The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-07-23
.cHAPrER xvI-contInued.

WI
Can guess2 All, what happiness |
wasl Outside the sun fell holly on fh'
steep rcd roofs, with their rows o
easements, N on the sleepy squar,
in which kpsts of people stih fingered
talking OF the mornings events.
could see below me the guard which
Duke William, shrewdly mistrustini
The subdean, had posted In front of tn
house, nominally to do the duchess
honor. I could hear in the next roon
the cheerful voices of my friends
What happiness It was to live! VIVA
happiness to be loYedl How very
very good and beautiful and glorious ;
world seemed the world to me on tina
old May morning in that quaint Ger
man town4which we had entered 81
oddlyl ~ .#
AS L turifed from the windows full
OF t~hankfuIness, my eyes met those o.
Mistress Anne, who was sitting on tn
far side or the sick mans couch, tn
baby in aScradle beside her. The risi
and exposure of the last week hat
made a de6Ber mark upon her than up
on my oflus. She was paler, graver
older. moreof a woman and less, much
less, OF a girl. And she looked very
1li. Her eyes, in particular, seemed t
have grown larger, and as they dwell
on me low there was a strange and
solemn lighS in them, under which
grew uneasy.
you have been wonderfully pre-.
served she said presently, speaking
dreamily, and as much to herself as (
me. IS, . .
II have, indeed" / answered, think.
ing she referred only to my escape ot
the morning. a".. r.
But she. did not. ~"
There was, firstly, the time on the
river when o were hurt with the
oar she continued, gazing absently a.
me, her hands in her lap, "and ther
the night when you saw Clarence witt
.Or. rather, saw him without her.
] interposed. smiling. 1t was strangt
that she should mention 1t as a fact
when at the time she had so scoldeG
me for making the statement.
"sAnd them she continued, disre.
garding my interruption, there wa:
the time when o were stabbed In
the passage, and, again, when you hat
the skirm9h by the river, and theT
today YOU. were within a minute o.
death You have been wonderfully
preserved" #
II have" / ~assented t%houghfully
"The more as ! suspect that l have e
thank Master Clarence for all these lit
tie adventures"
tStrange.-very strange!" she nut.
tered, removing her eyes from me tina
h mighttix them on the floor.
What ss stranger"
The a&Supt questioner was th'
duchess Atbo came busting in at the
moment. saSFWhat is stranger" she re.
peated, With a heightened color and
dancing eyes. Shall / tell your" She
paused and looked brightly at me
holding something concealed behind
her. I GUESSED In a moment, from the
aspect of her face, what it was-tht
letter which i; had given to Master
LiDdstrom In the morning. and which
with a ~pardonable forgetfulness, / haC
failed to reclaim.
/ turned very red. TT was not in.
tended for you to now" 1 Said shyly
for in the letter / had told her my
story. a-. @.sa
Pooh, pooh!' she cried. at is Jus,
as ! thought. A pretty piece of folly!
No she continued as 1 opened my
mouth, Il am not going to keep your
secret, sir. You may go down on youi
knees ~ win be of no use. Richard
You remember Sir Anthony sCludde OF
Cotton End in Warwickshire ?".E
"Ch, yes" her husband said rising or
his elbow. while his face lit up, and
Etood bashfuny shifting my feet.
Il have danced with him a dozer
times, years ago!" she continued, hel
eyes sparkling with mischief. well
0is ttuS EtIitleIldH, MASTER Francls
Carey, otherwise Won Santonkirch, II
Francis Cludde. his nephew!" ...
Sir Anthony's nephew"
Yes, and the son. of Ferdinand
Cln9de, whom you also have heard. of
of whom the less
She stopped and turned quickly, in.
terrupted by a half stified scream. II
was q scream full of sudden horror anC
amazement and fear, and it came from
Mistress Anne. The girl had risen and
was gazing at me with distended eyes
and blanched cheeks and hands
stretch ont to keep me off-gazing, in.
deed. rs If she saw In me some awfu
portent or some dreadful threat. She
did not speak. but she began, without
taking her eyes from me, to retreat
toward the door.
Holly. toity!" cried my lady, stamp
Ing her foot in anger. What has hap
pened to the girl? WHAT
What, indeed? The duchess stopped
still more pstonished. for, without ut
tering a word. OF explanation o,
apology. Mistress Anne had reached
the door, CROPPED blihdly for the latch
found It and gone out, her eyes, witt
h same haunted look OF horror IL
them, fixed on me to the last.