Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-04-10
Storyof Francis Cludde
A Romance Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY TANLE j. WEYMAN.
BY STANLEY ]. WEYMAN.
CHAPTER v~I.-coNTINUED.

Never mind my baggage she an
severed imperiously. II have made 9TH
er arrangements for It. Two or three
things ! know came on board las
night. / want to start-to start al
once, do you hear?"
The captain shook his head and SAID
sluggishly that IL was impossible
Splitting or the deck. he ground his
heel leisurely round a knothole. I'm
possible he repeated. 1T would moi
be seamanship to start in a fog. Wher
the FOG lifts, we will go. Twill be
all the same tomorrow. We shall lie
at Leigh tonight, whether we go now
or go when the fog lifts
AT Leigh?"
That is ii, madam
And when will you so from Leigh
she cried Indignantly.
"Daybreak tomorrow he answered.
You leave 1t to me, mistress he
continued in a tone Of rough patron
age. n you will see your good man
before you expect it,"
But. man." she exclaimed, tremb-
ling with impotent age, did not Mas
ter Bertram engage you to bring me
across whenever l might be ready?
Aye, and pay you handsomely for il?
Did he not, sirrah?"
TO be sure, TO be sure" replied The
giant unmoved. Using ~seamanship
and not going to sea In a fog, If it
please you
1T does not please me- she re-
torted. And why stay at Leigh
He looked up at the rigging, hen
down at the deck. He set his heel In
the knothole and ground 1T round
again. hen he looked at his question
er with a broad smile. We'll, mis-
tress, for a very good reason. IL is
there your good man Is waiting for
you. Only added this careful keeper
OF a secret, "he babe me not tell any
one
She uttered a low cry. which might
have been an echo of her baby's COO
ing n conyulsively 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. He
is really at Leigh, you say"
ITO be sure!" replied the captain
with a portentous wink and a mys-
FERROUS roll Of the head. He is there
safe enough! Safe enough, you may
bet your handsome face to a rush
light. And we will be there tonight"
She started up with a wild gesture.
For a moment she had sat down on
"a cask standing beside her and for
gotten our peril and the probability
that we might never see Leigh at all.
NOW, l have said, she started up. mo,
no. she cried, struggling for breath
and u~tterance. "Oh, no. no! Let us
so at once. We must start at once!'
Her voice was hysterical in its sud
den anxiety and terror as the con-
sciousness of our position rolled pack
upon her. Captain, listen, listen!"
she pleaded. Let us start now, and
my husband will give you double. |
will promise o double whatever he
said IL you will chance the fog
| think all who heard her were
AVE- SO ~
rubbed his head and grinned. Slow
and heavy, he saw nothing in her
prayer save the freak of a woman wild
10 get to her man. He did not weigh
her promise at a groat. She was but
a And being a foreigner he
did not perceive a certain air of breed
ing which might have influenced a ma
tive. He was one of those men against
whose stupidity Father Carey. used to
"a the gods fight In vain. When he
answered good naturally: mo, no,
mistress. II is impossible. 1t would not
be seamaEship," / felt that we might
ss well try to stop the ebbing tide
as move him from his position.
The feeling was a maddening one.
The special peril which menaced my
companions l did not know, but / knew
they feared pursuit. ind l had every
reaso TO fear 1t for myself. Yet at
any moment, out OF the fog which en-
circted us so closely that we could
barely see the raft below, and the shore
at all, might come the tramp OF hurrying
feet and the stern hail of the law. 1t
WAS maddening TO think Of this and
to know that we had only to cast
Off a rope or two In order TO escape
and to knew also that we were abso-
lutely helpless.
| expected that Mistress Bertram.
brave as she had shown herself. would
hurst infn q Tp GSinn nf fa Ssa a ND faar
But apparently she had one hope left.
She looked at me.
| tried 10 think--to think hard. Alas.
/ seemed only able to listen. An hour
had gone by since we parted from the
rascal in the court, and we migl.. ex-
pect him TO appear at any moment,
vengeful and exultant, with a posse at
his back. Yet / tried hard TO think.
and the fog presently suggested a pos
sibie curse. Look here" / said sud-
denly speaking for the first time, III
you do not start until the fog lifts,
captain, we may as well breakfast
ashore and return presently"
That Is as you please" he answered
indifferently.
What do you think" I said turn
Ing to my companions with as much
careiessness as l could command. Had
we not better do that"
Mistress Rertram did not understand.
Dul Ill nFT despair she Deye0 the no.
tion OF my hand and mechanically
walked TO the side. The younger wom-
an followed more slowly, so that | had
to speak to her with some ourtness.
bidding her MAKE haste, for / was In
u fever until we were clear of the
Whelp and the Lion wharf. II had
struck me that. IL the ship were not
TO leave at once. we were nowhere In
so much danger as on board. At large
In the fog we might escape detection
for a time. Our pursuers might as well
look for u needle In a haystack as seek
us through II when once we were clear
OF the wharf. And this was not the
end OF my idea. But for the present
it was enough. Therefore / took us
Mistress Anne very short. Come" i
said, "be quick. Let me help you.
She oLeyei and l was ashamed OF
my in1patiencc when at the foot of the
ladder she thanked me prettily. II was
almost with good cheer IN my voice and
4 rebound or spirits thar l explained as
1 hurried my companions across the
raft What my plan was.
The moment we We're ashore / felt
safer. The fog swallowed us up quick.
AS the bible says. The very hull of the
ship vanished from sight before we
hac gore half a dozen PAGES. / had
neycg seen q LCndon fog before, and TO
me & seesIed p~ortentious and providen-
fial-a marvel as greaF as the crimson
a Xt4 ..l - <~flt q. 49, 4 "a -. 3~.x-