Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-03-13
THE
Storyof Francis Cludde
ARomance Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY stanley j. wEYMAN.
BY STANLEY J. wEYMAN.

a. 1919 AS ~ pan was u SiihtNii'
at II. and knowing each Instant to b
precious took my courge in my hand
n my tankard. Here" CRIED
speaking suddenly and loudly. here !
bad luck TO purveyors. Master Host!"
There were a couple of stablemeI
within hearing, lounging in the door
way, besides the landlord and his wifi
and the farmers.
A villageT or two ais a dropped
In, and there were two peddlers lyini
half asleep I'm the corner All thes,
pricked up their ears more or less a
my words. But, like most country folk
they were slow to take In anything
new or unexpected. and / had TO drinl
afresh n say again, Here Is IA lucl
to purveyors!" before any one took i
up.
Then the landlord showed he under,
stood.
Aye. so say T." he cried. with al
oath. "Purveyors. indeed, 1t is suct
az they give the queen a bad name
God bless her!" quoth the monk
Loyalty.
And drown the ~purveyors!" a farm
er exclaimed.
They were here a year ago and left
US as bare as a shorn sheep" struck In
a strapping yillager. speaking at a
white heat, but telling me no news. for
this was what / had heard at Towces-
ter the night before. The queen should
lie warm IL she uses all the wool they
took. And the pack horses they pur-
veyed TO carry OFF the plunder-why,
the packmen avoid Stratford ever since
az though we had the black death. Oh,
down with the puryeyors, say /! The
first that m this way | will show
the bottom OF the Ouse. Aye. that l
will, though I hang for it,
Easy, easy. Tom Miller!" the host
interposed. affecting an air OF assur-
ance, even while he cast an eye OF trou-
BILE at his hitches. 1T will be another
ten years before they harry us again.
There is Potter's Pury! They never
took a testers worth from Potter's
Pury! No, MOI from Preston Gobion!
But they will go to them next. depend
upon it,"
Il hope they will" | said. with a
world OF gloomy i~nsinuation in my
words, But / doubt it,"
And this time my hint was not vast
The landlord changed color. What
are you driving at, MASTER" he asked
mildly. while the others looked at me
in silence and waited for more.
What If there be one across the road
| said. giving way to the temp
tation and speaking falsely-for which
| paid dearly a~fterward. "A w
| mean, unless l am mistaken in him,
or he tells lies. He has come straight
from the chancellor, white wand. war
n n and all. He is taking his dinner
now, but he has sent for the hundred
man, so ] guess he means business"
For the hundredman?" repeated the
landlord, his brows meeting.
Yes, unless | am mistaken"
There was silence for a moment. Then
man they called Tom Miller dashed
his cap On the floor, and folding his
def1antly looked round on his
II has come, has hei" he
roared, his face swollen. his eyes blood
shot. Then | will be AZ good as my
word! Who will help? Shall we sit
down and be shorn like sheep, as we
were before, so that our children lay on
bare stones. and we pulled the pillow
ourselves? Or shall we show that we
are free Englishman and not slaves of
Shall we teach Master
Purveyor not to trouble us again? Now,
say o ~neighborsg"
So fierce a growl OF impatience and an
ger rose round me as at once answered
the question. A dozen red faces glared
1t me and at one another, and from the
very motion inc passion Of the men as
they snarled and threatened the room
twice as full as It was. Their
and cries OF encouragement, not
but the more dangerous for that,
fresh burst of fury which rose as
the village smith and another came
In and learned the news. the menacing
gestures of a score OF brandished fists
sights, though they told Of the
very effect at which L had aimed,
as we'll as pleased me. / turned
red and white and hesitated, fearing
That l had gone too far.
The thing VAS done, however. and,
was more. / had o to take care
Df myself. AT the very moment when
he hubbub vas at It's loudest | felt a
chill run down my back as l met the
eye. and, reading i'm Ii whim-
steal admiration. read in 1t something
besides. and that was an u~nmistakable
menace. Clever lad!'' the eye said.
II will expose you Ii threatened.
1 had forgotten him-or, at n rate,
my acting would be transparent
to him holding the clew I'm his
hand-and his loo was like the shock
Of cold water to me. But ii Is wonder
full how keen the wits grow on the
of necessity. With scarcely
a seconds hesitation / drew out my
long piece Of gold. and unnoticed by
the other men. who were busy swear
Ing al and encouraging one another, l
disclosed a morsel OF II. The monks
eyes giistened. l laid my finger
on my lips.
He held up two fingers.
/ shook my head and showed an
empty palm. I had no more. He nodded,
and the relief hat nod gave me was
great. Before L had time, however.
to consider the narrowness of my es-
cape a movement of the crowd-for the
had spread with great swiftness.
and there was now a crowd assembled
more than filed the IN
claimed the purveyor had come out and
was I'm the street.
The room was nearly emptied at a
rush. Though I p~rudently remained
behind. l could. through he open win
do, hear as well els zee what passed.
The leading spirits had naturally strug-
gled out first and were gathered. suiien
and full OF dangerous possibilities.
about the porch.
/ suppose the bishops messenger saw
In them nothing but a crowd of coun-
try clowns. for he came hectoring
toward the door. shifting his BOT with
his whip and pulling on hts red cheeks
nightly. He felt brave enough. now
three stout constables sworn 10 keep
the queens peace.
MAKE way. Make way there! Do
you hear" he cried In a husky. pomp-
u voice. Make way!" he repeated.
lightly touching the nearest man with
his switch. II am on the queens SER
vice, boobies, and must not be him
dered."
The man swore ut him. but did not
bulge. and the bully. brought up thus
yhqYpiy awoEa m fha lnvxar;pr f,oo~