Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-02-21

! with q startling change from invective
| to sarcasm-"who are you to talk OF
bishops, | should like to know?
one" j said sulleniy. who thinks
less of cardinals and bishops than some
folk. Mistress Petronillai"
Aye. | know" she retorted scathing-
ly-"I know that you are a kind or
half hearted Protestant-neither fish,
hesh nor fowl"
II am what my father made mel" /
muttered,
AT any rate" she replied, you do
not see how small you are, or you
would not talk of bishops. Heaven
help us! That a boy who has done
! nothing and seen nothing should talk
of the queens chancellor. Go! Go on,
you foolish boy, and rule a country or
cut off heads, and then you may talk
OF such men-men who could unT1ake
you and yours with a stroke of the
pen! You. to talk 50 of Stephen Gar
diner! File, fie. l say! For shame!"
/ looked at her, dazed and bewildered.
and had long afterward in my mind a
picture of her as she stood above me-,
in the window bay. her back to the
light, her slender figure drawn to its
full height. her hand extended toward
me. | could scarcely understand or
believe that this was my gentle cousin.
/ turned without a word and stole
away, not looking behind me. l was
cowed.
1t happened that the servants came
h%urrying in at the moment with a Clat-
ter of dishes and knives. n the noise
covered my retreat. l had a fancy af-
terward that, as | moved away Petron-
lila called Ia ne. But at the time,
what with the confusion and my own
disorder. L paid no heed to her, but
got myself. blindly out of the hall and
away to my own attic.
1t was a sharp lesson. But my feel
ings, when, being alone, | had time TO
feel, need not be set down. After events
made them OF no moment, for / was
even then on the verge of a change so
great that all the threats and misgiv-
ings, the fevers n agues Of that af-
ternoon. real as they seemed at the
time, because in a few hours as i'm
material as the dew which fell before
yesterdays thunderstorm.
The way the change began to come
about was this: | crept in late to sup
per, facing the din and lights, the rows
OF guests and the hurrying servants,
with a mixture of shame and sullen-
ness. l was sitting down with a scowl
next the bishops pages-my place was
beside them. half down the table, and
l was not too careful to keep my feet
clear Of their clothing-when my
uncle's voice, raised in a harsher tone
than was usual with him, even when
he was displeased, summoned me.
Come here, strait" he cried round
~. Come here, Master Francis! /
have a word to speak to you!"
l went slowly, dragging my feet.
while all looked up, and there was a
partial silence. | was conscious OF
this, and it erved me. For a moment
indeed, as stepped on to the dais, l
had a vision of scores of candles and
flashlights floating In mist, and of in
Vulnerable bodilesS faces all turned up
TO me, But the vision and the misti-
ness passed away and left only my
uncle'S long. thin face infiamed with
anger, and beside it, in the same ring
of light, the watchful eyes and stern,
impressive features Of Stephen Gard
liner. The bishops face and his eyes
were all / saw then: the same face, the
same eyes, j remembered, which q
looked unyielding into those of the re-
lentless Cromwell and had scarce
dropped before the frown Of a Tudor.
His purple cap and cassock, the lace
and rich fur, the chain of office, | re-
membered afterward.
Now, boy Numbered Sir Anthony,
pointing out the place where l should
SldlIu, WudL nave you 10 say IOr your
self? Why have you SO misbehaved
this afternoon? Let your tongue speak
quickly, do you hear. or you will smart
for it. And let it be to the
boy!"
l was about to answer something
whether ii was likely to make things
worse or better | cannot remember
when Gardiner staid me. He laid his
hand gently on Sir Anthony's sleeve
n intecposed. "One moment" he said
mildly. Your nephew did not stay for
the church's blessing, l remember. Per-
haps he has scruples. There are peo-
pie nowadays who have. Let us hear
if it be So"
This time it was Sir Anthony who
did not let me answer.
NO, no." ne cried hastily. mo, MOI
1t is not SO. He conforms, my lord: he
conforms. o conform. sir" h con-
tinued, turning fiercely upon me, do
you not? Answer, sir"
All" the bishop put in, with a
sneer, you conform, do your"
Il attend mass-to please my uncle"
/ replied boldly.
He was ill brought up as a child"
Sir Anthony said hastily. speaking in a
tone which those below could not hear.
But you know all that, my lord-you
know all that. 1t is an old story 20
you. SO | make and l pray you to
make, for the sake of the house some
allowance. He conforms. He undoubt-
edly conforms"
Continued Next Week.)