Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-03-19
-THE-
Storyoff Francis C1udde
ARomance Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY N J. wEYMAN.

what I WAS to do. 1 did not doubt the
monk was telling the truth Why
should he lie to me? And l cursed my
folly in trusting to a towards honor
or a serving mans good faith. But
lamentations were useless. What was
I to do? had no horse and no mean
of getting 1 was in q strange
country. and to try to escape on foot
from p%ursuers VINO knew the roads
and had h law on their side, would
be "a hopeless undertaking. Yet to be
hauled back to Coton End a prisoner
l could not face that. Mechanically 1
raised ~ morsel of bacon to my lips,
aud as 1 did SO a thought occurred to
mean Idea suggested by some talk
l had heard the evening before at To-
WEBSTER.
Fanciful as h plan was, I snatcher
at 1t, and knowing each instant to be
precious took my courge In my hand
and my tankard. Here" 1 cried,
speaking suddenly and loudly. here is
bad luck to purveyors. Master Host!"
There We're a couple of stablemen
within hearing. longing In the door,
way. besides the landlord and his wife
and the farmers.
A villager or two also had dropped
In. and there We're two peddlers lying
half asleep In the corner. All these
pricked up their ears more or less at
my words. But, like most country folk,
they were slow to take in anything
new or unexpected, and l had to drink
afresh and say again, Hero is bad. luck
to purvcyors!" before any one took it
up.
Thcn the landlord showed he UNDER
stood.
aye. so say II" he cried. with an
oath. "Purveyors. indeed! 1t is such
as they give the queen a bad name."
God bless herr" quoth the monk
loyalty.
And drown the p%urveyors!" a farm
er exclaimed.
They were here a year ago and left
a strapping vfllager, speaking at a
white heat. but telling me no news. for
this was what I had heard at Towces-
ter the night before. 1.-The queen should
lie warm IL she uses all the wool they
took. And the pack horses they pur-
veyed to carry off the plunder-why,
the packmen avoid Stratford ever since
as though we had the black death. oh,
down with the purveyors, say 1! The
first that comes this way I will show
the bottom of the Ouse. Aye. that 1
will. though I hang for it!"
Easy. easy. Tom Miller!!" the host
i~nterposed. affecting an air of assur-
ance, even while he cast an y of trou-
BILE at his flitches. 1T will be another
49, JNNAS 0SAOAS NACy y 10 ti60lLls
There is Potter's Pury! They
took a testers worth from Potter's
Pury! No. nor from Preston Gobion!
But they will go to them next. depend
Il hope they WILL" I said. with a
world of gloomy insinuation in my
words. But I doubt it!"
And this time my hint was not vast
ed. The landlord changed color. What
are you driving at, master?" he asked
mildly. while h others looked at me
in silence n waited for more.
What If there be n across the road
now?" I said. giving way to the temp
I paid dearly a%fterward. "a purveyor,
I mean. unless I am mistaken in him,
or he tells lies. He has come straight
from h chancellor, white wand, war
rant and all. He Is taking his dinner
now. but he has sent for the hundred
man. so I guess he neal business"
For the hundredman?" repeated the
landlord. his brows meeting.
"Yes, unless I am mistaken"
There was silence for a moment. Then
the man they called Tom Miller dashed
his cap on the floor, and folding his
arms defiantly looked round on his
neighbors. HE has come, has he!" he
roared. his face swollen, his eyes blood
shot. 'Then I will be as good as my
word! Who will help? Shall we sit
down and be shorn like sheep, as we
were before. so that our children lay on
the bare stones. and we pulled the pillow
ourselves7 Or shall we show that we
are free Englishman and not slaves Of
Frenchmen? Shall we teach Master
Purveyor not to trouble us again? Now,
what say you neighbors?"
So fierce a growl Of impatience andan-
ger rose round me as at once answered
fh0 NNNoQftNn dn0an R0N f0Noo n1opo6
at me n at one another. and from the
very motion and passion Of the men as
they snarled and threatened the DON
seemed twice as full as 1t was. Their
oaths and cries Of encouragement, not
loud, but the nor dangerous for that,
the fresh burst OF fury which rose as
the village smith and another came
in and learned the news. the menacing
gestures Of q score of b~randished fists
these sights. though they told of the
very effect at which I had aimed,
scared rs well as pleased me. I turned
red and white and hesitated, fearing
that I had gone too far.
The thing was done. however, and,
what was more. I had soon to take care
Of myself. At the very moment when
the hubbub was at its loudest ] felt q
chill run down my back as I met the
monks eye. and, reading in 1t whim-
steal admiration, read in 1t something
besides. and that was an unmistakable
menace Clever lad!" the eye said.
Il will expose you," It threatened.
I had forgotten him-or, at any rate,
that my acting would be transparent
enough to him holding the clew in his
hand-and his look was like the shock
Of cold water to me. But It IL wonder
full. how keen the wits grow on the
grindstone Of necessity. With scarcely
q seconds hesitation I drew out my
long piece Of gold, and unnoticed by
the other men, who were busy swear.
ing at and encouraging n another. ]
disclosed a morsel OF It. The monks
crafty eyes glistened. Il laid my finger
on my lips.
He held up two fingers.
MT ahOok nv had and Ghnwed ~