Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-05-01

Dut Nhd . ~ oas'H5
father"
1t was like the Christmas game OF
cross questions. The girl n ! had
spoken In Spanish. l translated what
we had said into English for Mistress
Anne, and Mistress Dymphna turned II
into Dutch for her father, an anxious
look on her face which needed no
translation.
What is it?" asked Master BERTHE.
observing that something was wrong.
1T is Notwithstanding" replied the
merchant apologetically, though as he
spoke his eyes dwelt on me curiously.
1T is only that | did not kno that
you had a Spaniard in your company"
"A Spanlard?" Master Berthe an
swered. 1--WE nave none. This" point
ing to me. lis our very good friend and
faithful follower, Master Carey, an
Engllshman."
ITO whom added the duchess.
smiling gravely, Il am greatly in
debted.'
1 hurrIedly explained the mistake
n brought at once a smile of relief
to the mynheer's race. "Ah. pardon
me, l beseech you." he said. My
daughter was in error" And he add
ed something In Dutch which caused
Mistress Dymphna to blush. You
know" he continued, Il may speak
freely to you, since our enemies are
In the main the same-you know that
u Spanish rulers are not very popu-
lar every day, especially with those
who are of the reformed faith. We
have learned, some Of us, to speak
their language, but we love them none
the better for that
Il ear sympathize with you. in
deed" cried the duchess impulsively.
God grant that our country may never
be in the same plight, thought ii looks
as IL this Spanish marriage were like
TO put us In 1t. Ii Is Spaini Spain!
Spain! and nothing else nowadays"
Nevertheless the emperor Is a
great and p%uissant monarch" rejoined
the Arnheimer ~thoughtfuily, land could
he he rule us himself, we might do
well. But his dominions are so large
he knows little of us. And, worse, he
is dying, or as good as dying. He
can scarcely sit his horse and rumor
says that before the year Is out he
will resign the throne. Then we hear
little good of his successor, o
queens husband. and look to her less.
| fear that there is a dark time be-
fore u.s., and God only knows the is
sue
And alone will rule it, Master
BERTHE rejoined piously.
This saying was in a way the key
note 10 the life we found our host liv-
ing on his island estate. Peace, but
peace with constant fear of an as
s2ilant and religion for a supporter.
times a week Master Lind
strom would go to Arnheim to super
intend his business. and always after
return he would shake his head
and speak gravely, and Dymphna
lose her color for an hour or
two. Things were going badly. The
reformers were being more and more
hardly dealt with. The Spaniards were
growing more despotic. That was his
report. n then l would see
him, as he walked with us in orchard
or garden or sat beside the stove, cast
glances at the comfort and
round him. l knew that he was
asking himself how long they would
last. If they escaped the clutches of
a tyrannicai government. would they
be safe in the times that were COM
ing from the violence OF an Ill paid
soldieryg The answer was doubtful, or
IL was too certain.
/ sometimes wondered how he could
patiently foresee such possibilities and
take no steps. whatever the risk, to
prevent them. At first l thought his
patience sprang from the Dutch
character. Later | traced its deeper
roots TO a simplicity OF faith and
a deep religious feeling. which
either did not at that time exist i'm Eng
land or existed only among people with
whom / had never come in contact.
Here they seemed common enough and
real enough. These folks faith sus-
tained them. 1t was part of their lives
bulwark against the fear tina 9TH
would have overwhelmed them.
10 an extent. too. which then sur
nrised me, | found. as time went on.
that he duchess and Master BERTHE
shared this enthusiasm. although with
them 1t took a less obtrusive form.
| was led at the time to hin a good
deal about this. and Just q word I
may say of myself and OF those days
spent on the Rhine island-that where
as before / had taken but a lukewarm
interest in religious questions. and while
clinging instinctively to the teaching OF
my childhood had conformed with a
light heart rather than annoy my
uncle. ] came to think somewhat diff
ferently now. differently and more Sc
rioCsly. And so I have continued TO
think since. though / have never be-
come a bigot, a fact l owe perhaps to
Mistress Dymphna, In whose tender
heart there was for charity as
we'll as faith. for she was my teacher.
or necessity, since no other OF our
party could communicate with her I
became more or less the Dutch girls
companion. / would often of an even
ing Join her on a wooden bench which
stood under an elm on a little spit OF
grass looking toward the city and at
some distance from the house. Here
when the weather was warm. she would
watch for her fathers return. and here,
one day while talking with her. / had
the opportunity of witnessing a sight
unknown In England. but which year
by year was to become more common
In he Netherlands. more heavily
fraught with menace In Netherland
eyes.
We happened to be so deeply engaged
in watching the upper end OF the beach
at the time In question. where we ex-
pected each m 10 see Master
Lindstrom's VA round the point, that
we saw nothing of a oat coming the
other way until h tapping of its sails
as II tackled drew Our eyes toward II.
Even then in the boat itself / saw moth
ing strange. but In its passengers !
did. They were swarthy. mustachioed
men. who IN the hundred poses they
assumed. as they loungcd or deck or
leaned over the side. never lost q Pc
culiar air OF brayado. As they drew
nearer 10 vi the sound Of their loud
voices. their oaths and laughter reached
us plainly and seemed to Jar on the
evenings stiffness. Their bold. fierce
eyes. raking the banks asingly
REACHED ts at last. The girl ~ ms
J d uttered q cry OF alarm n rose
as n TO retreat. But she sat dowr
again. for behind US was an open
| strefeh ~ turf. and 40 eHcape unseen