Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-04-09
THE
Storyof Francis Cludde
A Romance Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY sTANlEY J. WEYMAN.
BY STANLEY J. WEYMAN.

Of sear which rang round the empty
court-and by a rapid blow. despair
gt.ins him courage, be dashed the
hunting knife from my hand. This
done. he frst flung himself on me.
then '-ied by a sudden jerk 10 free
himself. In a moment We were down
On the stones and tunbiinG owe one
another IN the dir. while he struggled
20 reach his knife. which was still in
his girdle. and I strove TO prevent him.
The light vas sharp. but 1t lasted bare
" a minute. Whaa the 1rst effort OF
his despair was spent. l came upper
most. and he was but a child in my
hands. Presently with my knee on
his chest. l looked up. The women
were still there. TNe younge clinging
% the other.
Co Cot" cried inpatiently. Each
second l expected the court TO be in
vadei. for The man had screamed more
than once
BIT they aesitated had been forced
% hurt him 4 little. and he was oan
iag piteously. Who are YOU" the ED
er woman asked. SHE who had spoken
Al. through.
Nay. never mind that" answered
Know the way 10 TIE wharf
Yes she answered. But I ann
90 ard leave him a. your mercy. Re
oer ne ts a man ard has
He ia a treacherous ~scoundrel," Y
answered. giving his throat a squeeze,
but he shat, have one more chance.
Listen. s!rrah.,. / continued 10 the man.
ard stop that noise. or / will knock
OFT your teeth with NY dagger hilt.
Listen and be silent. I shall go with
these aides. ard I promise this-if they
are stopped or hiade-ed on rhei way.
or II EVIL happens 10 them at that
wharf,. whose name YOU had better for
yet. it vii. be the worse for you. Do
D hear You viii suffer for il.
though there may De- a dozen guards
about YOU. Mind you" l added. I
nave nothing 20 lose myself. for l am
desperate already"
He vowed, the poo craven. with his
suffering tonsue. that he would be
: and vowed It again and again.
Sut | saw that his eyes did not meet
mine. They glanced instead at the
Knife blade. and / knew even while /
pretended ID trust him that he would
oet-ay US. My real hope lay in his
fears ana in this-that as the fugitives
knew the way ID the wharf, and It
could not TOW BE- far distant. we might
!eaca K and &c on board some vessel
l had gathered they were fleeing from
The country-oefore this wretch could
recover himself and get together a force
10 stop Is Thar was my real hope,
arc IN That hope only l left him.
We went as fast as the women could
walk. | did Z o trouble them with cues
ions Indeed I had myself no more
leisure than enables ne to notice their
general appearance. which was that of
comfortable ,-adescaen's women folk.
Their cIoaks ard hoods were plainly
Fashioned n Of coarse stuff. their
shoes we're thick and 10 jewel or scrap
Of Lace peep.ng out betrayed them.
YET there was something in their car
rage thai could Tot be hidden. some
thing. which 10 my Eye. told tales. SO
that minute by minute | became more
sure -ha this vas really an adven-
lure worth pursuing. and that London
aad kept n reward IN store for me be-
sides It's cold stones and inhospi,able
streets.
The city vas beginning 10 rouse itself.
AS we fitted through the lanes and
alleys which lie bet weea Cheapside and
the river we net many people, chiefly
OF ne lower classes. on their way to
york Yet IT spite Of this we had no
iced % fear observation. for. though
me morning was fully come. with the
light had arrived such a thick, choking.
yellow fog as I. oe.ug for the most
part. country bred. had never exper-
teHced- L @as 40 dense and binding
-hat We had difficulty in keeping to-
se-her and even hand IL hand could
scarcely see n another. In my Won
Ger Tow ny companions found their
THt 4 fi--l-AS 1GiseQ 10 IOllCS CNo1Y
condition and only remarked the dis
trsss and exhaustion which one OF them
ras suffering when she began, notwtth-
standing all her efforts. to lag behind.
Then l sprang forward. blaming my
sell much Forgive me-" ! said You
are tired AID 20 wonder. LIE, me carry
the child. mistress"
Exhausted az she was, she drew
away from me jealousy.
10" she panied. W are nearly
there. l an better now" And she
strained the child closer TO her, as
though she feared I might take 1t from
! her by force.
s1ered. LET your friend carry it for a
time. / can see you are tired out"
icrouga TIE mist she BEN forward
and pesred into my face lei eyes
scarcely a FOOT from mine. The scrur-
my seemed to satisfy her III drew a
iocg breath and neld out her burden.
No" she said. You shall lake him.
1 viii trust you.
l took h little wrapped up thing AZ
gently AZ / could. You shall not re-
pert II Il I can help it. Mistress
Berrasn." she said.
Mistress Bertram."I repeated Now
let US get Dc and lose no time
A walk Of a hundred yards or SO
ns clear OF the houses and re-
yealed before us. IN place OF all else.
q yellow curtain Of fog. Below this
AZ our rect. yet apparently a long way
from rs. was a strange. pale lire OF
sh.mmering light. which they told ma
was the water At first I could hardly
believe this. But, pausing a moment
J while my companions whispered to-
getnef. dull creakings and groanines
Inc uncouth shouts ana cries. and al
last the regular beat Of oars. came ia
my ears out Of the bank OF vapor and
convinced me that We really had the
river before N.
Mistress Bertram turned to ma