trees was
lightly frivolous, despite the serious
ness of the time. STAFFORD was not
one to wear his heart on his sleeve,
and IL he was troubled that the king
insisted on his presence in London. re-
fusing TO him permission to return to
Ireland. where he was safe-the WELD
er of the upper hand-his manner or
expression gave no hint of his anxiety.
A cynical smile curved his bloodless
lips as he listened to the chatter of Ee
Courcy, not noticing the silence of the
others, who disdained conversational
contest with the yoluble Frenchman.
II give your lordship my assurance"
Insisted the young man, that his