Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-07-25

conjunction perhaps with some remoter
and darker plan for eventually devoting
the Cludde property to the church.
Such an act of piety would have been
his daughter unmarried, and would GER
tainly have earned for the chancellor
Queen Mary's lasting favor. / think It
the more likely to have been in his
mind because his inability to persuade
King Harry had much enriched us
was always a sore point with the queen
and more than once exposed him to her
resentment
"The strangest thing Of ALL" the
duchess continued, with alacrity,
seems to me to be this-that If he had
not meddled with you he would not
have had his plans in regard to us
thwarted. If he had not driven you
from home. you would never have
helped me to escape from London nor
been with US to foil his agents."
"A higher power than the chancellor
arranged that" said Master Bertie,
empha tically.
We'll, at any rate. am glad that
you are you." the duchess answered,
rising gayly. "A Cludde? Why, one
feels at home again. and yet," she con-
tinued, her lips trembling suddenly and
her eyes filling with tears as she looked
at me. there was never house raised
Go. go. go!" cried her husband, see
ing my embarrassment. go and look
to that foolish girl"
II will! Yet stop!" cried my lady,
pausing when she was half way across
the floor, and returning, II was forget
ting that I have another letter to open
1t is very odd that this letter was never
opened before" she continued, produc-
ing that which had lain in my haver-
sack "Tf has had
capes. But this time vow l will see
inside 1t. You give me leave?"
"Oh, yes" 1 said, smiling. IT wash
my hands of It. Whoever the Mistress
Clarence. to whom it is addressed may
be, it is enough that her name is Clar-
ence! We have suffered too much at
his hands"
II open it, then" my lady cried dra-
matically. l nodded. She took her hus-
bands dagger and cut the green silk
which bound the packet and opened
and read.
Only few words. Then she stopped
and, looking off the paper, shivered Il
do not understand this" she murmured.
What does 1t mean?"
mo good. I'll be sworn!" Master
BERTHE replied. gazing at her eagerly.
Read II aloud, Katherine"
ITO Mistress A b. I am ad-
vertised by my trusty agent, Master
Clarence, that he hath benefited much
by your aid in the matter in which l
have employed him. Such service goeth
always for much. and never for naught,
with me- In which belief confirm your
self. For the present, working with
him as heretofore. be secret, and on no
account let your true sentiments come
to light. So you will be the more valu-
able to me, even as II Is more easy to
unfasten a barred door from within
than from without"
Here the duchess broke off abruptly
and turned on us a face full OF wonder.
What does it mean?" she asked.
rs that all?" her husband said.
Not quite" she answered, returning
to IT and reading:
Those whom you have hitherto
served have too long made a mockery
OF sacred things, but their cup Is full,
and the business of seeing that they
drink II lieth with me. who am not
wont to be slothful in these matters.
Be faithful and secret. Good speed and
fare you we'll Ste Winton.'"
"One thing is quite clear" said Mas
ter Berthe, slowly. That you and l
are the persons whose cup is full. You
remember how you once dressed up a
dog in a rochet and dandled IT before
Gardiner? And it is our matter in
which Clarence is employed. Then who
IS 1t who has been cooperating with
him, and whose aid is Of so much value
to him."
Even as it is easier'" muttered
thoughtfully, Ito unfasten a barred
door from within than from without "
What was it of which that strange SEN
tence reminded me? Ha. l had 1t. OF
the night on which we had fled from
Master Lindstroms house, when Mis-
tress Anne had been seized with that
odd fit OF perverseness and had almost
opened the door looking upon the river
in spite of all could say or do. 1t was
of that the sentence reminded me- ITO
whom is it addressed?" l asked abrupt
ITO Mistress Clarence" my lady an
swered.
"No-inside, I mean"
"Oh to Mistress A b But
that gives us no clew," she added. 1T
is a disguise. You see. they are the
two first letters of the alphabet"
So they were. and the initial
dered that the duchess did not
see It; that she did not at once
turn her suspicious toward the right
quarter. But she was, for a woman
singularly truthful and confiding, and
she saw nothing.
l looked at Master BERTHE. He seemed
puzzled discerning, | fancy, how
strangely the allusions pointed to Mis-.
tress Anne, but not daring at once tC
draw the inference. She was his wife's
kinswoman by marriage. albeit a dis.
tant one, and much indebted to her
She had been almost as his own sister
She was young and fair, and to asso
Ciate treachcry and ingratitude such as
this with her seemed almost too hor.
rible
Then why was l so clear sighted as
to read the riddle? Why was l the
first to see the truth? Because l had
distrust. of the girl. I had seen more
of her odd fits and caprices than had
the others. Looking back now, / could
find confirmation of my idea in a
dozen things which had befallen US
l remembered how i'll and stricken she
| had looked on the day when l haG
| first brought out the letter, and how
strangely she had talked to me about 1t
l remembered Clarence's interview
with Dymphna, as had then thought
! but. as l now guessed, Anne. wearing
her cloak. l recalled the manner II
which she had used me to persuade
| Master BERTHE to take the Wesel in
stead of the Santon road. No doubt SHE
had told Clarence to follow in that di
rection, If by any chance we escaped
| him on the island. And her despair
when she heard in the church porci
that had killed Clarence at the ford
And her utter abandonment to fear
poor guilty thing-when she though
| that all her devices had only led he
with us to a dreadful death! Thes'
things, in the light in which I nov
viewed them, were cogent evidences
| against her.
1T must have been written to som,
one about u.s." said the duchess a
length. ITO some one in our conf
dence. ON our side Of the door, as h,
calls it,
| Yes; that is certain" said.
| "And on the wrapper he styles he
| Mistress Clarence. Now, who
who could 1t have been? That 4
| the question we have to answer" Mas
ter BERTHE replied dryly. Hearing hi
voice, knew he had come at last t
the same conclusion to which 1 hat
| ,,,,,, Nt,lr ice n