Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-01-12
THE MASTER OF APPLEBY|
S-- BY Francis Lynde. -=----
BY Frenci. Lynde.

tho instant.
1t was a minced oath from Richard
that first broke the spell that bound
Twas too much for Madge." said
he, she has tainted. Swing the door
and light another candle"
/ did both as quickly as might be; and
We bedded her on the floor, stripping
u coats to soften the stone tagging
for her and trying by ali the means
known 10 ~ unskillcd soldier lecches
TO bring her to.
Water" said Dick, bat when we
had Iaved her face with that, and with
wine as well, without effect, we We're
Wen dislnaycd. / do assure you. For all
our efforts she lay as one dead; and
neither Of us could be cold enough to
pry her lips apart to play the d%rcaching
doctor with the wine.
Lord" cried Dick, the sweat stand
/ ing out upon his face in great drops;
! this is terrible, What shall we do?"
Jeanne viii know what to do, / as
serted. we must get her out of this
and mp to her chamber"
Richard started to his feet and
STOPPED To gather the dear body in his
arms. But ia the act he paused and
Strengthened himself TO look fXedly at
J me
DO you take her, Jack; she is-she Is
your wife
Nay said l. drawing back. "You
are her own true lover; and could she
choose her bearer"
"A murrain on u flnickings," he
burst out. she may die whilst we are
haEgIing over the right to help her.
Take her up quick, man, and begone!"
But bethinIl you, Dick" / urged; IF
You are taken, you haye one chance In
ten OF faring as an officer and a prison
er of war. For me 'lis a spy's death as
swift as they can drag me TO it,"
Now you Will know, my dears, how
much ] loved these two men when /
could twist a cord of such mean dber
to bind them closer together. Richards
eyes flashed and his lip curled.
overlook il in me, if o can he
said, with fine scorn. Il had not thought
upon the peril Of It," And with that he
took her in his arms as she had
been a child to be carried, and ] swung
the door for him. But on the threshold
he gave me back my sorry little subter-
fuge. once more, you forgiveness,
Jack. | knew well you were but lying
TO give me precedence Can you trust
me with herr"
AYE, dear lad; now and ever said
/: and 50 / pushed him out.
After he was gone / made SHIFT TO
lead the horses through the narrow
passage and u by Il real door, giving
them a friendly slap to point them to-
ward the stables.
This done / went back to my i'm
nun ement, and / know not how long il
was that ] paced a weary sentry beat
up and down the narrow limits Of the
wine cellar, alone with such thoughts
as ga 20 make the sum of that despair
which follows hard upon the heels of
some ~clinaying catastrophe. But | do
know that, as the hours dragged on
l,,l.-, gf,,I a.elovv gaE-ar nf iY9,n1tiaD.A
came 70 dry the blood ia my veins; to
make me hunger ana thirst for leave TO
say the final word TO Father MaUthieu,
and SO to be set az liberty TO find the
bottom of the pit into which a knocking
tate had plunged me.
Twas all over now. MY deae. lad
MAS told. and he had forgiven me- the
prosecuting, plotting factor was effdced,
and he could never trouble my sweet
lady more. Between the two / loved
there stood only the shadow of the
marriage, and this the good priest
would presently help me to dispel.
And after that | dared not
look beyond. There is a way beset
with lions, and any man who bears the
name Of mar in honor may draw his
sword ana fix his eye upon the goal and
hew his path to 1t, joying in the con-
fict. But there is also another way, a
desert trail owning no peril more af-
Fighting than it's own dread waste and
limitless monotony; and when his eyes
behold the dismal prospect, and his feet
have pressed the hitherward sands of
this desert of despair, a man many we'll
pause to grid his loins, to cross him
self and patter such a prayer for
strength and fortitude as his creed
hath taught him,
To such a faring through all the
days and nights of this grim desert of
q future these lonely ours in the VIM
vault were a fitting vigil, as / con-
ceived; and when / had Rugged my
misery close, and a sort of monstrous
self-pity had come to make a SEEM
ing virtue of the hard necessity, | WAS
best pleased to be alone. In ST h a
frame OF mind the sound Of footsteps
in the out-cellar, warning me that more
was coming, sent a wave OF
sullen anger TO submerge me, and | do
think twas in me to turn my back up
on a friend who should come TO tell me
I was free to go at large.
Since / had led forth the good horses
the great oaken door had stood ajar.
50 | wondered why my visitor made SO
much ado about rafting the key In the
lock. Then IL came to me suddenly
that the noise and delay were meant.
to give me timely warning; and at the
scent OF threatening peril-a peril /
IllkHt Gopt Will IN SAaPPiC SoiuICi
wise-I became a man again. A sweep
of my hat sent the sputtering candle
flying from it's barrel head to the far
the corner OF the vault, and / dropped
quickly behind a row of empty wine-
butts to await what should befall.
Had she seen a ghost, Mistress Mar
ge-y would scarce have startled me
more when she swung the door to let
me sec her. She was gowned in her
best; there was q heightened color in
her cheek; her eyes were like stars.
Truly. I do think ] never saw her SO
beautiful as she appeared at that mo-
of the doorway with her candle held
high to light the inner gloom.
TINS way, Scipio.' she said, tripping
ahead OF the mulatto to point out the
MADEIRA bin. we shall give my lord
and his gentlemen h best the APP
pleby cellar holds to speed his parting"
Wherewith she stood aside TO wait
whilst he filled his baskets with the
straw-cased bottles.
At this 1 saw why she had come.
Lord CORVALLIS and his gentlemen
were about to take the road. and the
wine was wanted for the stirrup cup.
Trusting my ate to no hand less loyal
than her own. she had come herself
with Scipio To stand bctwixt me and
possible discovery. And her wore TO
the servant man was also A word TO me
10 let me know my prisonment was
ear an end.
thought IL a most generous thing In
her: the last OF all her many wifeiy
Royalties: and I would have given much
for leave to stand forth and tell her so.
Indeed. when the mulatto had poised
his basket upon his head and vanished,
md aha was Hn0arfnv IN faka n laaf