Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-03-20
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establishment. But the truth is a man
can only be at one place at a time. Ana
though, in this very month OF Feb
ruary. 1855, Prebendary Rogers
good, kindly man, as | have heard, VINO
had a wife and nine children-was
burned in Smithfield in London for re-
Iigion, and the bishop of Gloucester
suffered in his own city, and other in
offensive men We're burned to death,
and there was much talk of these
things. and in thousands of breasts a
smoldering fire was kindled which
blazed high enough by and by-why,
l was at Cotton End or on the Lon
don road. at the time, and learned
such things only dimly and by hear
say.
But the rili joins the river at last
and Outlines suddenly and at a bound,
as 1t were. on this very day while L
cantered easily southwark with my
face set toward St. Adams, Provi-
dence was at work shaping a niche
for me in the lives of certain people
who were at the time unconscious or
my existence as | was OF theirs. In
a great house in the Barbican in Lon
don there was much stealthy going
and coming on this February after
noon and evening. Behind lock ed doors,
and in fear and trembling, mails were
being packed and bags strapped and
fingers almost too delicate for the task
were busy with nails and hammers,
securing this and closing that. The
packers knew nothing of me, nor | OF
them. Yet but for me all that packing
would have been of no avil, and but
for them my fate might have been
very different. Still the sound of the
hammer did not reach my ears, or,
doing so, was covered by the steady
tramp Of the roadster, and no vision,
so far as / ever heard, of a dusty youth
riding Lomdonward came between the
secret worke and their task
l had made UP my mind to sleep at
st. Adams that night, and for this
reason, and for others, relating to the
sheriff of Buckinghamshire, in which
county Stony Stratford lies, / pushed
on briskly. ! presently found time,
however, to examine the packet of let
ters which | had made spoil. On the
outer wrapper | found there was no
address, only an eXhortation TO be
speedy. Off this came, therefore, with
out ceremony, and was left in the dirt.
inside l found two sealed epiStleS,
each countersigned on the wrapper,
stephen Winton."
no! ho!" said l. Il did well to take
them"
Over the signature on the first let
ter-it seemed to be written on parch-
ment-were the words. haste! haste!
haste" This was the thicker and
heavier of the two and was addressed
to Sir Maurice Berk eley, at st. Mary
Overy's, Southwark, London / turned
IT over and over in my hands and
peeped into it, hesitating. Twice l
muttered, "all is fair in love and war"
And at last, with curiosity fully awake
and q glance behind me to make sure
hat the act was unobserved, | broke
the seal. The document proved to be
as short and pithy as it was startling.
1t was an order commanding Sir
Maurice Berkeley forthwith in the
queens name n by the authority Of
the council, and so on, and so on, to
to arrest Katherine Willoughby de
Eresby, duchess of Suffolk, and to de-
liver her into the custody of the lieu
tenant Of the Tower. these presents
to be his warranty for the detention
of the said duchess of Suffolk until
her grace's pleasure in the matter is
known"
When 1t was too late, l trembled to
think what / had done. To NEEDLE
with matters of state might be more
dangerou~ a hundred times than steal
ing horses or wen than ducking the
chancellor's messenger. Seeing at this
moment, "A party of travellers approach,
l crammed the letter into my pocket
and rode by them with a red face and
a tongue that suffered so feebly that
l could scarcely return their greetings.
When they had one by, / pulled out
the warrant again, having it in my
mind to tear it up without a moments
delay, to tear Ii into the smallest NOR
sells and so get rid of a thing most
dangerous. But the great red seal,
dangling at the fot of the parchment,
caught my eye, n | paused to think.
1t was 50 red, so large. so imposing
1T seemed a pity TO destroy it. 1t
must surely be good for something.
II ~ f1D 49,, 1890 49,.
1t away in my safest pocket. Yes. il
might be good for something.
| took out the other letter. 1t was
bound with green ribbon and sealed
with extreme care, being directed
simply to Mistress Clarence-there was
no address But over GARDENERS sig
nature on the wrapper were the word
These on your peril, very privately
I turned IL over and over and said
the same thing about love and wal
and even repeated to myself my ole
proverb about a sheep and a lamb
But somehow | could not do ii. The
letter was a woman's letter: the Sc.
cret, her secret. and though my fingers
itched as they lowered about the seals
my cheek tingled too. So at last, Will
q muttered. what would Petronills
say?" l put 1T away unopened In tn.
pocket where the warrant lay. TIL,
odds were immense that Mistress Clar
ence would never get 1t. but at leas
her secret should remain hers, m,
honor mine.
1t was dark when l rode. thorough,
jaded, into St. Adams. l was splashe,
with mud up TO the waist Inc wette,
by a shower and looked, ! have n
doubt, from the effect OF my journey
Ing on foot and horseback, as disrepu
table Il fellow as might be. The con
seriousness, too, that / was without
penny and the fear lest caref,
as I had been to let no one outstri
me, the news of the riot at Stratfor
might have arrived. but did not tend [
give me assurance. / poked my hea
| timidly into the great room. hopin
that | might have IT TO myself. To m
disgust 1t was full of people. Half
dozen travellers and as many townsfol
were sitting round the fire, talkin
briskly over their draft. Yet i had r
choice, was hungry. and the thin
had to be done, and l staggered 1
something OF the sneak no peel
ing through my brayado. l remarke
as | took my seat by n fire and set
drying myself. hat l was greeted |
g monentary silence. and then Two
three of the company began to eye n
|, auspiciously.
There was one man, who sat on Il
settle In the warmest corner of Il
! chimney, who seemed in particular
resent my damp neighborhood. II
companions treated him with SO mu.
2 rexeraacaN ard he Snuhbcd them so 70