Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-02-28

a blow thar either. OF which
afterward. Well, England is go
| ing to be no place for soldiers. Please
God. we have finished with wars at
home. A woman's reign should be a
reign Of peace"
I hardened my heart at that. A
reign of peace, forsooth. when the week
before we had heard of a bishop burned
lat Gloucester! i hardened my heart,
VI would not be frightened, though l
knew his power and knew how men
In those days misused power. i Would
put a bold face on the matter.
He had not lone with me yet, now
ever. One more reason l have, ne
continued, stopping me as | was apout
to speak, for saying that England VIII
not suit u health, Master Cludde.
II is that / do not want you mere:
Abroad you may he of use TO me ana
at the same time carve out your own
fortune. You have courage ana can
use a sword. ! hear. You understand
and II is a rare gift with English
men-some Spanish, which ! Suppose
your father or your uncle taught you.
You can. so Father Carey says con-
strue a Latin sentence If IL be not TOO
difficult. You are scarcely ~, n you
will have me for your patron. Why,
were / you, boy, with your e and
your chances, / would die prince or
pope! Aye, / would" He stopped
speaking, his eyes on fire. Nay, a ring
of such real feeling flashed out in his
last words that, though | distrusted
him, though old prejudices warned me
against him, and, at heart a Protestant,
Il shuddered at things l had heard OF
him, the longing to see the world ana
have adventures seized upon me. Yet
I did not speak at once. He had tod
me that my tongue outran my thoughts
and l stood silent until he asked me
CURLY, well. sirrah. what do you say?
Il say, my lord bishop" / replied re-
spectfully, that the prospect you hold
out to me would tempt me were | a
younger son or without those ties of
gratitude which hold me to my uncle.
But, my father excepted, | am Sir An
thongs only heir"
"Ah, your father!" he said contempt
uously. you do we'll remind me Of
him. for ! see you are forgetting the
first part of my speech in thinking
of the last! Should | have promised
first and threatened later? You would
fain. l expect to stay here and WOO
Mistress Petronilla? Do / touch there?
You think to marry the maid n be
master of Cotton End in Gods time,
do YOU? Then listen, Francis Cludde.
Neither one nor the other, neither maid
nor medCOW, VIII De yours SnOuiu sOu
stay here till doomsday!"
! started and stood glowering on him,
speechless with anger and astonish-
ment.
You do not know who o are" he
continued, leaning forward with a sud
den movement and speaking with one
ella wlike finger n a male
VIOLENT CLEAN in his eyes. You called
me q nameless child awhile ago, and
ca Iyoc Vaf / hpNa risen m no ruler
of England. Master Cludde! But you
| will tell you which Of us is base BORN
I will tell you who m what your ia
Their, Ferdinand Cludde, was. He was
hay, ne is-my tool, spy, jackaI! Do
you understand, boy? Your father is
one of the band of foul creatures to
such as /, base born though l
be, fling the scraps from their table!
He is the vilest of the vile men who
do my dirty work, my lad"
He had raised his voice and hand
in passion real or assumed. He dropped
them as l sprang forward. You lie!"
/ cried, trembling all over.
Easy, easy" he said. He stopped
me where / was by a gesture Of stern
calmly and weightily. Has any n
ever spoken to you of your father since
the day seven years ago when o
here n child, brought by a SER
want? Has Sir Anthony talked of him?
any servant named his name to
you? Think, boy. If Ferdinand Cludde
a father to be proud of, why does
his brother make naught of him.
He is a Protestant l said faint
ly, family becaus | a asked myself
this very question. not nee, but often.
Sir Anthony so seldom mentioned my
father that / had thought it strange
myself. / had thought il strange, too,
that the servants who must remember
Ferdinand Cludde, never talked to me
about him. Hitherto | had always been
satisfied to answer: He is a Prot
estant," but face to face with thi ter
rible old man and his pitiless charge
the words came but family from my
lips.
"a Protestant" he replied solemnly.
Yes, this comes of schism, that VII
lains cloak themselves in it and parade
for true men. A Protestant you call
him, boy? He has been t~hat-aye, and
all things to all men-and he has be-
trayed all things and all men. He was
in the great cardinals confidence and
forsook him, when he fell, for Crom-
well. Thomas Cromwell, although they
were of the same persuasion, he be-
trayed to me. | have here" and he
struck the letters in his hand a scorn-
full blow, the offer he made to me and
his terms. Then eight years back, when
the late King Edward came 10 the
%throne,I /, too, fell on evil days, and Mas
ter Cludde abandoned me for my Lord
Hartford, but did me no great harm.
But he did something which blasted
him-blasted him at last"
(Contiaued Next Weekly