The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-07-24

of Winchester gave me clearly to UNI
derstand"-
That Cotton was not the place for
' you" exclaimed my lady s%cornfully.
He is a sort of connection OF yours, is
he not? oh. l know. And he thinks
he has a kin of reversionary interest
in the property. With you and your
father out of n way. and only your
girl cousin left. his interest is much
more likely to corne to hand. Do you
see?"
recalled what Martin Luther had
said abou the cuckoo. But I have
since thought that probably they both
wronged stephen Gardiner in this. He
was not a mar of petty mind, and his
think 1t more likely that his motive. In
removing me from Cotton was chiefly
the desire to use my services abroad, In
conjunction perhaps with some remoter
and darker plan for eventually devoting
the Cludde property to the church.
possible had Sir Anthony died leaving
his daughter unmarried, and would GER
tainiy have earned for the chancellor
Queen Mary's lasting favor. I think it
the more likely to have been in his
mind because his inability to persuade
King Harry had much enriched US
was always u sore point with the queen
and more thar once exposed him to her
resentment.
The strangest thing OF ALL" the
duchess continued, with alacrity.
seems to me to be this-that If he had
have had his plans In regard to us
thwarted. If he had not driven you
from home. you would never have
helped me to escape from London nor
been with us to foil his agents."
"A higher power han the chancellor
i n rt.n n TrnI fkn$1tt -fl -.
emphatically.
Well. at any rate. I am glad that
you are you!" the duchess answered,
rising gayly. "A Cludde? Why. one
feels at home again. and yet" she con-
tinued, her lips trembling suddenly and
her eyes filling with tears as she looked
at me. there was never house raised
yet on nob1er deed than yours"
60. go. co." cried her husband. see
to that foolish grill"
II Will! Yet stop" cried my lady,
pausing when she was half way across
the floor. and returning, II was forget
ting that I have another letter to open.
1t is very odd hat this letter was never
opened BEFORE" she continued, produc-
Ing that which had lain in my haver-
sack. 1T has had several narrow es-
capes. But his time I vow 1 will see
inside 1T. You give me leave?o"
"Oh. yes" i said, smiling. st wash
my hands of it. Whoever the Mistress
Clarence. to whom it is addressed, may
be, it Is enough that her name is CLAIR
ence! We have suffered too much at
his hands,"
Il open 1t, then" my lady cried dra-
matically. 1 nodded. h took her hus-
bands dagger and cut the green silk
which bound the packet and opened
and read.
Only a few words. Then she stopped
and, looking off the paper, shivered. Il
do not understand this" she murmured.
What does it mean?
No good, III be sworn!" Master,
BERTHE replied. gazing at her eagerly.
Read 1t aloud, Katherine"
ITO Mistress A B.. I am adj
v%ertised by my trusty agent. Master
Clarence, that he hath benefited much
by your aid in the matter in which I
have employed him. Such service goetl
always for much. INC never for naught,
with me. In which belief confirm your
self. For the present, working with
him as heretofore. be secret, and on no
account let your true sentiments come
to light. So you will be the more valu-
able to me, yer as it is more easy to
thar from without"
Here the duchess broke off abruptly
n turned on us a face full of wonder.
What does it mean?' she asked.
"Is that all?" her husband said.
Not quite" she answered, returning
to 1t n reading:
"'Those whom you have hitherto
served have too long made a mockery
Of sacred things. but their cup is full,
inc the business Of seeing that they
drink 1t lieth with me. who am not
wont to be slothful in these matters.
Be faithful and secret. Good speed and
fare you well. Ste. Winton.,"
One thing is quite clear said Mas
ter Berthe. slowly. '"rhat you and I
are the persons whose cup is full. o
remember how you once dressed up a
dog in a rochet and dandled 1t before
Gardiner? And it is our matter in
which Clarence is employed. Then who
IS 1T h has been cooperating with
him, and whose aid is Of so much value
to him?"
Even as 1t is easier" I muttered
thoughtfully, Ito unfasten a barred
door from within han from without"
What was 1t of which that strange SEN
tence reminded me? Ha! I had it. OF
the night on which we had fed from
Master Lindstrom's house. when Mis-.
tress Anne had been seized with that
odd fit, Of p~ervecseness and had almost
opened the DOR looking upon the river
in spite Of all 1 could say or do. It was
OF that the sentence reminded me. ITO
whom is 1t Addressed" 1 asked abrupt-
T Mistress Clarence" my lady an
swered.
"No-inside. I mean"
ooh! to Mistress A B. But
that gives us no clew.' she added. 1T
is a disguise. You see. they are the
two first letters Of the alphabet"
So they were. and the initial
letters Of Anne Brandon! 1 won
dered that the duchess did not
see it; that n did not at once
turn her suspicious toward the right
quarter. But she was, for a woman,
singularly truthful and confdinE. and
she saw nothing.
I looked at Master Berthe. He seemed
puzzled. discerning. I fancy. how
strangely the illusions pointed to Mis-.
tress Anne. but not daring at once tic
draw the inference. She was his wife's
kinswoman by marriage, albeit a dis.
tant one. and much Indebted to her
She had been almost as his own sister
She was young n fair, and to asso.
ciate ~treachery and ingratitude such as
this with her seemed almost too hor.
rible.
Then why was I SO clear sighted a.
to read the riddle! Why was I the
frst to see the truth? Because 1 had
felt for days a vague and Ill defined
distrust OF the girl. I had seen more
} OF her d fits and caprices than hac
the others. back now 7 oo,IT