The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-02-20
Storyof Francis Cludde
"A Romance Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY Z WEYMAN.
BY STANLEY J. wEYMAN

hat rang as crisply as his thwacks.
I was up IN an instant. Not that the
pain was anything. and before our W
people I should have thought rs little
OF shame, for IL the old may not lay
hand TO n young, being related, where
Is to be any obedience2 Now, however,
my first glance met the ~grinning faces
OF strange lackeys, and while my shout
ders still smarted the laughter Of a
couple of soberIy clad pages stung a
hundred times more sharply. ! glared
furiously round, and my eyes fell on
one face--a face long remembered. 1t
was that of a man who neither smiled
o laughed; a man whom / recognized
immediately, not by his sleek hackney
or his purple cassock,, which a riding
coat partially concealed, or even by his
Jeweled hand, but by the keen glance of
power which passed over me. took me
n and did not acknowledge me-; which
saw my humiliation without interest or
amusement. h look hurt me Beyond
smartfng of shoulders. for It conveyed
to me In the twentieth part Of a second
how very small a person Francis Cludde
was, n how very great q parsonage
was Stephen Gardiner, whom In my
thoughts ! had presumed to belittle.
I stood i~rresolute a moment, shifting
my feet and glowering at him, my face
on Ore. But when he raised his hand to
give the benediction, and the more de-
wont, or those with mended hose. fell
on their knees In the mud. I turned my
back abruptly, and climbing the wall
flung away across the chase.
What, Sir Anthony" I heard him
say as / stalked on. his voice ringing
clear and incfsive amid the reverential
science which followed the Latin words.
Have we a hereto here, cousin? How
Is this? 80 neal home tool"
1T Is my nephew. my lord bishop I
could hear Sir Anthony answer, apology
In his tone, "and a willful boy at times.
You know of him. He has queer no.
lions Of his own. put into his head long
ago"
I caught no more. my angry strides
carrying me out of earshot. Fuming. I
hurried across the long damp grass,
avoiding here and there the fallen limb
OF an elm OF a huge round OF holly.
| wanted to get out Of the way and be
out OF the way, and made such haste
that before the slowly moving caval-
cade had traversed one-half of the in
terval between the road and the house
1 had reached the bridge which crossed
the moat, and pushing my way impa-
tiently through the maids and scullions
who had fiocked to It to see the show
had passed into the courtyard.
The light was failing. and the place
hSSANN AAA n III 6AoOAAiS IA SPILCH VI IIlN
warm glow Of burning logs which
poured from the lower windows and
some show OF green boughs which had
been placed over the doorways in honor
OF the occasion. ] glanced UP at a lat
tice In n OF the gables, the window OF
Petronilla's little parlor. There was
no face at 1t, and I turned fretfully into
the hall-and, yes, there she was,
perched up In one of the high window
seats. She vas looking out on the
chase, as the maids were doing.
Yes. as h maids were doing. She,
too, was watching for his high might
ness, I muttered, and that angered me
afresh. I crossed the rushes In silence
and climbed up beside her.
"Well,"I said ungraciously as she
started, hearing me at her shoulder,
well, have you seen enough Of him yet,
consin2 You will, i warrant you. be-
fore he leaves. A little OF him goes
far"
"a little of whom, Francis?" she
asked simply.
Though her voice betrayed some won
der at my rough tone, she was SO
much engaged with the show that she
did not look at me Immediately. This,
OF course, kept. my anger warm, and
1 began to feel that she was in the con-
spiracy against me.
"of my lord OF Winchester, of
course" I answered. laughing rudely.
"Of Sir Hot Pot!"
Why do you call him THAR" she re-
monstrated In gentle wonder, and then
she did turn her soft dark eyes upon
me. h was a slender, willowy girl In
those days, with a complexion clear,
yet pale--a maiden all bending and
gracefulness, yet with a great store
OF secret firmness, as l was to learn.
He seems as handsome an old man"
she continued, a / have ever met, and
stately and benevolent, too. as / see
him at this distance. What is the mat
ter with you. Francis? What has put
you out?"
"Put me out!' I retorted angrily.
Who said anything had put me out?'
But I REDEEMED under her eyes. / was
longing to tell her all and be comforted,
while at the same time I shrank with q
mans shame froEl saying to her that
I had been beaten.
IL can see that something is the mat
ter" h said sagely, with her head on
n side, and that air of being the eld-
er which she often assumed with me,
though she was really the younger by
two years. why did you not wait for
the others? Why have you come home
alone? Francis with sudden convic-
ton, you have vexed my fatheri That
is IT'LL
he mas DedleH me IKE a QORIN i
blurted out passionately, 'and before
them all! Before those strangers he
fiogged mel"
She had her back to the window. and
some faint CLEAN of wintry sunshine,
passing through the gules of the shield
blazoned behind her, cast a red stain
on her dark hair and shapely head.
She was silent, probably through pity
or CONSERVATION. but l could not see
her face and misread her. I thought
her hard, and, ~resenting this, Dragged
on with a lads empty violence.
He did, but / will not stand IT. ]
give you warning. / won't stand 1t.
Petroniila!" and ] stamped, young
dust sprang out Of the boards
and the hounds by the distant
hearth jumped up and whined. mo,
not for all the base bishops in Eng
landi" 1 continued, taking a step this
way and that. HE had better not do ii
again! If he does, l tell you 1t will be
the worse for some one!"
Francis" she exclaimed abruptly
you must not speak in that way!"
But / was too angry to be silenced,
though instinctiyelyA l changed my
ground.