The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-06-19
Storyof Francis Cludde
Romance of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY STANLEY J. WEYMAN.
BY STANLEY ]. WEYMAN.

Do not say eiihl 20 the lad. ~ is I'M
lucky. But do you think" he continued
the porcl: was in darkness, and We
could scarcely make out one a%nother's
faces--"that there is n further
chance of p%ursult?"
Not by that party tonight" said
grlmly. Nor I think tomorrow"
Good" he answered, for can see
nothing but water ahead. and 1t would
be madness to go on by night without
a guide. We stay here until
morning. whatever the risk"
He spoke gloomiiy, and with reason.
our position was u miserable. almost
q desperate one. even on the SUPPOSE
ton that pursuit had ceased. We had
lost all our baggage, food, wraps. We
q no guides, and we were in the
midst OF a flooded country. with two
tender women n a baby. our only
shelter the porch OF Gods house. Mis-
tress Anne, who was crouching in the
darkest corner next the church.
seemed to have collapsed entirely.
remembered afterward that I did not
once hear her speak that night. The
duchess tried to maintain our spirits
and. her own. but in the face OF cold,
damp and hunger she could do little.
Master Berthe and / took it by turns
to keep q kind Of watch, but by morn
lng-it was a long night, and a bitter
one-we were worn out and slept de-
spite our misery. We hould have beer
~AAA SGARlAkCu Llltou d DlOW
II the enemy had come upon us then.
l awoke with a start to inc the gray
light OF q raw. misty morning falling
upon n showing up our wretched
group. The duchess head was hidden
In her cloak. her husbands had sunk
on his breast, but Mistress Anne-I
looked at her nj %shuddcred. Had she
sat SO all uight-sat staring with that
story face OF pain and those fearless
eyes on the moonlight. IN the darkness
which had been before the dawn, on
the cold fine rays of morning? Stared
on all alike and seen none? shud-
dered and peered at her alarmed,
doubtful, wondering. asking myself
what this was that had happened to
her. Had fear and cold killed her or
turned her brain? "Annc!" 1 said
timidly. "-Anne!"
She did not answer nor turn, nor did
the fixed gaze of her eyes waver.
hought h did not hear. Camel" l
cried again, so loudly that the duchess
stirred n muttered something in her
sleep. But h girl showed no sign of
Consciousness I put out my hand and
touched her. ~
She turned sharply and saw me and in
an instant drew her skirt away with a
gesture OF such dread. loathing repulsion
as Iroze me. while a violent shudder
she seemed unable to- withdraw her
eyes from me. but sat in the same at
titude, gazing at me with a fixed look
OF horror. as one might gaze at a SER
pent. while tremor after tremor shook
her. NV
I was frightened and puzzled and
was stin staring at her, wondering
what l bad done, when a footstep on
the road outside called away my at
tention. ! turned from her to see a
doorway. He looked at us-1 uppose
he had found the horses outside-saz-
Ing In surprise at the queer group. I
babe him good morning in Dutch, and
he answered as we'll as his astonish-
ment would let him. He was a short,
of expressing a good deal Of astonish-
ment. He seemed to be a peasant or
farmer. What do o here?" he con-
tined, his cultural phrases tolerably
intelligent to me.
explained as clearly as could
tnat we were on the way to Vessel.
Then l awoke the duchess and her
husband. and stretching our chilled
and aching limbs we went outside, the
man still gazing at US. Alas! the day
was not much better than the night.
We could see but a very little way. a
couple of hundred yards round US
only. The rest was mist-all mist. We
appealed to the man for food and
shelter. and he nodded, and obeying
ms signs rather than his words we
NASEASo ~ OAA SldIVSd beasts and
plodded out into the fog by his side.
Anne mounted silently and without OBJ
lection, but 1t was plain something
strange had happened to her. Her con-
dition was unnatural. The duchess
gazed at her very anxiously, and get
ting no answers or very scanty ones
to her questions shook her head grave
ly.
But we were on the verge of n
pleasure at least. When we reached
the hospitable Kitchen of the farm
house. it was joy indeed to stand be-
fore h great turf. fire and feel the
heat stealing into our half frozen
bodies, to turn and warm back and
front. while the good wife set bread
and hot milk before US. How differ
entity we three felt in half an hour.
How the duchess yes shone once
more. How easily rose the laugh to
u lips. Joy had indeed come with
the morning. To be warm and dry and
we'll fed after being cold and wet and
hungry-what a thing this Is.
But on n neither food nor warmth
seemed to have any effect. Mistress
Anne did indeed. in obedience to nv
ladys sharp words raise her bowl to
her lips. but she set it down quickly
and sat looking in dull apathy at the
glowing peat. What had come over
her?
Master Berthe went out with the
farmer to attend to the horses, and
when he came back he had news.
There is a lad here he said in
some excitement, who has just seen
three foreigners ride past on the road.
along with two Germans on pack
horses-fve In all. They must be three
of the party who followed us yester-
day"
/ whistled. ."Then Clarence got him
self out" I said. struggling my shoul-
ders. Well: Welt"
Il expect that is So" Master Berthe
answered the duchess remaining ST.
lent. The question arises again. What
is to be done?" he continued. I'VE may
follow them to Vessel. but the good
man says the floods are deep between
here and the town. and we sha have
Clarence n his party before us all
the way-shall perhaps run straight
into their arms"
But what else can we do?" 1 said.
1T is impossible to go back"
We held n long conference, and by
much questioning OF our host learned
that half a league away was n ferry
boat. which could carry as many as
two horses yer the river at a time.
On the farther side we might hit a
road leading to Santon. three leagues
distant. Should we go to Santon after
all? The farmer thought the roads on
that side Of the river might not be
flooded. We should then he in Touch