The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-04-10
THE
Storyof Francis Cludde
ARomance of Q ueen Mary's Reign.
BY j. wEYMAN.
CHAPTER vI.-coNT1NuED.
BY STANLEY J. wEYMAN.

6Wcreu lmDer1ously. II have made 9th :
pr arrangements for 1T. Two or three
things | know came on board last
night. I want TO start-to start at
once. do you hear"
The captain shook his head and said
eluKgishiy that it was impossible.
Splitting on the deck. he ground his
heel ictsurely round IA knotlole. I'm
possible he repeated. 1T would not
be %searnanship to start In q fog. When
the fog ltrts. we Will go. Twill be
all h same tomorrow. We shall lie
at Leigh tonight. whether we go now
or go when the fog lifts"
"A Leigh2"
THAT Is 1T. madam"
And When VIII you go from Leigh?'
she cried Indignantly.
.Daybreak tomorrow" he answered.
You leave 1t to me. MISTRESS" he
continued In a tone Of rough patron
age. and o will see your good man
before you expect It,"
"Fut, man." she exclaimed. tremb-
Hing with impotent rage. did not Mas
ter Bertram Engage you to bring me
across whenever I might be ready?
Aye and pay you handsomely for it?
Did he not. sirrah?"
TO be sure. to be sure!" replied the
giant untnoved. Using seamanship
and not going to sea In a fog. If it
ut does not please me-" she re-
torted. And why stay at Leigh?"
Ae looked up at the rigging. then
d0wn at the deck. He set his heel In
h knothole and ground 1t round
again. Then he looked at his question
er with a broad smile. We'll, mis-
tress. for a very good reason. 1t is
there your good man is waiting for
you. Only added this careful keeper
OF q secret, me babe me not tell any
one.'
She uttered a low cry. which might
have been an ech OF her baby's COO
tug and convulsiveiy clasped the child
more tightly to her. He is at Leigh"
she murmered. flushing and trembling,
another woman altogether. Even her
voice was wonderfully changed. "Hc
To be surei" replied the captain
with q portentous wink and a mys-
teriOus roll of the head. He is there
safe enoughl. Safe enough. you may
bet your handsome face to a rush
lignt. And we will be there tonight"
Fol- a she had sat down on
cask standing beside her and for
gotten our peril and the probability
that we might never see Leigh at ali.
NOW l nave said. she started up. mo.
! \ cried. struggling for breath
90 at once. We must start at once,"
Her voice was historical In Its sud-
den anxiety and terror as the con
e~clousness of our position rolled back
upon her; Captain. listen, listen!"
g pleaded. Let us start now. and
my .,., husband viii give you double. 1
said if you will chance the fog"
all who heard her were
moved save the captain only. He
r.lbbed his head and grinned. Slow
and heavy. he saw nothing in her
yIAyer save the freak OF q woman wild
% get to her man. He did not weigh
her promise at a groat. She was but
And being a foreigner he
! not perceive a certain air Of breed
Ing which might have Influenced a ma
he was one of those men against
whose stupidity Father Carey used to
e the gods fight in vain. When he
answered good naturedly: NO, no,
mistress. 1t is impossible. 1t would not
pc Aeamanship." I felt that we might
es well try to stop the ebbing tide
az him from his position.
Ahe Ieeie2g was q maddening one.
The special peril which nv
companions I did not know, but / knew
tney feared pursuit. and had every
reason to fear 1t for myself. Yet at
any moment. out OF the fog which en-
clrcleu US go closely that we could
barely see the raft below. and the shore
Ct all. might come the tramp Of hurryine
feet and the stern hall Of the law. r
Was maddening to think of this and
70 know that we had only to cast
on q rope or two in order to escape
TO know also that we were abso-
,lutely helpless.
! expected that Mistress Bertram.
brave as she had shown herself. wouid
o0rst into q passion OF rage and tears.
but apparently she had one hone laft
She looked at me. =
7 tried to thtnk-to think hard, Ma
I seemed only able to listen. An hour
naa gone by since we parted from the
lpect him to appear at n moment
veneeful and exultant. with a posse ut
MS back. Yet 1 tried hard to think
and the fog presently suggested a pos,
eiDle course. Look here" / said sud
oemiy speaking for the first time. III
captain. we may as well breakfast
asnore and return presently"
Tina Is as you please, he ansuered
indifferently.
What do o Think" I said turn
lng 20 my companions With as much
We not better do that??" N
MISTRESS Bertram did not understand
nut In her despair she obeyed he, mo.
ton OF my hand and mechanIcniiv
walked to the side. The younger Won.
IN folowed more slowly. SO that I had
= ACA Will some CurtneSs.
bidding her make haste. for I was II,
9 fever until we were clear OF the
'Whelp and the Lion wharf. n had
struck me that. II the ship were NOT
to cave at once. we were IN
20 much danger as on board. AZ large
Ia h fog we might escape detection
for . time. Our pursuers might as we1i
look fol, a needle In a haystack as seek
" through II when once we were clear
Of the wharf. And this was NOT the
end of my idea But for the present
I was enough. Therefore / took IN
Mistress Anne very short. Come" +
satd. b quick! Let me help YOU"
She obeyed and I was ashamed of
my impatience when at the foot Of tha
ladder h thanked me prettily. It wa
with good cheer In my voice and
> rebound Of spirits that I explained AZ
I hurried my companions across the
raft what my plan was.
The we were ashore I felt
safer. The fog swallowed us up quick.
the bible says. The very hull Of the
ship vanished from sight before we
gone half q dozen PAGES. I had
never eeen q London fog before, and to
me 1t seemed portentious and providen-
Lial-a marvel as great as the crimson
natl which fell in the London gardens
% mark her majesty's accession.
Yet after. nll. without my happy
thought. the fog would have awaited us
title. We had scarcely gone a score