Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-07-24

: re is q sort or connection or yours, is
he not? oh. / know, And he thinks
he has a kin OF re~versionary interest
in the property! With you and your
father out of the way, and only your
girl cousin left. his interest is much
more likely to come 10 hand. Do you
see?"
| recalled what Martin Luther had
said about the cuckoo. Blu / have
since thought that probably they both
wronged stephen Gardiner in this. He
was not a man of petty mind, and his
estate was equal to his high place. /
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.
Such an act OF piety would have been
possible had Sir Anthony died leaving
his daughter unmarried. and would GER
tainiy have earned for the chancellor
Queen Mary's lasting favor. | think 1t
the more likely TO have been In his
mind because his inability TO persuade
King Harry had much enriched us
was always a sore point with the queen
and more than nee exposed him to her
resentment.
"The strangest thing Of ALL" he
duchess continued, with alacrity.
seems to me to be this-that If he had
not meddled with you he would not
have had his plans In regard to us
thwarted. II he had not driven you
from home. o would never have
helped me TO escape from London nor
been with us to foil his agents"
"A higher power than the chancellor
arranged that said Master BERTHE,
emphatically.
Wen, at any rate, I am glad that
o are you!" the duchess answered.
rising gayly. "A Cludde? Why, n
feels at home again, and yet" she con-
tinued, her lips trembling suddenly and
her eyes filing with tears as she looked
at me. there was never house raised
yet on nobler deed than yours"
GO. go. go!" cried her husband. see
ing my embarrassment. 60 and look
to that foolish girl!'
II Will! Yet stop" cried my lady.
pausing when she was half way across
the floor, and returning, Il was forget
ting that l have another letter to open.
1t Is very odd that 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 this time / VOW / will see
inside II. You give me leave?"
"'Oh, yes" ] said, smiling. Il wash
my hands OF IL. Whoever the Mistress
Clarence. to whom ii is addressed, may
be, it is enough that her name is Clar-
ence! We have suffered too much at
his hands"
II open it, then" my lady cried dra-
matically. l nodded. She took her hus-
bands dagger n 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?'
mo good. III be sworni' Master
BERTHE replied, gazing at her eagerly.
Read IL aloud, Katherine"
ITO Mistress A. B. | am adj
vertised 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, and 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 o will be the more valu-
able to me. even as 1t Is more easy to
unfasten a barred door from within
h from without
Here the duchess broke off abruptly
and turned on us a face full OF wonder.
What does it mean?" she asked
rs that alp, her husband said.
III W. udltts sic diiSNGICA, MICIuIIilG
to ii and reading:
I" Those whom you have hitherto
served aye too long made a mockery
of sacred things, but their cup is full,
and the business of seeing that they
drink IL 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. THAT YOU and T
are the persons whose cup is full. You
remember how you once dressed up a
dog In a rochet and handled il before
Gardiner? And 1t is our matter in
which Clarence is employed. Then who
is ii who has been cooperating with
him. and whose aid is of so much value
to him?"
Even as 1t is easier, /" / muttered
thoughtfuily, Ito unfasten n barred
door from within than from without. 4"
What was Ii OF which hat strange SEN
tence reminded me? Ha. | had il. OF
the night on which we had fed from
Master Lindstrom's house, when Mis-
tress Anne had been Ee.@ed with that
odd At OF peryerseness and had almost
J opened the door looking upon the river
IN spite OF all / could say or do. 1t was
OF that the sentence reminded me. ITO
whom Is 1t Addressed" I asked abrupt.
ly.
ITO Mistress Clarence" my lady an
swered.
"No-inside. | mean"
Obi! to Mistress A. D. But
that gives US no clew," she added. "It
Is a disguise. You see. they are the
two first letters of the alphabet
SO they were, and the initial
letters of Anne Brandon. / Won
dered that the duchess did not
see IT. that she did not at once
turn her suspicious tow>rd the right
quarter. But she was, for a woman,
singularly truthful and consding. and
she saw nothing.
i looked at Master BERTHE. He seemed
puzzled. discerning, ] fancy, how
strangely the illusions pointed to Mis-
tress Anne, but not daring at once 10
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 and fair. and To ASSOC
ciate treachcry and ingratitude such ms
this with her seemed almost too hor-
rihle.
Then why was / so clear sighted as
TO read the riddle? Why was I the
! first to see the truth? Because I had
felt for days u vague and III defined
distrust OF the girl. / had seen more
OF her odd fits and caprices han had
the others. Looking back now, / could
md a confirmation OF my idea in q
dozen things which had befalien as,
A-X~A~~,x t.1sv an - ~k~foYr~~ 49,