The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-07-09
Storyof Francis Cludde
A Romance Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY STANLEY ]. wEYMAN.
BY STANLEY J. WEYMAN.
xv-continued.

i want 10 SAVE youA m
AL that I started. i could not hell
.Hal Hal he laughed. Il though
the stoicism did not go quite down U
the bottom, my lad. But, there II u
true enough, l have come to help you
I have come to save your life II you
will let me"
I strove in vain to keep entire mas.
terry over myself. The feelings tt
which HI appealed were too strong To-
me. NY voice sounded strange, even u
my own ears, as / said hoarsely: IL
is impossible? What can you o d?
What can I do" he answered, witt
a stern smile. Much! / have, boy, 9
dozen strings in my hands and a neck
q life at the end of eachl"
He raised his hand. and extended the
! fingers moved them to n fro.
See! see! A life, a DEATH" he ex-
claimed. And for you I can n viii
save your life-one n condition"
"One one condition." l murmured.
AYE, one one condition, but 1t Is q
very easy one. / will save you ire on
my part, and yol on yours must give
me a little assistance. Do o see!
Then we shall be quits"
II do not understand" ] said duly
I did not. His words had set my heart
huttering so that / could for IN mo-
ment take In only one idea-that here
vas a new hope for life.
1T Is very simple" he resumed,
speaking slowly. Certain plans OF
mine require that l should get your
friend the duchess conveyed back to
| England. But for you ] should have
succeeded before this. In what you
have hindered me you can now help
me. You have their confidence and
great influence with them. All / ask
- AGAk -, I'LL .,zn khAA" fNHYHAnon On
that they may be at a certain place at
q certain hour. / will contrive the rest.
It shall never be known, / promise you,
that you
betrayed them!" (
well, gave me some information
he said lightly, putting away my
phrase. .
mo; betrayed them" / persisted.
Put 1t So, IL you please" he replied,
struggling his shoulders and raising his
! eyebrows. What is in a word?"
You are the tempter himself, ]
think" / cried in bitter rage--for II
was b~itter-bitter indeed to feel that
new born hope die out" But you come
to me in vain. / defy YOU"
Softly, softly" he answered, with
Yet l saw a little pulse beating in
his cheek that seemed to tell Of some
emotion kept in subsection.
1T frightens you at first" he said.
but listen. You will do them nc harm
and yourself good. I shall get them
anyway, both the duchess and her hus-
band, though, witbsut your aid, 1t will
be more difficult. Why, help Of that
kind is given every day. They need
know 1t. Even now there is one
of whom you little dream who has
- '
"Silencel" / cried fiercely. Il care
not. / defy you"
/ could think Of only one thing. ]
was wild with rage and disappoint-
ment. His words had aggravated the
pain of every regret. every clinging to
life / felt.
Co" | cried. Go and leave me,
you villain"
IF I do leave you,' he said, fixing
his eyes on me, ut will be, my friend,
to death" s
""Then so be it!" / answered wild
ly. 80 be it. l will keep my honor
"Your honor The mask dropped
from his face, and he sneered as he
rose from his seat A darker scowl
changed and disfigured his brow as
he lost hope of gaining me. Your
honor? Where will 1t be tonight? ?" he
Missed, his eyes glowering down at
me. Where a week hence, when you
will be cast into a, pit and forgotten?
Your honor, fool? What is the. honor
Of a dead man? Pahl But die, then,
IL you will have 1t sol! Die, like the
brainless brute you are, and rot and
be forgotten!" he concluded passion
ately.
They were terrible words, more ter
rible i know now than either he or ]
understood then. They so shook me
that when he was gone / crouched,
trembling, on my pallet hiding my
face in a fit of horror, taking no heed
of my jailers' or Of appearances. die
n be forgottenl Die and be forgot
ten!" The doom rang in my ears.
Something which seemed to me an
gelic reused me from this misery. II
was the sound of a kindly familiar
voice speaking English. I looked up
and found the Dutchman bending over
me with a face of infinite, distress. With
him, but rather behind him, stood Van
Tree, pale and vicious eyed, tugging
his scanty beard and gazing about him
like a dog seeking some one to fastsn
upon Poor lad. Poor lad" the old
man said, his voice shaking as he
looked at me. / sprang to. my feet
the irons rafting as I dashed my hand
across my eyes,. 1T is all right. ]
said hurriedly. IT had a-but meyer
mind that. It was like a dream. Only
tell the duchess to look to herself" ]
continued, still rather vehemently
SldICIICG 10 'AlCTS. I1c Is III SdTIOus i
have seer him."
you have seen him?" both the
Dutchmen cried at once. {.
AYE" / said, with a laugh that was
three parts Observation-Disclosures / was
still tingling. all over with excitement
"He has been here to offer me my life
IL I would help him in his schemes. ]
told him he was the tempter and de-
fed him, n he-he said / should die
and be forgotten" I added trembling
yet laughing wildly at the same time
II think he is the tempter," sai6
/ Master Lindstrom solemnly, his face
| very grim, ''and therefore: "a liar an6
the father of lies. You may die, lad
today--perhaps you must--but forgot.
ten o shall not be while we live. OF
n of US lives, or one of the children
who shall come otter us. He is a liar
L got my ffauds, with a struggle
from the. old man, and turning my
back upon him went and looked oui
of the window. The sun was rising
The tower of the great minister, seer
now for the first time, rose in stately
brightness above the red roofs anc
quaint gables. and the rows Of dorrnel
windows. Down in the streets the
grayness and chill yet fingered; blu
above was a very glory of light ant
warmth and color-the. rising OF thu
May sun. When / turned round, / wa.