Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-07-04
CHAPTER xIv-Continud.

Hdppeneu! Master LlnQStrOfn dSheu,
| his voice, though he still remained be-
low. betraytng his perpelxity and un-
| happiness. Can ! not do something?
This Is terrible indeed"
You can come up, II you like" an
swered after a moments thought. But
you must come alone, and l cannot let
even you. friend as you are. see our
| defenses.'
AS he came up I stepped back and
| drew the door OF the room toward me.
so that. though little light reached
the head OF the stairs, he could not,
standing there. see into the room or
| discern our real weakness. did not
| distrust him-heaven forbid!-but he
| might have TO tell all he saw to his
friends below, and thought 1t well, for
| his sake as well as our own, that he
| should be able to do this freely and
without hurting us. AS he Joined me
l held up finger for silence and list
ened keenly. But all was quiet below.
No one had followed him. Then
turned and warmly grasped his hands,
and we peered into one another's faces.
l saw he was deeply moved; that he
was thinking of Dymphna and how
had saved her. He held my hands as
though he would never loose them.
WELL / said as cheerfully as
could. have you brought us an offer Of
terms? But let me tell you first"
continued. how IL happened" And
briefly explained that we had mistaken
the captain OF the guard and his two
followers for Clarence and the two
Spaniards. rs he dead?" I continued.
NO" he is still alive" Master Lind
strom answered gravely. But the
townsfolk are furious, and the seizure
or the tower has still further eXasper-
ated them. Why did you do %
Because we should have been torn
to pieces II we had not done It," I an
swered dryly. You think we are In a
strait place."
DO you not think so yourself?" he
said. somewhat astonished
l laughed. THAT is as may be-" I
answered with an affectation OF reck-
lessness. THE staircase is narrow and
the window low. We shall sell our
lives dearly my friend. Yet for the
sake of the women who are with US
we are willing to surrender If the citi-
an accident. Cannot you impress this
on Them" I added eagerly.
He shook his head. They will not
hear reason" he said.
Then" replied, Impress the other
thing upon them. Tell them that our
swords are sharp and we are desper-
ate"
Il will see what can do" he an
swered slowly. The Duke Of Cleves
Is expected here tomorrow, and the
townsfolk feel they would be disgraced
forever IL he should find their gate held
by a party Of marauders. as they con-
slider you
"The Duke Of Cleves." I repeated.
Perhaps he may be better affected to-
ward u.s."
They Will overpower you before he
comes" Master Lindstrom answered
despondently. II would put no trust in
him II were you. But will go to
them. and. believe me, will do all that
man can do"
"Of that am sure" said warmly.
And then cautioning me to remain
strictly on the defensive. he left me.
Before his footsteps had ceased to
echo on the stairs the door beside me
opened. and Mistress Anne appeared at
1t. / saw at once that his familiar
voice hal reused her from the stupor
of fear in which l had last seen her.
Her eyes were bright; her whole frame
was thrilling with excitement, hope,
suspense. I began to understand her,
to discern beneath the disguise thrown
over 1t In ordinary times by a strong
Will the nervous nature which was al
ways confident or despairing, which
felt everything SO keenly-everything
that is. which touched itself "Well?"
she cried. "Well?"
Patience! Patience!" I replied rath-
er sharply. l could not help comparing
her conduct with that OF the duchess
and blaming her not for her timidity,
but for the selflshness which she had
betrayed in her fear. l could fancy
Petronilla trembling and q coward, but
not despairing. nor utterly cast down,
nor useless when others needed her,
nor wrapped In her own terrors to the
very exclusion of reason. Patience"
l said. He is coming back. He and
his friends will do all they can for
us. We must wait awhile and hope
and keep a good lookout"
She had her hand on the door, and
by an abrupt movement she slipped out
to me and closed it behind her This
made the staircase so dark that could
no longer distinguish her face but l
judged from her tone that her fears
were regaining possession of her. "Clar-
ence," she muttered. her voice low and
trembling. Have you thought Of him?
Could not he help us? He may have
followed us here and may be here now.
Now! And perhaps he does not know
In what danger we are"
"Clarence." ] said, astonished and al
most angry. Clarence help US? Go
back. girl go back. You are mad. He
would be more likely to complete our
ruin. Go in and nurse the baby"
added bitterly.
What could she mean? l asked my
anything In her suggestion Would
Clarence follow us hither? If so, and If
he should come in time, would he have
power to help US, using such myster-
ious influence, Spanish or English, as
he seemed to possess? And, If he could
help US, would It be better to fall in to
his hands than into those of the exas-
perated Santonese? l thought the
duchess would say Mo-
SO it mattered not what I answered
myself. 1 hoped, now Master Lindstrom
had appeared. that the women would
be allowed to go free, and 1t seemed
to me that to surrender to Clarence
would be to hand over the duchess to
her enemy simply that the rest Of us
might escape.
Master Iindstrom returned while 7
was still considering this, and observ-
ing the same precautions as before I
bade him Join me. well" said. not
so impetutously, hope. as Mistress
Anne, yet l dare say with a good deal
of eagerness. well. what do they say?"
For he was slow to speak.
II have bad news" he answered
gently.
"Ah," I calculated, a lump which
was due as much to rage as to any
other emotion rising In my throat. so
they will give us no terms? Then so
be II! Let them come and take u.s."
nay, ne naStened TO answer. 1T
Is not so bad as that, lad. They are
fathers and husbands themselves, and
not lanzknechts. They will suffer the
women to go free and will even let me
take charge of them If necessary" e
They Will" exclaimed. overjoyed.
wondered why on earth he had hesi-
tated to tell me this. why that is the
main point, friend"
Yes" he said gravely, perhaps SO.
a hn
be surrendered within an hour-with
one exception, that is. The man who
struck the blow must be given up"
The man who struck the blow!"
repeated slowly. DO you mean-you
mean the pRS who cut the patrol
DOWN."
rlncalIr at ma ha Iaor ~