The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-06-04
Francis 1udde
ALLOWANCE Of Queen Mary's Reign,
BY J. WEYMAN
xI.-continued.
BY STANLEY J. WEYMAN.

CHAPTER XI.-Continued.
We all followed. v~ariously laden
master Ltndstrom and Van Tree, who
carried between them the plate chest
being the last to leave. There was moi
one of us, even of us who had only
known the house a few weeks, who die
not heaye q sigh as we passed out OF
the warm lamp lit parlor, which, lit
sered as 1t was with the debris of pack
ing, looked still pleasant and comfort
able In comparison with the darkness
outside and the uncertain future be-
gore us. What, then, must have beer
the pain of parting to those who had
never known any other home? YET
they took 1t bravely. To Dymphna Var
Trees return had brought great happi-
ness. To Master Lindstrom any nd
&ng to a long series Of anxieties and hu-
niliations was welcome. To Van Tree
we'll, he had Dymphna with him
and his side of the plate chest was
heavy and gave him ample employ
Olent.
We passed out silently through the
mack door, leaving the young Dutch
man to lock 1t behind is. and fitted, a
line of gliding shadows, through the
orchard. 1t was 2 o'clock; the sky was
overcast; a slight driZzle was falling.
once an alarm was given that we We're
being followed, and we huddled to-
anu SNpou pIedlIllcSS, d CluIIlD
of dark figures gazing a~ffrightedly at
the tree trunks which surrounded us,
and which seemed-at least to the
women's eyes-to be moving and to be
enen closing in on us.
But the alarm was groundless, and
with no greater mishap than a few
when we came to the slippery
edge or the creek we reached the boat,
and one by one, admirably ordered by
sur host, got in and took our seats.
y TraA nol NT0-No r y
CHS off. Then they swung themselves in
and padded warily along. close under
n bank, where the shadows of the
poplars fell across us, and our figures
blended darkly with the line Of rushes
an the shore.
CHAPTER XII.
We coasted along in this silent
FASHION nearly as far as the hamlet and
bridge. following, but farther inshore.
the course which Master Lindstrom
and had taken when on our way to
bury the S%paniard. A certain point
gained, at a signal from our host we
struck out into the open and rowed
swiftly toward the edge of the marsh.
This was the critical moment: but. so
Tar as we could learn. our passage was
uRfotieed. We reached the fringe of
cuisines. With a prolonged kissing
sound the boat pushed through them.
"A flight Of waterfowl rose. whirring
n clapping about us, and we f1oated
out into a dim, misty lake, whose
shores and surface stretched away on
every side, alike dark, shifting and UNI
certain.
Across this the Dutchman steered us.
bringing US presently to a narrow OPP
ening, through which we glided into a
second and smaller mere. At the far
ther end of this one the way seemed
barred by a black, impenetrable wall of
,rushes. which rose far above our heads.
But the tall stems bent slowly With
uasany a whispered protest before our
silent onset, n we slid into a deep
water lane, here narrow, there widen
Ing into a pool. in one place dark, In
another rejecting the gray night ky.
Down this We sped swiftly, the sullen
splash of the oars and the walls of
PUSHES always with us. For ourselves,
and listening for sounds of pursuit.
NOW starting at the splash Of a frog,
again shuddering at the cry of a night
bird. The duchess, her child and / were
An the bows. Master Lindstrom. his
daughter and Mistress Anne in the
stern. They had made me comfortable
With the baggage n some warm COW
,srings and would insist on treating me
RS helpless. Even when the others be-
san no talk in whispers the duchess en-
Joined silence on me and bade me
,sieep. Presently I did so. my last i'm
pressiora one Of %unending waterways
and shoreless. shadowy lakes.
Wlren / awoke, the sun was high,
a. the scene was changed indeed. We
lay on the bosom Of a broad river, our
is,oa1 seeming now to stand still as the
ssafl Mapped idly, now to heel over and
s5hsot forward as the light breeze struck
us. The shores abreast of us were still
low and reedy, but ahead the slopes of
green wooded hills rose gently from the
stream. Master BERTHE was steering.
a nd ESoainO Or VI lift t,,xy Hn- .1zk -.-i
with a smile. The girls in the stern
were covered up and asleep. Amid
ships, too, Master Lindstrom and Van
Tree had eurled themselves up between
the thwarts and We're slurnbering
peacefully. l turned to look for the
duchess and found her sitting widel
awake at my elbow. her eyes on her
husband.
Well she said, smiling. do YOU
feel better now? You have had a good
sleep"
How long have i been ~asleep.
please" asked. bewildered by the
sunshine. by the shining river and the
green hills, by the fresh morning air.
by the change in everything, and an
swerlng IN a question, as people fresh
ssWhere are we?"
You have been asleep nearly six
hours. and we are on the Rhine, near
Emmerich.' she answered. smiling. She
WdS pdlS, anu Inc lOng AOurS OF watch I
Ing had drawn dark circles round her
eyes. But the old undaunted courage
shone in them still, and her smile was
AS sweet as ever.
q we passed h frontier?"
asked eagerly.
Wen, nearly" h answered. "But|
how does your wound feel
Rather stin and Sore I said rue
1u.iy after making an experiment by
am very thirsty. but Iscould steer"
So you shall" h said. .only first
eat something. We broke our fast be-
Tore theothers lay down. There Is
bread and meat behind you, and some
as and water ! n the bottle,
! seized the latter and drank rree,a
aaly: Then, finding myself hs.ngry nbw
eatables. Us
You VIII do now. 4 thirk. she said
lime,
Hong dark night. its gIoum and treachs
S~ry.Syyere past. But rs memories re-