Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-04-16
THE
Storyof Francis C1udde
ARomance Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY STANLEY J. wEYMAN.

SditI. Inc 1OE SWdIloWeu US up HulSh
us the bible say The very hull OF the
ship vanished from sight before we
hac gone half Il dozen PAGES. 1 had
seen a London fog before. and to
me 1t seemed p%ortentious and providen-
%tiai-a marvel as great as the crimson
hal! which fell In the London gardens
20 mark her majesty's accession.
Yet after all. without my happy
thought, the fog would have awaited us
little. We had scarcely gone a score
of yards before the cautious tread OF
several people Fastening down the
strand toward the wharf struck my
ear. They were proceeding in silence.
and we might not nave noticed their
approach if the foremost had not by
CHARGE tripped n fallen. ~whereupon
one laughed and another swore. With
a warning hand 1 grasped my compan-
ions arms and hurried them forward
some PAGES until l felt sure that our
figures could not be seen through the
mist. Then / halted, and we stood lis
tening. gazing into one a%nother's
strained eyes. while the step came near
err and nearer, crossed our tract and
then With a noisy rush thundered on
the wooden raft. My ear caught the
jingle OF harness inc clank of weapons.
1T ia my atch,'' 1 muttered. Come,
and make no noise. What 1 want is a
little this way. l fancy l saw it as
we passed down the wharf"
They turned with me, but we had not
taken many steps before Mistress
Anne, who was walking on my left
side. stumbled over something. She
tried to save herself, but failed, and fell
heavily. uttering as h did SO a loud
cry. l sprang to her assistance. and
even before l raised her l laid my hand
lightly on her mouth. Hush" l said
softly. For safety's sake, make no
noise. What is the matter?"
"Oh she moaned. making nc effort
TO rise. my ankle. my ankle. l am
sure / have broken it,"
[ muttered my dismay. While Mistress
Bertram. STOPPING %anXiously, examined
the injured limb. Can you stand?"
she asked.
But it was no time for questioning,
and l put her aside. The troop which
had passed were within easy hearing,
and If there should be one among them
familiar with the girls voice we might
be bounced upon, fog or no fog. l felt
that 1t was no time for and
picked Mistress Anne up in my arms,
whispering to the elder woman: Go
on ahead! I think I see the boat. 1t is
straight before YOU"
Luckily l was right. 1t was the boat.
and SO far we'll. But at the /
spoke ! heard a sudden outcry behind
us and knew the hunt was up. I
plunged forward with my burden. reck-
lessly n blindly, through mud and
over obstacles. The ferry for which 1
making was moored in the water a
Few feet from. the edge. I had remarked
II idiy n without purpose as we ann
down TO the wharf and had ever no.
t1ced that the oars were lying in it.
Now. II we could reach it and start
down the river for Leigh, we might by
possibility gain that place and meet
Mistress Bertram's husband.
AT any rate. nothing in the world
semed so desirable to me at the mo-
ment as the shelter of that boat. I
plunged through the mud and waded
desperately through the water TO it,
.Mlstress Bertram scarce a whit behind
me. l reached 1t. out reached it only
as the foremost pursuer caught sight
OF us. 1 heard his shout Of triumph.
n somehow l bundled my burden into
the boat. 1 remember that she chung
o my neck in fear, and l had to
loosen her hands roughly. But / did
loosen them-in time. With one stroke
OF my hunting knife I severed the rope
and pushing off the boat with all nv
sprang into 1t as it loated
away and was in time. But one Sec
ond's delay would have undone us.
Two men were already in the water up
to their knees. and their very breath
was hot on my face as we swung out
into the stream.
Fortunately I had had experience of
a on h Avon. at Bedford. and
stratford. and could pull a good oar.
for q mt indeed the wherry rolled
and dipped as I snatched up the SOULS.
put quickly got her in hand. and
pending to my work sent her spinning
through the mist, every stroke / pulled
increasing the distance between us and
our now unseen foes. Happily we were
below London bridge and had not that
dangerous passage to make. The river,
100. was nearly clear OF craft. and
though once and again in the pool a
huge hulk doomed suddenly across u
bows and then faded behind US into
tne mist like sOme mOnstrOuS phantom
n so told Of q danger narrowly es.
capped. I thought 1t best to run ali risks
ana go ahead as long as the tide should
1t was strange how suddenly we had
passed from storm into calm. Mistress
9 bound her ankle with a hand
kerchief and bravely made light of the
nurt. and now the two women sat
crouching In the stern WATCHING
their heads together! their
faces pale. The mist had closed round
US. ana we were alone again. gliding
over the bosom of the great river
that runs down to the sea. I was oddly
struck by the strange current Of life
which for a week had tossed me from
one adventure to another, only to bring
me into contact at length with these
two and sweep me into an unknown
whirlpool Of their fortunes.
Who were they? A merchants wife
n her sister flying from Bishop Bon-
ner's inautsition? I thought It likely.
Their cloaks and hoods indeed. and ali
that I could see Of their clothes. fall
below such a condition.. but probably
they were worn as b disguise. Their
speech rose 10 much above It. but I
knew that OF late many merchants'
wives had become scholars and miRht
pass In noblemen's houseS Even as in
those days when London waxed fat and
set up n threw down gOyernments
AHAHY aldaennn q had oomo