Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-05-29

'S'S' "Ht 'clii'o W Sui' D@t'
Etence.
what does she say?' my lady ex-
claimed. eagerly.
She says" replied Master Lind
str0In, VINO was looking on gravely,
that il is a base lie, madam"
ON that we became spectators. 1t
seemed to me, and | hin TO all of us,
that the two girls stood apart from us
In a circle Of light by themselves, on
fronting one another with sharp
glances. as though a curtain had been
raised from between them and they
saw one another In their true colors
and recognized some natural antago-
nisln. o. Z might be some rivalry each
in the other. think / was not peculiar
in feeling this, for we all kept silence
fer a space, as though expecting some
thing 10 follow. In the middle of this
silence there came a low rapping ut the
door.
one uttered a faint shrek another
stood as If turned TO stone. The duch-
eSs cried for her child. The rest Of
us LOOKED at one another. Midnight
WAS past. Who could be abroad, who
could want us at this hour? As a rule
we should ave been in bed and asleep
long ago. We had no neighbors save
the cotters on the far side OF the ISL
and. WE knew of no one likely to ar
rive at this time with any good in
tent.
Il viii open" said Master Lind
strom; but he looked doubtfully at the
women folk as he said it.
"One minute whispered the duch-
ess. That table is solid and heavy.
Gould YOU not
Put il acros the door?" concluded
her husband. Yes. we VIII" And it
was done at once, the two men-my
lady would not let me help-so arrang-
ing ii that il prevented the door being
opened 10 it's full width.
THAT will stop q rush said Master
BERTHE. with satisfaction.
1t did STRENGTHEN the position, yet
IL was d nervous moment when our
host prepared TO lower the bar. "Who
is there he cried, loudly.
We waited, listening and looking at
one another, the fear Of arrest and the
horrors Of the inquisition looming
large in the mind OF some of US, at
least. The answer, when 1t came, did
not reassure us. 1t was uttered in a
voice so low and mufled that we
gained no information and rather au-
cured treachery the more. l remember
noticing how each took the crisis: how
Mistress Anne's face vas set hard and
her breath anne In jerks; how Dymph-
pale and trembling. seemed yet TO
have yes only for her father: how the
duchess faced the entrance like a queen
at bay. All this / took in at a glance.
hen NY gaze returned TO Master
Lfndstrom as he dropped the bar with
a jerk. The door was pushed open at
once as far as it would go. A drift of
cold air came in and with it Van Tree.
shut the door behind him.
Never were six people so taken aback
we we're. But the newcomer. whose
face was flushed with haste and excite
observed nothing. Apparently he
nothing unexpected even In our
presence down stairs at tina hour,
nothing hostile or questioning in the
half circle of astonished faces turned
toward him. On the contrary he seemed
pleased. All" he exclaimed. gutter
ally, 1T is we'll. You are up. You
have taken the alarm,"
IL was 10 me he spoke, and / was
so surprised by that and by his sud-
den appearance, so dumbfounded by his
easy address and the absence of all
self-consciousness on his part. so
struck BY q change in him that !
stared in silence. I could not believe
fierce young man who had flung away
q few hours before in a passion of jeal-
cusy.
My theory that he was the assassin
seemed en- a sudden e~xtravagant,
though here he was on the spot. When
Master Lindstrom asked: Alarm?
What alarm?" / listened for his an
Swer as | should have listened for the
answer Of a friend and ally, without
hesitation, without distrust, for, liz
truth. the man was TRANSFORMED
changed by the rise of something to
the surface which ordinarily lay hid
in him. Before he had seemed churi-
ish, awkward. a boor. But In this
hour Of our need and of his op-
.ntfsratf -" haL utNnttrn1 hsAxAaIC 80
was. Action and purpose lifted him
above his outward seeming. l caught
the generous sparkle In his eye and
trusted him.
What ne said, keeping mis- voice
low. You do not know? They are
coming TO arrest you. Their plan is to
surround the house before daybreak.
Already There Is a boat lying in the
river watching the landing stage"
Whom are they coming to arrest? -
! asked. The other were silent. looking
at this strange messenger with mingled
feeling.
"Al. ] fear ne replied. You, too,
Master Lindstrom. Some one has
traced your English friends hither and
informed against you, ! know not on
what ground you are included, but /
10 be lost If you would oscar by the
bridge before the troop who are on the
way To guard ii arrives"
THE landing stage, you say. Is al
ready watched?" our host asked, his
~phlegmatic GOODNESS showing AT it's
best. His eyes roved round the room.
and he rugged, az was his habit when
deep in thought. at his beard, | felt
sure that he was calculating which of
his possessions he could remove.
Yes" Van Tree answered. MY
father got wind OF the plan in Arnheim.
An English. envoy arrived there yes
terday on his way to Cleves or some
! part OF Germany. 1t Is rumored that
he has come out OF o way 10 inquire
after certain English fugitives whom
! his government are anxious 70 seize.
But, come. we have no time to lose!
Let US go."
do you come, too" Master Lind
strom said. pausing In the act OF turn
Ing away He spoke in Dutch. but by
some inspiration born OF sympathy
understood both his question and the
answer.
Yes: / come. Where Dymphna goes
go. n where she stops ! stop,
Though II be at Madrid Itself the
young man answered CALAMITY. His
eyes ktndled, and he seemed TO grow
taller and to gain majesty. The barrier
81 race. which had hindered me from
viewing him fairly before. fell in d
trice. / felt now only a kindly sorrow
that he had done this noble thing and
not l, went TO him and grasped his
Inland, and though I said nothing ~