Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-23
IN MARY'S REIGN
Continued from Seventh Page.)

Continued from Seventh Page.)
have YOU think sometimes of me as one
who has tasted of the bitter cup of sor-
row. and. thus thinking. I'd nave you pray
to God for mercy on my soul and On that
of one who is more sinful, more misguided
than yourselves"
1t was a strange little homily, thus de-
livered without any affectation. by this
high-born gentleman. to his fellows in
sorrow. They did not perhaps altogether
understand him. but in his own quaint
way he had appealed to comradaship of
misery and the hearts of his hearers
went out to him in a vague feeling of
pity and reverence.
They had no need to call for 'largesse.' -
for with his own hand he was already dis
tributing gold to those from whom he had
asked prayers
God save your. gracev' muttered nen
and women as one by one their rough
palms closed over the muniflcent dona-
tons
The ladies and gentlemen on the terrace
had all watched this little scene from
afar. After awhile the curiosity Of all
these gay idlers was still further aroused
Some of them wished to watch 1t little
more closely and began slowly stroll1ng
down the terrace steps toward the quaint
group. made up of all these miserable
vagrants surrounding the imposing,
sable-clad figure Of the duke.
The queen herself. attracted by the
novelty of the spectacle. and her heart
ever warming for the near presence Of
the man she still loved so dearly. turned
her steps toward the marble basin, win
his eminence. the cardinal-ever a fa1thful
attendant-by her side.
When Mary Tudon closely followed by
some Of her ladies' and courtiers. thus
reached the scene where the little drama
was being enacted they saw his grace
standing somewhat irresolutely beside the
huddled figure of a woman, whose ta"ory
DRAWINGS and matted brilliant hair pre-
santad a strange contrast to the dull grays
and browns of the other people around
her.
'Nilt thou not hold thy hand out to me
wench?" his grace was saying somewhat
fmnatiently. 81 would fain help thee as
1t hath pleased heaven L should help my
companions in misfortune. :,
The sery:tor who had stood close by all
this while lest the people prove too I'M
Fortunate or troublesome. now came up
TO the woman. and. less benevolently in
clined than his grace. he caught hold OF
her. somewhat rudely by the shoulder:
Come. wench. wake up"' he said
roughly: think thou his grace hath more
time to waste on thee. She seems some
what daft. so please your grace. added
the man with a shrug of the shoulders,
"and hath not spoken since her ATTEST
Who is She?
.'Some vagrant or worse. so please your
grace. She was arrested a fortnight
ago and hath never been heard TO utter
wit look up, wench?" said Wessex
gently.
der her breath. 49,, >,
Dare not? Why? I'll not harm hhee.
Iris T have wronged thee So"
Wessex laughed lightly. Clearly the
moor wretch was demented. but he would
have liked to have put some money into
her own hand, lest some unscrupulous
person should rob her of his gift: There
fore he said as kindly as he could:
81 forgive thee gladly any wrong thou
mav'st have done me, and now wilt look
at me in token that thou'rt no more
afraid"
There was silence for few moments
The poor people, happy with the rich gifts
in tIieir hands scared too, by the pres
ence of so many lords and ladies, among
whom they, however, had not yet recog-
nized the queen. al retreated into the
background, leaving Wessex and the
their own groups, his rich black doublet
and fine mantle and plumes contrasting
STRANGELY against the dank. mud-bespat-
tered white dress of the unfortunate va
grant.
What a quaint picture did they pre-
sent these two, whose destinies had been
so closely knit No one spoke. for every
one felt that curious, uneXpialnable awe
which falls upon the spirit of every man
and woman when in the presence of an
unfathomable mystery. And that mys-
terry, every one felt 1t! The woman 5
voice had such a solemn ring in II when
she said: Ills l have wronged thee so!
In the very midst of this awed silence,
the woman suddenly threw back her head,
brushed the hair back from her face and
looked straight into the eyes of the duke.
She was wan and pale with hunger.
smears of mud spoilt the beauty of her
features but there was a look even now
in that face which made Wessex recoil
with horror. He did not utter a word but
gazej on as if a ghostly vision had sud-
denly appeared be fore him and was mock
ing him with it's terrifying aspects.
Grinning monsters seemed to surround
that girlish figure before him, pointing