The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-02-21
Francis Cludde
"A Romance Of Queen Mary's Reign.A
BY STANLEY J. wEYMAN.
BY STANLEY J. wEYMAN.

NAio 1880 sAs
that rang as crisply as his th1"acks.
| was up In ali instant. Not that the
pain was anything, and before our own
people / should have Thought as little
of shame. for If the Old may not lay
hand to the young. betrg related, where
is to be any obedience? Now, however,
my first glance met the grinning faces
of strange lackeys, and while my Shout
ders still smarted the laughter OF q
couple of soberly clad pages stung a
hundred times more sharply. l glared
furiously round, sand my eyes fell on
was that OF, d man who neither smiled
nor Laughed; a man whom l recognized
immediately. not by his sleek hackney
or his purple cassock,. which a riding
coat partially concealed. or even by his
1eweled hand, but by the keen glance Of
in arid did not acknowledge me: which
saw my humiliation without interest or
a~mysement. The look hurt me beyond
smhrtirg of shoulders. for 1t conveyed
to Ene In the twentieth part of a second
how very small a person Francis Cludde
was Stephen Gardiner. whom in my
thoughts ] had presumed to belittle.
I stood irresolute a moment. shifting
my feet and glSwering at him, my face
on fire. But when he raised his hand to
give the benediction, and the more de-
vout. or those with mended hose, fell
on their knees in the mud, 1 turned my
back abruptly. and climbing the wall
flung away across the chase.
What. Str Anthony" 1 heard him
say as l stalked off. his voice ringing
clear and incisive amid the reverential
science which followed the Latin words.
Have we - hereto here. cousin? How
Is this? SO near home tool"
1T Is my nephew, my lord bishop I
Il nOllIf. HlAr Rtr "A nfh0rv II n Nn1Noyr
IN his tone. and a willful boy at times.
You know Of him. He has queer no.
tons of his own, put into hts head long
ago."
l caught no more. my angry strides
carrying me out of earshot. Fulning. I
avoiding here n there the fallen limb
OF an elm or a huge round Of holly.
I wanted to get put Of the way and be
out OF the way, and made such haste
that before the slowly moving caval-
cade had traversed one-half of the in
terval between h o a n the house
| had reached the bridge which crossed
the moat. and pushing my way impa-
tiently through the maids and solutions
who had fiocked to it to see the show
had passed into the courtyard.
n light was failing. and the place
looked dark and gloomy In spite OF the
warm glow of burning logs which
poured from the lower windows and
some show of green boughs which had
been placed e the doorways in honor
of the occasion. 1 glanced up at a lat
tice IN one of the gables, the window OF
~Petronilla's little parlor. There was
no face at 1t, and I turned fretfully Into
perched up In one of the high window
seats. She was looking out on the
chase, as the maids were doing.
Yes, as the maids were doins She,
too, was watching for his high might
ness. muttered. and that angered me
and climbed up beside her.
"Well,"I said ungraciously as she
started, hearing me at her shoulder,
wen. have you seen enough of him yet.
cousin? You will, I warrant you. be-
fore he leaves. "A little of him goes
far"
"A little of whom. Francfs?" she
asked simply.
Though her voice betrayed some won
der at my rough tone, she was SO
much engaged with the show that she
did not look at me Immediately. This,
OF course. kept my anger warm. and
l began to feel that she was in the con
Q my lord of Winchester, OF
course" I answered. laughing rudely
"Of Sir Hot Pot!"
Why do you call him that?" she re-
monstrated in gentle wonder. and then
she did turn her soft dark eyes upon
me. She was a slender. willowy girl III
those days. with a complexion clear,
yet paie--a maiden all bending and
gracefulness. yet with a great store
OF secret f1rmness. as I was to learn.
He seems as handsome an old man.
she continued. a I have ever met, and
stately and benevolent. too. as I see
him at this distance. What is the mat
ter with you. Francis? What has nnt
you out?"
Put me OUT" retorted nnsrilv
Who said anything had put me out p
But l Redeemed under her eyes. was
longing to tell her all and be comforted
while at the same time I shrank with a
mans shame from saying to her tina
l had been beaten.
y can gee that something is the mat.
ter" she said sagely. with her head or
one side, n that air of being the cid.
er which she often assumed with me
though she was really the younger b,
two years. why did you not wait 70,
the others" Why have you come home
alone? Francis" With sudden convic.
ton. you ave veXed my father! THAI
is it!!"
HE has beaten me like a dog."
blurted out p~assionately, land befors
logged me-
She had her back to the window. ant
some faint CLEAN OF wintry sunshine
passing through the gules of the shield
blazoned behind her, cast a red stat,
on her dark hair and shapely head
She was silent. probably through pit,
or CONSERVATION. but I could not Sc.
her face and misread her. though.
her hard. and. %resenting this, Dragged
on with a lads empty violence.
lie did. but 1 will not stand it!
; give you warning. l Won't stand 1t
Petronilla!" and l stamped. youns
bully that 1 was, until tn,
, dust sprang out OF the board
n the hounds by the distan
hearth jumped UP and w,.gsad. No
, not for all the base bishops, al Eng
land!" l continued. taking Il Step =,
way and that. lie had better not 40 ,
again! IL he does, l tell you ii will b
the worse for some oile!!"
4 Francis she exclaimed abruptly
you must not speak in that way!"
Blu l was too angry to be silencet
though instinclively l changed m
ground.
stephen Gardiner" 1 cried furious
t ~. WHO is Stephen Gardiner, 1 shout
d like to know? He mas no right to CA
b himself Gardner at all! DR.. Stephen
t he used 20 call himself. l have teart
A child with no nulne but his goliath