Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1908-04-10
ROCKVILLE MARYLAND. FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL TO- 1905
sOoeeoOooe
When Lady Betty
Held the Candle.
BY oRMoND GREY.
Copyrighted. 1908. by.Jessie Morgan.
seeeooa q . q "a q,

9 Copyrighted. 1908. by.Jsssie Morgan. 9
ssseeeeoeeseeeseseeeeeease
'sJeffry." said my uncle when he
caught me sulking and demanded an
explanation. ''all women are good at
heart. but ptLwomen are abnormally
uncertain. fpNAs will 60 their own way,
whether We Ike II or not, and perfofce
we must pnt up with their wkimsies
and make the best Of 1t. II your cousin
Betty Is capriclous, give her to under.
stand that you would rather have hor
that WAY tthiHs moi Thsn sha VIZ NO
longer have any desire to keep your
head whlrling."
This was one day after Lady Betty
had trlfled with my love and dignity,
and | had gone to Sir Hugh Rivington,
the dearest of relatives and the best of
patrons. to declare that should at
once sail away for Spain and offer my
sword as a soldier of fortune. I would
depart within week. and as for Lady
Betty, she might marry whom she
pleased or die a splnster.
81 think myself that the hlly has
romped long enough" continued Sir
Hugh as he laid a kindly hand on my
shoulder, "and that the halter should
now be slipped over her head. But
how to do 1t, Jeffry-how to do III
Indaad LOT M Miami
And plan we did.
-Four days after our planning the
Lady Betty set out for the country seat
of the Warehouses Of Littleton, nine
leagues distant, there to tarry for the
space OF two weeks. Naturally her
maid accompanied her, and besides the
coachman and footman there were two
armed and mounted servants to pre-
vent the knights of the road from COM
Ing too close.
Sir Hugh and myself were to follow
OH horseback two days later, or 80 1t
was understood Scarce had we waved
the coach out of sight when the good
man plnched my ear In playful way
and said:
"'rhe plan worketh thus far without
hitch or suspicion. The adventures Of
the night wilt give thee bride within
month. Jeffry, the caprlcious filly Is
battered"
At 8 o'clock that afternoon, when
the coach had reached FeatherstOne,
hardly more than half the journey, the
caprlcious Lady Betty decided to re-
main there for the night At sun
down she decided to push on to the
White Hart inn, two leagues farther,
saying 1t would be romantic to ride
beneath the stars of the summer night
Her great coach had rolled out Of
the courtyard. The last league had
been entered upon, and the night had
become fairly dark when an uproar
suddenly occurred That uproar should
have been caused by two pretended
hlghwaymen hired for the occasion,
and the guards should have fired
shot or two at them and then fed. as
per orders, but, alas, for our well laid
plans against the maid!
Our hired varlets lost their way
and did not appear In time, and the
two that did come forward were genu-
Inc members Of the profession. Our
two merry thieves were to abduct the
Lady Betty and her jewel box and
hang on to them until meeting me on
foamlng sized, and was then to drive
them away In short order with pistol
and rapier and rescue the damsel all
forlOrn.
In her gratitude and admiration, how
could she say nay when ! asked that
the marriage day be named and that
there should be no more trifiing?
Fate ordained that my horse should
cast n shoe and that / should be an
hour late at the rescue, and even then
1t was to learn that the Lady Betty,
suspectlng my plans and determined
to balk them, had actually remained
behind at Featherstone and sent only
her maid forward In the coach. Sir
Hugh and I had planned according to
military tactics, but simple maid
had brought our endeayors to naught
The weather had changed, and the
rain was pouring down, and yet
must ride back to Featherstone and
secure confederation of the maids
story before could feel at ease. Back
rode to be told that when the coach
left the inn Lady Betty had taken to
horse to complete her journey by an
other road
II she had accomplished this without
then | would have been
butt Of ridicule indeed. Fate was walt
Ing to play her a shabby trick, how
ever.
The highwaymen who had stopped
the coach on the east road had gallop-
ed away to the west by crossroads,
and az she reached this In her ride she
fell into their hands. A hut In the
woods, in which they were making
a temporary home, was close at hand,
and thither they conducted the fright
ened and lamentlng maiden, to shut
her up In the back room while they sat
down In the front one to eat, drink and
make merry over their plumber.
Flowing my way over the execrable
roads amid the downpour, my eye sud
denly caught the twinkle of light In
the forest, and ! dismounted and ap-
preached on foot. Through the open
windows heard the talk of men.
Passing to the rear OF the hut, drew
myself up to sashless opening and
softly called to know II any one was
t:sere.
THANK heaven, it's thee, Jeffry"
came the voice Of the Lady Betty In
prompt response. II am In the hands
Of highwaymen and almost dead with
fright. Hast thou sword and pistol
with thee. dear boyT
"In truth have. but as you have Oft