Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-09-04
Storyof Francis Cludde
A Romance Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY STANLEY J. wEYMAN.
BY STANLEY J. WEYMAN.

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he asked in a matter of fac tone. as
one might ask a question Of an old
comrade.
I found 1t cast aside behind the door.
He took II from me, grumbling over a
nick in the edge, which he had caused
by some desperate blow when he was
seized. He fastened Il on with an oath.
| could not ook at the sword without
remembering how nearly he had taken
my life with II. The recollection did
not trouble him in the slightest.
NOV farewell" he said, carelessly.
Il am going to turn owe a new leaf
and begin returning good for evil. DO
you go TO your friends and do your
work. and l will go to my friends and
do mine"
Then, with a nod. he walked briskly
away, and | heard him climb the ladder
and depart.
What was he going to do? / was so
deeply amazed by the interview that /
did not understand. | had thought him
a wicked man. but had not conceived
the hardness OF his nature. AS I stood
alone looking around the vault / could
hardly believe that / had met and
spoken TO my father and told him l
was his son--and this was all! / could
hardly believe that he had gone away
with this knowledge, unmoved and un-
repentant, alike unwarned by the Proc
idence which had used me to thwart
his schemes and untouched by the ben
eficence which had thrice held him back
from the crime OF killing me-aye, proof
even against the long suffering which
had plucked him from the abyss and
given him one more chance of repent
ance.
l found Master BERTHE In the stables
waiting for me with some Impotence,
OF which, upon the whole, | was glad,
for | had no wish to be closely ques-
toned, and the account | gave him OF
the interview might at another time
have seemed ~disjointed and incoherent.
He listened to IL, however, without a
remark. and his next words made 1t
clear that he had other matters In his
mind.
Il do not know what to do about
fetching the duchess over" he said.
This news seems to be true, and she
ought to be here
Certainly | agreed.
THE country in general Is we'll az
fected to the Princess Elizabeth he
continued. yet the interests of the
bishops, of the Spanish faction and of
some of the council will lie In giving
trouble. To avoid this we should show
our strength. Therefore / want the
duchess to come over with all speed.
VIII you fetch herr" he added sharply,
turning to me.
"Will 10" l cried In surprise.
Yes, you / cannot well go myself
at this crisis. VIII you go instead?"
"Of course | will" / answered.
And the prospect cheered me wonder
fully. Ii gave me something to do and
opened my yes to the great change of
which P~enruddocke had been the her.
aid, a change which was even then be-
ginning As we rode down Higbyata
hill that day messengers were speeding
north and south M east and west TO
Norwich n Bristol and Canterbury
and Coventry and York with the tidings
that the somber rule under which Eng
land had groaned for five years and
more was coming TO an end. II In a
dozen towns OF England they roped
their bells afresh; II In every country,
as Penruddocke had prophesied, they
got their tar barrels ready; IL all, save
a few old fashioned folk and a few
gloomy bigots and hysterical women,
awoke as from an evil dream; If even
sensible men saw in the coming of the
young queen a panacea for all their Ills.
g quenching OF Smithfield fires a Calais
recovered. a cure for the worthless
coinage which hampered trade, and a
radiance of worthless foreigners who
plundered IL, with better roads. purer
justice. a fuller exchequer, more fa-
vorable reasons-if England read all
this In that news of Penruddocke's, was
1t not something to us also?
II was indeed. We were saved at the
last moment from the dangerous enter
prise on which we had rashly en-
barked. We new had such prospects
before us only the success of that
scheme could have ordinarily opened.
Ease and honor instead of the gallows
and to lie warn instead of creaking in
the wind! Thinking of this, / fell into
a better frame Of mind as I logged
along toward London. For what. after
all, was my father to me, that his ex-
istence should make me unhappy or
rob mine OF all pleasure? / had made
a place for myself In the world. I had
earned friends for myself. He might
take away my pride In the one, but
he could never rob me OF the love OF
the others--of those who had eaten and
drunk and fought and suffered beside
me and for whom !, too, had fought
and suffered
IA strange time for the swallows to
come back said my lady, turning to
smile at me as i rode on her off side.
1t would have been strange indeed If
there had been swallows in the air. for
II was the end of December. The roads
were frost bound and the trees leaf
less. The east wind. gathered force In
It's rush across the Essex marshes.
whiried before II the last trophies of
Hainault forest and seemed as Ii
whistled by our ears and shaved our
faces TO grudge us the shelter to which
we were Fastening. The long train be-
| hind us-for the good times OF which
we had talked SO often had come
were full OF the huge fire we expected
TO find at the I'M at Barking, our last
stage on the o TO London. And II
the duchess and l bore the cold more
patiently ii was probably because we
had more food for thought and perhaps
thicker rainment.
do O shake your head she con-
tinued, CHANGING at me with mischief
In Der eyes. 'apd natter yourself you
VIII net go back. but will go on MAX
Ing yourself and some me else I'M
happy. You viii do nothing of the
kind, Francis. Before the spring comes
you and i will ride over the drawbridge
az Cotton End, or 1 am q Dutchwom-
AM"
II cannot see that things are
changed" I said.
Not changed?" she replied. When
you left, you were nobody. Now you
are somebody, IL il be only In having
a sister with a dozen serving men In
her train. Leave Ii to me. And now.
thank heaven. we are here. ! am so
stiff and cold YOU must lift me down.
We have not To ride far after dinner,
! hope"
Only seven miles" / nswered as
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