The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-09-03
THE
Storyof Francis Cludde
"a Romance Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY STANLEY J. wEYMAN.
BY STANLEY ]. wEYMAN.

PAGES. -
d you know where my sword ISL"
he asked in a matter of fact tone. as
one might ask a question OF An old
comrade. ..a.rs ...-..s ..
/ found It cast aside behind the door.
He took Il from me, grumbling over a
nick in the edge, which he a caused
by some desperate blow when he was
seized. He fastened It on with an oath.
l could not look at the sword without
remembering how nearly he had taken
my life with it. The recollection did
not trouble him in the slightest.
Nov FAREWELL" he said, carelessly.
Il am going to turn yer a new leaf
and begin returning good for evil. Do
you go to your friends and do your
work, and / will go to my friends and
do mine"
Then. with a nod. he walked briskly
away. and l heard him climb the ladder
and depart.
What was he going to do? I was SO
deeply amazed by the interview that l
did not understand. / had thought him
a wicked man. but had not conceived
the hardness of his nature. AS I stood
alone looking around h vault I could
hardly believe that / a met and
spoken to my father and odd him l
was his son--and this was ALT 1 could
hardly believe that he a COR away
with his knowledge, unmoved and un-
lSlNhlIoilNg" Ahh wv W NAhC u -
idence which had used me to thwart
his schemes M untouched by the ben
eficence which had thrice held him back
from the crime of killing me-aye, proof
even against the long suffering which
had plucked him from the abyss and
given him one more chance Of repent
ance.
l found Master BERTHE In the stables
waiting for me with some Impotence,
OF which, upon the whole, l vas glad,
for 1 had NJ wish to be closely ques-
toned, n the account I gave him OF
the interview might at. another time
have seemed disjointed and incoherent.
He listened to 1t, however, without q
remark, and his next words made 1t
clear that he had other matters in his
mind.
Il do not know what to do about
fetching the duchess over" he said.
This news seems to be true. and she
ought TO be here" "
Certainly" / agreed.
THE country in general is we'll at
fccted TO the Princess Elizabeth" he
continued. Yet the interests of the
bishops, OF the Spanish faction and of
some of the council will lie in giving
trouble. To avoid this we should show
our strength. Therefore l want the
VIII you fetch herr" he added sharply,
turning to me.
win II" / cried in surprise.
Yes, you. / cannot we'll go myself
at this crisis. VIII you so instead ?"
''Of course I WILL" 1 answered.
And the prospect cheered me wonder
fully. 1t gave me something to do and
opened my eyes 20 the great change of
which Penruddocke had been the her
aid. a change which var even then be-
ginning. AS we rode down Highgate
2 hill that day messengers were speeding
north and south and east and west to
Norwich and Bristol and Canterbury
and Coventry and York with the tidings
that the somber rule under which Eng
land had groaned for five a and
more was coming to an end. II In a
dozen towns Of England they rcped
their bells afresh; II in every country,
> AS P~enruddocke had prophesied, they
|, got their TAR barrels ready; IL all, save
a few old fashioned folk and a few
!, tgloony -bigots and hysterical women,
, awoke as from an evil dream; if even
sensible men saw in the coming of the
; young queen a panacea for all their Ills
q quenchtng OF Smithfield fires a Calais
recovered, a cure for the worthless
coinage which hampered trade, and a
radiance OF worthless foreigners who
~plundered 1t, with better roads, pureI
justice, a fuller e~xchequer, more ia:
Vora bic r~easons-if England read al
this In that news OF Penruddocke's, was
, 1t not something to us also?
1t was indeed. We were saved at the
last ome from the dangerous enter
; prise on which we had rashly EN-.
barked. We now had such prospects,
before us only the success of thai
sch ne could have ordinarily opened
Ease and honor instead OF the gallows
and to lie warm instead of creaking ir
the wind! Thinking OF this. / fell into
a better frame OF mind as I logged
along toward London. For what. after
. all, was my father to me, that his ex.
istence should make me unhappy OF
rob mine OF all pleasure? I had made
a place for myself I'm the world. / had
!, earned friends for myself. He might
take away my pride In the one, but
he could never rob me OF the love OF
the others-of those who mad eaten AND
drunk and fought and suffered beside
me and for whom i, too, had fought
: and suffered!
I -. strange time for the swallows Il
come back" said my lady. turning Il
$ smile at mi as ] rode on her OFF side
] 1t would have been strange indeed Il
there had been swallows I'm the air, fol
1t was the end of December. The road.
r were frost bound and the trees leaf
e less. The east wind. gathered force fl
k its rush across the Essex marshes
whirled before It the last trophies O
Hainault forest and seemed as n
t whistled by our ears and shaved ouI
S faces to grudge US the shelter to which
we were Fastening. The long train be
hind us-for the good times OF which
t we had talked so often had come
were full Of the huge fire we expected
h to find at the inn at Barking, our las
stage on the road to London. And
e The duchess and I bore the cold NOR
patiently it was probably because w,
had more food for thought and perhap
It thicker rainment.
If DO not shake your head" she con
tlnued. glancing at me With mischie
In her eyes. and fiatter yourself yo1
will not go back. but will go on max
h ing yourself and some one else I'm
happy. You will do nothing OF tn
kind, Francis. Before the spring come
you and l will ride over the drawbridg
at Cotton END, or l. am a Dutchwom
is an"
Is Il cannot see that things ar
,e charged" l said.
Not changcd?" she replied. "Whe
Is you left. o were nobody. Now yo
I'd are somebody, If 1t be only in havin
"a n .GiCfar with n 1p1an SarxFinn n q