The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-08-07
CHAPTER xv11-continuea.

proofs OF the woman 8 strange RHo"i-
edge. But seeing that his cxhortation
had sniboliened this ignorant MAJ l
was ashamed to seem to hesitate.
When the hcstler knocked at the door
rot of 80. but OF la-and it present.
~ opened. I went In without much
ado.
The room was a ARE inn chamber.
"A pallet without covering lay in one
corner. In the middle We're a couple
Of stools and on one of them a taper.
Stood cycling US attentiveiy. a BLUM,
weather beaten man with a thick
beard and the air of a sailor We'll"
he said. what now?'
"These gentlemen want to buy some
lace" the hostler explained.
What lace do they want?" was the
ketort.
French lace" 1 answered.
. you have come to the right shop,
9hen." the man answered briskly.
Nodding Il our conductor to depart,
he carefully let him out. Then, bar
ring the door behind him. he as rap
idly strobe to the pallet and twitched
+ aside. disclosing a pdo he
lifted this n we saw a narrow shaft
~aescending into darkness. He brought
bhe taper and held 1t SO as to throw
Faint light into the opening. There was
mo ladder, but blocks of wood nailed
ht intervals of a couple OF feet or so.
made the descent pretty easy for an
active man. "The door is on this
e,de,n he sa,d' pointing out satt, the one.
Uhe word is the same"
We nodded. n while he held the
taper above we descended one by one
without much difficulty, though / adj
init h a half way down the old WON
PMS words. Go on and perish" came
back disauietingly to my mind. How
ever. my foot struck h bottom be-
fore ! had time to digest them. and a
streak OF light which seemed to issue
from under a door forced rly thoughts
mel Whispering to Master Ber-
tie to pause a minute. for
there was only room for one
of us to stand at the bottom of the
shaft. knocked In the fashion pre-
scribed.
The sound of loud voices, which 1
had already detected, ceased on q
sudden, md | heard a shutting on the
Followed by silence. and then the
door was flung open, and blinded for
h moment by a blaze of light !
walked mechanically forward into a
Froup of mon standing round n rude
Fable. their figures thrown n dark
telief by fares stuck in scof,ves on
'the walls behind them. Some had
weapons In their hands, and others
partly risen from their seats and
stood in pastures of surprise. What
do you seek?" cried a threatening
voice from among them.
Lace" ! answered.
What lace2'
French lace"
= 'eTilen You are welcome-heartily
welcome" was the answer, given In a
tone of relief. But who comes with
youg"
"Master Richard Bertie, of Lincoln
shire l answered promptly, and at
That moment he emerged from the
"A still more hearty mur.nur of well
como hailed his name II appearance,
and VIC were borne forward to the
table amid q chorus OF voices, the
Erecting given to Master BERTHE being
looked for help. The room, from its
5vaulted, ceiling and stone fioor and
b trans Of casks which lay here and
there or near b table serving for
seats. appeared to be a cellar. Its
lights and the weapons on the table
eeeined meet and fitting surroundings
Tor the anxious faces which were gath
cred about the board, for there was a
something In the air which was not so
much secrecy as a thing more unpleas-
ant=--.suspicion and mistrust. Almost
at the moment OF our entrance 1t
the door had well closed behind us.
went toward 1t, as II to go out. The
teader-he who had questioned me-
called sharply to him, bidding him
come back. And he came back, but re-
luctantiy. rs it seemed to me.
I barely noticed this. for Master Ber-
ttess who was known personally to
many and by name to all. was intro
ductag me to two who were apparent
" the leaders-Sir Thomas Penrud-
docke. a fair man as tall as myself,
loose limbed and untidily dressed, with
A~areclless eye and q loud tongue; and
Master Walter kingston, a younger
thony. Kingston who had suffered
death y year before for conspiracy
against the Queen--the same In which
Lord Devon had showed the white
4eatller. kingston was q young mar
brown complexion n delicate. al
most Wonaanish beauty, his sleepy dark
eyes and dainty rflustache suggesting
temper rather amiable than firm.
But the spirit OF evenge had entered
into him. and I soon learned that not
ever Penruddocke. q Cornish knight of
longer lineage than purse, was SO We
hement o plotter or SO devoted to the
heart sank. It needed no greater ex-
perience than mine to discern that ex-
Oept three or four WI ON / identified
- stOnt professors ct religion. they
were men ather Of despsrate fortunes
slant that conspiracy makes strange
bedfcllows. and that 1t is Impossible
to do dirty dork even with the purest
sintentlons-in good company! Master
Bertie's face Indicated to one who
knew him as well Is I did something
Of the same feeling. and could the clock
have been put back awhile. and we
placed with free and and uncom-
mitted outside the gatehouse. I think
we should with one accOr5 have turned
our backs on 1t and given up an at
tempt which. In this company. could
scarcely fare any way but i'll. Still for
good of,evii h die was cast now. and
retreat was out Of the question.
We had confronted too many dan
gers during the last three years not to
DO able to face this one with a good
courage. n presently Master BERTHE,
taking q 9 requested to be told OF
tho strength and plans Of our ASSOC
ciateS, his businesslike manner intro
ducing at nee some degree OF order
and method into a conference which
before our arrival had-unless I was
much mistaken-been conspicuously
lacking In both.
sour resourcas?" Penruddocko re-