The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-07-02
Storyof Francis Cludde
"A Romance Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY NM J. WEYMAN
BY STANLEY J. WEYMAN.

NAAS $500
struck the blow must be given up"
1.-THE man who struck the blow" !
repeated slowly. DO you mean--you
mean the man who cut the patrol
down? ?"
yes" he said. He was peering very
closely at me, as though he would learn
from my face who 1T a And ! stood
thinking. This was as much as we
could expect. l OWNED, and most truly.
but for the honest Dutchman'S IN
~fluence, promises. perhaps brides, SUCH
terms would never have been offered
to us by the men who, hours before,
had driven us to hold as If we had
been vermin. Yet give up Master Ber-
tie? what" / said, will be done to
him The mar who must be given up,
/ mean?" Master Lindstrom shook his
head. ut vas ar accident" / urged,
my eyes on his.
He grasped my hand firmly, and
turning ava his face seemed for
awhile unable to speak. At last he
whispered: HE must suffer for the
others, lad. / fear so. 1t is a hard
fate, q cruel fate. But / "a do no
more. They will not hear me on this.
1t is true he will be first tried by the
magistrate. but there is no hope. They
are very hard"
My heart sank. / stood irresolute,
bordering on what we ought to do,
VII Ito Il oALpulu 80 iAS
wife who so loved the man who must
die. What could l say? Yet somehow
/ must break the news. / asked Master
Lindstrom to wait where he was while
l consulted the others, adding, YOU
will answer for 1t that there will be no
attack while you are here, l suppose?"
81 will" he said, i knew / could trust
him, and / went in to the duchess. clos
ing the door behind me. A change had
mama pyar fhn rpnnn since II had 1nff n
The moon had risen and vas finging
its cold white light through the twisted
and shattered framework of h win
dow to fall In three bright panels on
the floor. The torches in the street had
for he most part burned out or been
eXtinguished. In place of h red glare,
the shouts and the crash of glass, the
atmosphere of battle and strife / had
left, I found this silvery light and a
stiffness made more apparent by the
distant hum OF many voices.
Mistress Anne vas standing just
within the threshold, her face showing
pale against the gloom, her hands
clasped. The duchess was kneeling by
her husband, but she looked up as !
entered.
They will let us all 60" I said blunt
ly--it was the best to tell the tale at
once-"except the one who hurt the
patrol, that is"
1t was strange how differently the
two women received the news. While
Mistress Anne flung her hands ito her
face with a sobbing cry of thankful
ness and leaned against the wall cry
ing and shaking, my lady stood up
straight and still, breathing hard, but
saying nothing. ] saw that she did
not need to ask what would be done to
the n who was excepted. She knew,
NO." she murmured at last, her hands
pressed to her bosom, I'VE cannot do
it,"
II fear we must" I said gently, calm
ly, too, / think. Yet in saying 1t / was
not quite myself. An odd sensation
was growing upon me in the stiffness
Of the room. / began on q sudden, ]
did not know why, to thrill with ex-
element, to tremble with nervousness,
such as would rather nave become one
of the women than a My head
grew hot, my heart began to beat
quickly. / caught myself looking out,
listening, waiting for something to
happen, something to be said. II was
something more terrible, as it seemed
to me, than the din and crash of the
worst moments of the assault. What
was it? What was 1t that was threat
ening my being? An instant and ]
knew.
ooh, no, never!" cried the duchess
again, her voice quivering, her face full
Of keenest pain. I'VE will not give
you up. We will stand or fall togeth-
er, friend"
Give you up! Give you up! Ha! The
veil was lifted now, and / saw what the
something with tho cold breath goine
before 1t was. I looked quietly from
her to her husband, and / asked
fancy she thought my question strange
lly irrelevent at that moment: How
lis re? Is he better?"
Much better. He knew me for 9
moment" she answered. "Then hi
seemed to sink away again, but his eye:
were quite clear"
stood gazing down at his thin face
which had ever looked so kindly int
mine. My fingers played idly with the
knot Of my sword. "He will liver
asked abruptly, harshly. 2
She started at the sudden question
but, brutal as 1t u have sounded, sh,
was looking at me in pity so great anC
generous that it did not wound her
"Oh, yes" she said, her yes still cling
ing to me. II think lie will live, thanl
heavenl" f
Thank heaven! All, yes, thanl
heaven!
turned and went slowly toward tn,
door, but before / reached II she wa
at my side-nay, was on her knees b.
me-clasping my hand, looking up t,
me with streaming eyes. What ar,
you going to do?" she cried. reading,
suppose, something in my face.
81 will see IL Master Lindstrom can
not get better terms for u.s." / an
swered.
She rose, still OBTAINING me. "Yol
are sure?" she said, still eying m
jealousy.
quite sure" I answered, forcing
smile. Il win come back and report t
! you"
She let me go then, and / went on
and Joined Lindstrom on the staircase
Are you certain" ] asked, speaking
| in a whisper, that they win: that tn
| town will keep its word and let the 9th
, ers go?"
az am quite sure OF it." he replied
nodding. "They are Germans, an
hard and pitiless, but you may trus
them. So far / will answer for them.
= Then we accept" / said gravely. "
give myself up. Let them take me-"
s CHAPTER XIV.
" 1 had not seen the first moonbeam
pierce the broken casemen of the towe
4 room, but i was there to watch the las
tiny patch of silver glide aslant froT