The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-09-18
a Prince of
highwaynnen
By KATHARINE lyman
Copyright. by Joseph B. Bowles1

OehaVed Ill, or so my mother thought,
yet out OF mere childish roguery and
daring rather than with evil intent
He was not many months dead wnen
my brother Aymer was born.
People used to wonder that we could
De sprung of one stock-I so dark, he
SO fair; so rude and wild in my ways,
ne all gentleness.
was ever lusty, and as the years
passed | grew strong as young colt.
and unmanageable as one yet UNI
bitted.
He, on the other hand, kept his fair
delicacy of look, and was somewhat
frail Of health, which made another
reason for my mothers loving him, |
since she blamed herself that excessive |
grief for my father had weakened the /
unborn child.
| was lonely till my' cousin Joan
came. Her mother, Dame Winchester,
was my mothers sister, and now both
were widowed. Therefore they thought
well of housing their grief under one
roof.
But these are childish things, and let
me ON TO the time of the great war.
My mother was dead before those
evil days befell, or else she had died
of them, perhaps, as many loyal lady
did. And even at the last, dear soul,
she left barbed wound in my heart,
for, said she to me, in those last pre-
cious hours while we yet kept her:
Roger, my son, do you love your cou-
sin Joan?"
Il know not, dearest" said 1, and
Redeemed, even at that moment, for l
was a callow, rough lad, and would
have been ashamed to think upon love.
She laid her thin hand on mine, and
I thought she would have kissed me,
for we had drawn closer during her
illness, but what she said was:
Listen, Roger. If Aymer loves her,
too, as | fear he does, let Aymer wed
her. You will forget. You will go out
in the world among other men and
viii see other ladies to love. You are
strong and valiant, my son; he is gem
tie and delicate Let him have his
love"
l did not discreditably, and for my
part in certain exploits came TO be
known as Mad Mainwaring."
But, alackl those glories were we'll
over, and here was l, a ragged cavalier,
with but my horse, my sword and my
little dog And ere l joined some gay
friends of mine, who were making war
in another fashion, a great hunger
came upon me to look upon the home
of my childhood, to see that which
had renounced, and visit once again
my mothers grave.
| turned my face westward, there
fore, and rode night and day, till the
watery sunset of a spring evening
showed me Kings Beeches, with its
turrets and chimneys black against the
sky.
The window was open and some one
was singing, a ripe voice. which wa:
slow to recognize as that of my rro-
Their Aymer.
With the song went the thin music
of a spinet hoisted myself by my
hands on the window sill; yet. ere
had looked within, I knew what
should see.
My brother, dressed soberly, yet Will
richness. leant by the spinet which m!
cousin Joan was playing.
Several years had gone, and some
thing almost matrOnly had come upol
nv cousins beauty, something so nobl
and so tender that l must swear Cor
ever no womans beauty were perfec
lackng that. The waves of her chest
nut hair were rolled away from tn
mre outline of her face. l could Sc
her little ears and the full, milk
throat below the golden head.
For an instant l Toasted on her beau
~. Then my eyes wandered to M
brother. He looked less slight than c
old. but his Apollo grace and fairness
which | used to think unbecoming
man had not deserted him.
The whole scene was so peaceful, S
f,,u of home. that it made his hear
acbe who had doomed himself to
homeless. And then a thought cam
- me that sent the blood surging
INV head. Why, it was a home seer
looked upon, and this pair, with the
bappy auietude, were no lovers excel
welded ones!
had willed it SO, or the dead ha
wiued it for me; yet l turned to Il
nigbt with an oath on my lips an
desnair IN my heart, for never unit
tben think. had realized my ~
Gov NV cousin. And so, swearing
you'd not come again, lest worse b
t,u strobe off to the dell in the WOO
where my Saladin paved the groun
and seighed the way had taken.
We gentlemen of the road, drop o
~ me world we once knew, as mu'
as if we were dead.
Two years did Tom Selby, Dick L
uoder and myself lead the highwa
mans life. and if I said it had n
thinrs TO recommend it | should Ell
There came night I rode alone,
s,ts would have it, and was scar
thinking of business, but leant by
uovs,de gallows in the shadow OF
GOOD and mused as was my wont
we wherefore men were born into |
rrrfkh M q