The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-04-23
a little homesick. And I sought ieav,

a little homesick. And I sought ieavs
10 retire early.
You are right" said the duchess.
rising graciously. Tonight. after be-
ing out in the air. you will sleep sound
~. and tomorrow you Will be a new
man." with a faint smile. Believe me,
| am not ungrateful, Master Francis.
n / will diligently seek occasion to
repay both your gallant defense of the
other day and your future service" She
gave me her hand to kiss, and 1 bent
over it. Now she continued, do
consider hat you are really one of US
and pledged to our cause"
L kissed the tiny fist held out to me.
a soft pink thing looking like some
dainty eashell. Master BERTHE cordially
grasped my and And so under the
Dutch boat, somewhere on the WAL
between Gorcum and Nimuegen, we
plighted our troth to one another, and
In a sense l became one of them.
| went to my berth cheered and n
couraged by their kindness. But the
interview. satisfactory as it was, had
set up no little excitement in my brain,
and 1t was long before l slept. When I
did, / had a strange dream. I dreamed
that l was sitting in the hall at Cotton,
and that Petronilla was standing on the
dais locking f1xedly at me with gentle,
sorrowful eyes. 1 wanted to go to her.
but l could not move. Every dreamer
knows the sensation. 1 tried to call to
her, 20 ask her what was the matter,
and why she so locke at me. But I
could utter no sound. And still she
continued to fix me with the same, sad,
reproachful eyes, in which l read a
warning. yet could not ask Its mean
Ing
struggled so hard that at last the
spell was in a degree broken. Follow
ing the direction OF her eyes, l looked
down at myself and saw fastened to
the breast of my doublet the knot Of
blue velvet which she had made for
my sword hilt, and which 1 had ever
since carried In my bosom. More, I
saw, with a singular feeling of anger
me sorrow, that a hand which came
over my shoulder was Juggling hard at
the ribbon in the attempt to remove 1t.
This gave me horrible concern, yet at
the ONE | could not move nor do
anything to prevent 1t. AT last, making
a s~tupendous effort, 1 awoke, my last
experience, dreaming, being of the
strange hand working at my breast.
My first waking idea was the same, so
that l threw out my arms and
cried aloud and sat up. UGH"
l exclaimed, trembling in the in
tensity of my relief as l looked about
and welcomed the now familiar sur
roundings. 1T was only q dream. 1t
waS--'
| stopped abruptly, my eyes falling
a form lurking in the doorway. I
could see it only dimly by the light of
a hanging lamp. which smoke and
burned redly overhead. Yet 1 could see
1t. 1t was real. substantial-a walk
ing figure. Nevertheless a faint touch
or superstitious terror still chung to me.
Speak, please!' l asked. Who is it 20
1t Is only l." answered a soft voice.
we'll known to me-Mistress Anne's.
Il came in to see how you were" she
continued, advancing a little, and
whether you were sleeping. / am
afraid | awoke you. But you seemed
she added, Ito be having such painful
dreams that perhaps it was as we'll I
did"
1 was fumbling in my breast while
she spoke, and certainly, whether in
my sleep / had undone the f%astenines
or had loosened them Intentionally be-
fore | lay down-though 1 could not
remember doing sony doublet and
shirt were open at the breast. The vel
vet mot was safe, however, in that tiny
inner pocket beside the letter. and I
again. II am very glad you
did awake me-" | replied, looking
gratefully at her. Il was having a hor-
rible dream. But how good 1t was
SOu " lllI1k OF me, when Won are |
not we'll yourself. too"
"Oh, + am BETTER she murmured
her eyes, which glistened in the light,
steadily on me. Much better
Now e to sleep again, and happier
to YOU. After tonight" she
added pleasantly. II shall no longer
you an invalid nor intrdua
you"
And she was gone before 1 could re-
iterate my thanks. The door fell to
and was alone. full of kindly feelings
her and of thankfulness that
my horrible vision had no %undatf
.Ihank heaven!" | murmured more
once as l lay down. TT was only
a dream."
Next day we reached Nimueeen
where we staid a sort time. Leaving
place in the afternoon, "a hours'
partly by river. partly n
| remember rightly, by canal. brought
us to the neighborhood of Arnheim On
the Rhine. 1t was the first OF March
but the opening month belied its rem,
lat1on. There was a brightness. a snft-
hess In the air and a consequent feel
ing as of spring which would better
nave befitted the middle Of April All
lay we remained on deck enjoying the
of nature, which was as-
grateful to me. in whom tho
of health was beginning TO snrine
and we were still there when
one of those gorgeous sunsets which
are peculiar to that country began 10
ling its hues across our path We
a jutting promontory. the hoat
to fall off, and the captain "a nc
up. his errand to tell US that orr ;o,r-
aey was done ~
Continued Next week.)