Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-01-26
THE MASTER OF APPLEBY|
By Francis Lynde. --S
By Francis Lynde.

do you remember how you used to
make a comrade of me in the old days,
Monsieur John, telling me things my
elder brother might have told me, had
: l a one?"
I said 1 remembered; hat I was not
likely to forget.
Are you strong enough to stand in
that elder brothers place again to-
night?'
TRY me and see. dear lady"
Not whilst 0 say dear lady"
she pouted. Twas 'Margery' and
Monsieur John a year agone."
Have it as you will; / will even call
you Madge' if it pleases o better"
No she said; that is Dicks name
for me; and-and it is of Dick that [
would speak. TOT love him well, do
you not, Monsieur John?'
/ said / could never make her, or any
woman, fully understand the bond there
was between us.
'Truly?" There was the merest flavor
Of playful sarcasm in the uptilt of the
word, but it was gone when she went
on.
Being so good a friend to Dick,
then, you can advise me the better.
Tell me, if you please, must | marry
him-when-"
when you are free to do it?" 1 fin
ished for her. Why should you not,
my dear?"
She was pulling the threads from the
lace edging of her kerchief and would
not for q kings ransom let her eyes
meet mine.
You used to say-in that other
time-that love should go before a
marriage, did you not? or do 1 re-
member badiy?"
You remember well. l said it then,
and l say it again at this present. But
Dick loves 0 we'll and truly, sweet
heart, and YOU"
She looked up quickly with the little
laugh that used to mind me of happy
children at play.
And now you will read a wom-
ans heart for me, Monsieur John. Tell
me, do L love him as his mistress
shOuld?"
somehow her laugh Jared upon me,
surely that is for o to say. But
you have said IT, long since"
Have II" she queried, with an arch
lifting of the penciled brows that came
straight from her French mother.
"Mayhap you overhead me say it,
Monsieur Eavesdropper?"
God help me, little one-so I did,"
said I.
All in a flash her laughing mood was
gone and she stood before me like an
accusing goddess.
You told me once the past was like
a dream to you; you must have
dreamed that part of it, sir. And yet
you said a little while ago that had
not failed in any wifely duty!" .
The time and circumstance were
their own best excuse. Sure l am far
from blaming you, my ear. But let
it pass; It's enough that | know o
love him as he loves you"
Again her mood changed in the
%twinkling of an eye. She sank down
upon the hassock. laughing merrily.
90, wise Monsieur John! how well
you read a woman's heart! 'Tis you
should be the lover, instead Of Dick.
He rides accounting as he Would charge
a legion on a battlefield. But nothing
would eve tempt you TO be so master
full rough, would it, Monsieur John?
You would look deep into your sweet
hearts eyes and say-Tell me what you
Would say, mon amir
All, my dears, l hope no one of you
will ever be tempted as l was tempted
then. | forgot my dear lad, forgot hon
or, forgot everything save that / had
leave to tell her how l had loved her
from the first; how l should go on
loving her to the end. So for a moment
l hung trmebling on the brink; and
then she pushed me over.
rs this how you would do, Monsieur
Monsieur Ogre?-sit stock still n
glover at the poor thing as if you were
between two minds as to loving her
or eating herr"
l bent quickly, took her face between
my hands and kissed her twice-thrice.
This is what | hould do. Now that
you have made me what | was not be-
fore, are you satisfied"
Twas long before she CAV me a
word. And when she spoke 1t was only
to say: Are you not most monstrous
ashamed, Monsieur John?"
moi" said /. Il am but a man, and
you have reused that part of me that
knows neither shame nor remorse. /
love you, Mistress Margery; do you
hear? / have owed you since that day
in June when ! came back from deaths
door TO find you sitting here to bear
me company"
She locked her fingers across her
knee and would not look at me.
But by your w showing you
should be ashamed, sir" she insisted.
What of the dear friend you would
give up even the love of your mis-
ress?"
You may fay me as you will: |
shall neither finch nor go back from
my word. You are mine, and / hall
give you up to no man. / know / have
not your Iove-shall never ave 1t. Also
1 know hat / have gained an enemy
where once / had a loving friend.
Richard Jennifer may Kill me IL he
please--he shall nave the chance to do
1t; but you are mine and shall be whilst
L live to claim and hold you"
here was something less han an
ger in the blue-gray eyes when she let
me see them; nay, l could have sworn
there was a flash of playful mockery
in them when she said: Dear heart.
how masterful rough you have grown,
all in a moment, my lord" And then
the beautiful eyes filled and she said:
Poor Diek!" in a way to make me suf-
fer all the torments of that old myth
king who could never quaff the water
that was ever rising to his lips.
AYE, you may love him. il you must
and WILL" I gloomed. God pity me.
l know you do love him."
She looked up quickly. so you have
said a dozen times before. Tell me.
Monsieur Oracle, how do you know It,"
IF I tell you. you will hate me more
than you do now"
THAT would be hard, indeed" she
murmured. Yet I would hear you say
it,"
Listen, then. Once. when we three
We're at the very door and threshold OF
death you wrote the cry Of your heart
out On a bit of paper for a leave-tak-
ing ard sent 1t TO the man you loved.
You said. Though you must needs be-
lieve my love is pledged to your dear
friend and mine, tits yours, and yours
alone Were not these your very