The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-08-07
THE
Francis Cludde
Romance Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY TANIEY J. WEYMAN.
BY sTANLEY J. WEYMAN.

the loss OF Calais last January. will
' flock to us. Flock to us, do l say? /
Will answer for 1T they Will"
But you ave some engagements.
some promises from people of stand
ing?'
oh, yes. but the whole nation will
join US. They are weary OF the pres
ent state of things"
They may be as weary of 1t as you
say" Master BERTHE answered shrewd-
~. but is 1t equally certain that they
Will risk their necks to amend 1T? You
nave fixed upon some secure base
from which we can act and upon
which. If necessary, we may fall back
to concentrate our strength"
Fall bacs?" cried P~enruddocke, ris-
Ing from his seat in heat. Master
Bertie, hope you have not come
among US to talk of falling back! Let
held on at once. London would have
been his. 1t vas falling back ruined
him"
Master BERTHE shook his head. "If
hour" he said. when a fire is first
lighted. the breeze puts it u which
afterward but fans It."
You will not say that when you
rise In the west"
But will he?" said Master BERTHE
pofntedly. disregarding the threatening
t tbon which . We're cast at him by more
was put down very summarily. and l
SHOULD have thought that countryside
would not be prone to rise again. viii
Lord Delaware rise2"
o yes, he will rise fast enough!'
Penruddocke replied carelessly. II will
answer for him. And on the same day,
while we do the London business, Sir
Richard Bray will gather his men In
Kent"
DO not count on him." said Master
BERTHE. "A prisoner. mufled and
hoodwinked. was taken to the tower
by water this afternoon, and rumor
says 1T was Sir Richard Bray
during which one looked at another
and swarthy faces grew pale. PEN
ruddocke was the first to recover him
self. Bah" he exclaimed, "a fig for
ruinor! h is ever a lying jade! I
ute
Then you would lose Master Ber-
tie rejoined sadly and with nc show
! sent a messenger to Sir Richards
house. lie brought word back tina
Sir Richard Bray had been fetched
away unexpectedly by four men, and
that the house was in confusion"
A murnur of disnay broke out at the
" Sii-A vi l1iS A'AI AiAS "
nishman rose to the situation. What
matter?" he cried boisterously. What
we have lost in Bray we have gained in
Master Berthe. He viii raise Lincoln
shire for us and the duchess tenants.
There should be $50 stout men of the
latter and two-thirds of them Protest
ants at heart. If Bray has been seized,
there is the more call for haste that we
may release him."
This appeal was answered by an out
h111-vf nf npfoo 80 y,4 or +,1 o,,o, ~.--a
and waving their weapons swore a
speedy vengeance. But Master BERTHE
sat silent till the noise had subsidized.
Then ne spoke. You must not count
OF them. either. Sir Thomas" he said
firmly. Il cannot find it in my con
science to bring my wife's tenants into
q plan so desperate as this appears to
be. Ia appeal to the people generally
Is one thing; to cali on those who are
bound to US. and who cannot in honor
in a hopeless struggle the lives of men
whose fathers looked for guidance to
me and mine"
A silence. the silence Of utter aston
ishnaent, fell upon the plotters round
the table. In every face-and they were
all turned upon my Companion read
rage distrust and dismay. They
had chafed under his cold criticism and
his calm reasonings. But this went
beyond all. and there were hands which
o1OiS AASSiAlSliSC1J 70 uaS6G ana eyes
which waited scowling for a signal.
But P~enruddocke. sanguine ui nature
and rendered reckless b. circum-
stances. had still the feelings Of a gen
tleman, and something in him respond
ed to the appeal which undeclay Master
Bertie's words. He remained silent,
gazing gloomily at the table, his eyes
peSka7s opened ss this late hour to
the hopelessness OF the attempt he
rneditated.
II y,oS JNoJAo, Lyi,ro<o. =
the fore and put into words the
thoughts of the coarser and more selfish
spirits round him. Leaping from his
seat, he dashed his slender hand on the
table. "What does this mean?" he
sneered, a dangerous light in his dark
eyes. Those only are here or should
be here who are willing to stake all
all, mind you-on the cause. Let us
have no %sneaks! Let us nave no men
with q foot on either bank! Let us
me ruined Wyatt and hanged my
brother! A curse on the,n." he cried.
his voice rising almost to a scream.
Master Kingston, do you refer to
me?' BERTHE rejoined in naughty sur
prise.
Aye, 1 dol" cried the young man,
Then I must beg leave of these gem
tlemen to explain my position
Your position? So! More words? ''
quoth the other m~ockingly.
Aye. as many words as I please"
retorted Master BERTHE. his color rising.
"Afterward I will be as ready with
deeds, I dare swear. as any other! My
tenants and my wife's I will not draw
into an almost hopeless struggle. But
my own life and my friends, since we
have obtained your secrets. 1 mast risk,
and ! will do so in honor to the death.
For the rest. who doubts my courage
may test 1t below ground or above
The young man laughed rudely. You
will risk your life. but not your lands.
Master Bertie? That is the position.
is .t?'
My companion was about to utter a
rejoinder, fierce for him. when /. who
had hitherto sat silent. interposea. THE
old witch told the TRUTH" I cried bit
terly. She said II we came hither we
should perish, and perish we shall,
through being linked to a dozen men as
brave as I could wish. but the biggest
fools under heaven"
"Fools?" shouted Kingston.
AYE. FOOLS" I repeated. For who
4 hYlt fools ho1nr Mt q |o n hnot 1V