The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-08-27
-THE-
Storyof Francis Cludde
A Romance Of Queen MarY's Reign.
BY STANLEY j. wEyMAN.
BY N J. wEYMAN.

4 What Was there, after all, some
faint In my blood? Was I going to be-
come like hirn-to take to myself a
shame OF my own earning in the effort
fame2 I remembered In time the oath
I had sworn, and when Kingston re-
peated his question I answered him
quickly. ."I did not know yesterday
who he was / said. II have discoy-
cred since that he Is my father. I ask
nothing on his account Were he only
my father / would not plead for him.
I plead for myself l murmured. IF
you show no pity, YOU make me a par
ricide.'f
i had done them wrong. There was
something In my voice, I suppose, as I
said the words which cost me so much.
which wrought with almost all OF them
In a degree, They gazed at me with
awed, wondering faces and niurmured,
His father." In low tones. They were
recalling the scene of last night, the
moment when I had denounced him,
the curse he had hurled at me, the half
told story Of which that had eemed the
climax. I had wronged them. They did
see the tragedy OF It.
Yes; they pitied me. but they showed
plainly that they would still do what
perhaps / should have done In their
place-justice. HE knows too muchip
said one Our lives are as good as
Ibis" muttered another. the first to be-
come thoroughly himself again. why
should we all die for him?" The wolf
ish glare came back fast to their eyes.
They handled their weapons impatient
~. They were longing to be away. At
this moment. when I saw I had indeed
made my confession in vain. Master
Berthe struck In. what he
said. III Master Carey and / take
charge OF him. and. escorting him to
his agent without, be answerable for
You would be only putting your
necks into h noosei" said Kingston.
I'VE will risk that" replied my
friends. and what a friend and what a
man he seemed amid that ignobIe
crew! 2 will myself promise you that
II he refuse to remain with us until
midnight or tries wherever we are to
raise an alarm or communicate with
any n 4 will run him through with
my own hand. Will not that satisfy
your"
NO" Master Kingston retorted; at
will not a bird In the hand Is worth
two In the bushle
timidly.
I'VE must run that risk quoth he.
In an hour or two we shall be in hid
Ing. Come, the lot must be drawn. For
this gentleman. let him stand aside"
/ leaned against the wall. dazed and
horror stricken Now that I had iden-
titled myself with him I felt q great
longing to save him. I scarcely no.
ticed the group drawing pieces OF paper
at the table. My every thought was
taken up with the low door oyer there
and the wretched man lying bound In
the darkness behind 1t. What must be.
ne horror, \ black despair. the hate
and defiance of his mind as he lay
there, trapped at last like any beast OF
prey? It was horriblei hcrriblel hor-
rible!
i covered my face and could not re-
strain the cry Of unutterable distress
which rose to my lips. They looked
round, two or three OF them. from the
table. But the Impression my appeal
had made upon them had faded away
already, n they only shrugged their
shoulders and turned again to their.
task. Master BERTHE alone stood apart.
his arms folded, his face grave and
dark. He, too. had abandoned hope,
There seemed no hope, when suddenly
there came a Knocking at the door. The
papers were dropped, and while some
stood as IL stiffened into stone Others
turned and gazed at their neiRhbors.
Twas a knocking more hasty and
Imperative than the usual
though given In the same fashion. At
last a man found tongue. 1T Is Sir
Thomas" he suggested, with q sigh, OF
relief. He IL in a hurry and brings
news. / know his knock"
Then open the door, fool, cried
Kingston. IF you can see through n
two-inch plank why do 9 stand there
Master BERTHE anticipated the man
and himself opened the door and adj
mitted the knocker. Penruddocke II
was. He came In, still drumming on
the door with his fist. his eyes sparkI-
ing. his rudy cheeks aglow. He
crossed the threshold with a
and looking at us all burst Into a
strange peal OF laughter. "Yolcksi
Gone to eRrth!" he shouted, waving hts
hand as II he had a whip IN it. Gone
TO earth-gone forever! Did you think
II was the lords OF the council, my
lads?"
He had left the door wide open behind
him, n we now saw In the doorway
the seafaring man who usually guarded
the room above. what does this mean.
SIR Thomas r Kingston said sternly
He thought. I fancy. as many OF us
did, that the knight was drunk. fHay
you given that man permission to leave
his post?Y
Post? There are no more posts "
cried Sir Thomas, with a strange joll-
ity. He certainly was drunk, but per-
haps not with liquor. Except good fat
posts" he continued, smacking Mas
ter BERTHE on the shoulder, ftfor ioyal
men who have done the state service
and risked their lives in evil times,
Posts? / shall get so drunk tonight
that the stoutest post on Ludgate will
not hold me up!"
''y9u seem to have gone far that,way
already" my friend said coldly.
so Will you when you hea the
newsl" Penruddocke replied. more So
berly. Lads. the queen Is dyingt"
In the vaulted room his statement
was received in silence, a silence die
tated by no feeling for the woman go-
ing before her Maker-how should we
who were plotting against her feel for
her, we who were for the most part
homeless and prescribed through her?
but the silence OF men In doubt, in
doubt whether this might mean all that
from Sir Thomas aspect X seemed to
mean.
she cannot live a week." Penrud-
docke continued. 1.-THE doctors have
given up hope, and at the palace all is
in confusion. She has named the
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