Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-02-29
THE
Story of Francis C1udde
A Romance of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY STANLEY J. wEYMAN.
BY STANLEY J. wEYMAN,

] OlHef ana more private door.
/ | reached the anteChamber with a
! stout heart in my breast, though "A lit
tie subered by my summons, and feel
ing such reaction from the heat OF
a few minutes before as follows a
| plunge into cold water. In the ante
! room / was hidden To wait while the
great mans viii was taken, which
seemed strange 70 me, then unused to
I the mummery Of court folk But be-
/ fore / had time 10 feel much surprise
the inner door was opened, ana / was
/ told To- enter.
! The great room, which I had seldom
seen in use. had now an appearance
/ quite new TO me. A dun red fire was
glowing comfortably on the hearth
stone. before which a posset stool was
standing. Near this seated at a table
strewn with profusion of papers and
documents, was a secretary writing
! busily The great oaken bedstead, with
! Its nodding tester, lay in a background
| OF shadows, which played about the
hgures broidered Oh the hangings or
were lost In the darkness OF the cor
ners, while near the fire. in the light
cast by the sconCes fixed above the
| hearth, lay part of the Chancellors S
equipment. The fur rugs and cloak
Of sable the saddle bags the dispatch
boxes and the silver chafing dish gave
/ an air OF comfort TO this part OF the
If' '|''NiHs az anu do"H III bne
midst OF these, debating a sentence at
every other turn was Stephen Gardi-
I uer.
As I entered the clerk looked up.
hoIdlhS ms pen suspended. His mas
/ ter by a quick nod, ordered him TO
proceed Ihen, signaling 10 me in a
my N.Sht Idsuloh ms command that
should stand by ihe hearth, the bishop
resumed his task of composition.
/ For some minutes my {rra~r,-t T., ~,
/ man whom had now an opportunity
o. SCI uuhlIlhS unmarked and at my
leisure TOOK up all my attention He
was al TINS time close on 20, but looked
/ oelnS stlll tail ana stout. fun 10 years
Younger His face, square and sallow
vas indeed WrlnkIed and lined; his
Z eyes lay deep in his head. his should
ers were beginning TO bend. the nape
/ OF ms neck to become prominent He
had lost am inch OF his full height But
ms eyes still shone brightly, nor did
any trace Of weakness mar the stern
/ wisdom OF his brow. The face was tha
race OF a man austere, determined per
I maps cruel; of a man who could both
thIuh and act
MY curiosity somewhat satisfied /
| had leisure first TO wonder why | had
/ been sent for and then to admire the
prodlgious number Of books and papers
winch lay about, more indeed than |
| had ever seen together i'm my life
From this l passed to listening. idlv
at hrst and with interest afterward TO
the letter which the chancellor was
debating. 1t seemed from its tenor
TO be letter to some person in au-
thority, and presently one passage at
1 tracted my attention, so that | could
atterWard recall it word for word
Il do not think" the cbancaIIo, ,,.,
nounced, speaking i'm a sonorous ,ioioa
and the measured tone of one wbose
thoughts lie perfactI,y arra re,,5 ~, mlpSe INIe
head, that the Duchess Kat5er,na in ,i.nI liiI
venture TO take the stem sugeasted as,
possible Yet Clarence's renoTt mo-, a.
of moment. Let the bonsa tbarcSe..', De
be watched If ANYTHING savoring as
flight be marked and tal,a 9o.,a+
whether there be a vessel i'm tho r'noI
adapted to her purpose A vessel to- puJ'
ing TO Dunuueroue would he 80,
likely. Leave her husband I'm ra
turn. when | will deal with hin, rc,,rJ
ly"
/ missed what followed II ,ac
upon another subject. and NV tbougbts
Jagged behind. being whoIlv +aiCare 80 10
with the Duchess Katherine ara ha,
fortunes | wondered who sbr - ,lei
young or old and what This etan o",1I5
be she was said to mediate ana ~
the jargon about the nooI ard ~ n,,.l " nna'
~ ,nFf.
of this when | was aroused h,,
abrupt silence. and hooking M fo,,.i5
that the chancellor was bendino, 49,,
the papers on the table Tba sa,,'
tarv was leaving tho room,
AS the door closed behind hin, cad,
ner rose from his stooping nost,,rn a1II
came slowly toward me . ron ~ ,o,,i,,.' ,,,r.
i'm his hand. Nov" he eaid 49,
quilly. seating himself in an aIboyv cb.,t.
which stood in front of tba baa,.tL .,I
will dispose of yoIr business NTastoI.
Cludde."
He paused looking NJ mo in .
shrewd masferfnI wsv n,,,nb
| thought at the time 1ittIa l,nouiire,
how near the truth nv fancy wenti
were a beast he was about TO huv
and then he went on II have sent
for YOU. Master F-ancis F." ne said drI,N
ly. fixing his piercine eves ON mipe
because | think that This countrv does
but you conform with q had grare ana
England is no longer the nIace for
such. You incite tLe commonaltv
against the oueen's allies and Eng,
land is not the MACE for s,,cb no net
contradict me I have heard Won NV
self. Then" he continued primiv
thrusting out his law in a sour smile
you misname those whom the oueen
honors, and were DIR. Stephens-volI
take me. Master Malanert 9-sucb a
man as his predecessors Won would rue
the word. For a tr!he scarce weiphtier
Wolsey threw a man to rot six wears in
a dungeon, boy!"
/ changed color. vet not so much in
fear-though il were vain to sav I aid
not tremble-as i'm confusion had
called him DR.. stephens indeed but
il had been to PetronilIa only stood
not knowing what to saw until he after
lingering on his last words to enjoy
my misery. resumed his subject "That
is one good and sufficient reason
mind you, sufficient. boy-why Eng
land is no place for YOU. For another.
the Cluddes have always been soldiers.
and you, though reader witted than
some. which comes of your Spanish
grandmother, are quicker with
a word than thought, and
a blow than either. OF which
afterward Well. England is GO
ing TO be no place for soldiers Please
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