The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-07-26

ming with superstitious fear, and then
she asked a duplicate of the question
that had been asked of her few hours
before.
Did you kill Cromwell?'
"Cromwell! / never saw him."
"Oh, l am going mad. Who Is the
thief? Who is the theft"
DE Courcy, il you must know Why
does this trivial matter so disturb you?
De Courcy followed us from Oxford
last night and was lodged at our inn.
By some means he penetrated into my
room. stole this from me, and never
missed it until 1 saRs>him ride for
Broughton. and not even then. to tell
the exact truth. But l remembered that
he had seen me place this paper in the
inside pocket of my vest, in the kings
own presence and then the whole plot
came to me- Before he saw Breughton.
Bruce and were down upon him like
a highland storm on the lowland"
This is not the kings commission,s
she said.
"Oh, but it ISL
lit is not Have you read it2"
|. He united the cord and unfolded the
sheepskin. She leaned eagerly forward
and scanned the writing, while Arm
strong read 1t aloud.
You see" he cried gleefully. "Of
course 1t is the commission. There are
the names of Traquair and all the rest.
just rs I gave them to the secretary.
and there is Charles Rex In the kings
cwn hand"
1T is duplicate. Cromwell has the
original. You never left De Courcy
alive within a mile OF Broughton cas-
tle?"
II did that very thing. Not as lively
as have seen him, yet alive neverthe-
less"
Then ride, ride for the north. We
have stood too long chattering here"
"All in good time, Frances. There
is no more hurry than ever there was:
less. indeed, for it seems to me that
Cromwell, for some reason, wants to
come at this by fraud and not by force.
But now that De Courcy's name 10
mentioned between us. ask you what
you know against him more than I
have told you?"
Against him? I know everything
against him. Would that you had kill
ed him. He would sell his soul. II he
has one. He robbed my dying father.
and on the day of his death, when
was the only one in London who did
not know he was executed. De Coyrcy
lured me to his apartments at White
hall under pretense OF leading me to
the king that I might plead for my
fathers life. There he attempted to en-
trap me. snapped in my hand the sword
which had clutched from the wall to
defend myself, and struck him twice
in the face and blinded him with his
own false blood and so escaped. Judge,
then, my fear when saw him there at
Oxford"
THE truth! The truth! At last the
weight had fallen from his shoulders.
1.-The truth has ring like honest steel
and cannot be mistaken when once
you hear it, He lied to me about you
in Oxford, and / called him liar and
would have proven 1t on him but
that he told me you were in danger. I
should have killed the whelp this MORN
ing but that he could not defend HIM
self" -.
THE truth! Yes, but only part OF It.
: He did not rob you last night. robbed
you. / stole into your room and robbed
you. / carried the original Of that doc
ument to Cromwell himself. and 1t 10
now in his hands. 1t was the price Of
my brothers life. My brother was set
on your track by Cromwell. and. being
wounded, took up his task. Do you
understand? That was my mission to
Oxford-to delude you. to rob you,
and l have done It,"
you are saying that to shield some
one"
Look. William Armstrong! For two
hours and more last night you held me
by the wrist. There Is the bracelet
with which you presented me-black
proof of the black guilt I confess to
you"
She held her hand aloft, and the
sleeve fell away from the white and
rounded arm, marred only by the dark
circles where his fingers had pressed
do you say / did that?"
"Yes. II still you do not believe me.
measure your fingers with the shadow
they have cast
She reached out her hand to him, and
he took 1t in his left, stroking the
bruised wrist with his right, but look
ing into her eyes all the while.
Frances, is 1t this secret that stood
between usw
Eyes"
"Is this all that stood between usT'
"All! Is 1t not enough? All! It II .
mountain Of sin that bears me to the
very ground"
He laughed very quietly, fondiing her
hand.
BLESS me, how little you know!
What 10 quarreling king or rebeIlious
country to me compared with you? No
wonder my beating heart did not awak-
en- me with your hand upon II, for It
was co-conspirator with you and wholly.
your own. Heaven mend my broken
patriotism-but IL you had asked me
would have ridden myself to Crom-
well with the kings signature"
do you-can you forgive me, them
Forgive you? You are the bravest
T.