Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-07-17
Storyof Francis C1udde
Romance Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY STANLEY J. wEYMAN.

/ cried In impatient wonder.
"Oh, my lad, my lad!" Master Lind
strom answered, his face close to mine
and the. tears running down his cheeks.
1T is cruel If ii be not true! Cruel!
They cry a pardon!"
IA pardon?" / echoed.
AYE, lad, a pardon. But 1t may not
be true" he said, putting his arm
about my shoulder. Do not make too
sure of 1t. IL Is only the mob cry ii
out"
My heart made a great bound and
seemed To stand still. There was a
loud surging In my brain, and a mist
rose before my eyes and hid every
thing. The clamor and shouting OF the
street passed away and sounded vague
and distant. The next instant, il is
true, 4 was myself again, but my
knees We're trembling under me, and /
stood iaccid and unneryed, leaning on
my friend.
WELL / said, family.
"Patience! Patience awhile lad!" ne
answered.
But, thank heaven, had not long
10 wait. The words were scarcely off
MS tongue when another hand sought
mine and shook IL wildly, and l saw
"a Tree before me, his face radical
with JOY. while a man whom he had
Knocked down in his hastily leap from
the scaffold vas rising beside me with
q good natured smile. AS If at a sig
mai every face now turned toward me.
A dozen friendly hands passed me up
the steps amid a fresh outburst of
cheering. The throng on the scaffold
opened somehow, and | found myself
In q second, as II seemed, face TO face
with the president OF the court. He
smiled on me gravely and kindly
what smiles there seemed to be on all
those faces-and held out a paper.
In the name of the duke" he said,
in Spanish in a clear, loud
voice. "A pardon!"
l muttered something. | know not
what, nor did II matter, for II was lost
In a burst OF cheering. When this was
over n silence obtained, the maqis-
trate continued: You are renuired
however. to attend the duke at the
our house, whittier we had better
proceed at once"
Il am ready, SIR" / muttered.
= road was made for us to descend.
and walking I'm q kind of beautiful
dream | passed slowly up the street bv
the side of the magistrate. the crowd
willingly standing aside for us. do
not know whether all OF those thou
SANDS or faces really looked ioyfully
ana kindly on me as / passed or
whether the deep thankfulness which
choKen me and brought the tears con-
tlnualy 10 my eyes TRANSPORTED them
ana wave them a generous charm not
their own. But this | do know-that
the sunshine seemed brighter and the
air softer than ever before; that the
CLOUDS trailing across the blue expanse
We're Things of beauty which / had
never met before; hat to draw breath
was a JOY and to move delight. and
that only when the dark valley was
left behind did / comprehend its f,IlI
gioom-by heavens mercy. So may il
be with all.
At the door OF the court house
with numbers of the people had al
ready run, the press was so great that
we came to n standstill and were much
Duf1eted about, though in all good hui
NOR Defore, even with the aid OF the
soldiers, we could be got through the
throng. When / at last emerged |
found myself again before the table.
and saw, but only dimly, for the light
now iell throuh the stained window
directly on my head, a commanding
ngure standing behind 1t. Then a
strange thing happened. A woman
passed swiftly round the table and
came 70 me and flung her arms round
my neck n kissed ME. Ii was the
duchess. and for a moment she hung
upon me, weeping before them all.
Madam, l said, softly, then IL Is
YOU who have lone this!"
All, h exclaimed. holding me off
from her n looking at me with eyes
which glowed through her tears. and
IL was o who did that"
she drew hack from ne then ami
took me by the hand and turned i'm
petuousiy to the duke of CIeyes
who stood behind smiling at her
IN frank amazement. This" she
said, is h man who gave
ms ire Tor my husband, and to whom
your highness has given it back"
Let him tell his tale the duke an
swered. sravely. And do you. my
cousin, sit here beside me-
2 ieft me and walked round the
taple, and ne came forward and placed
her In his w chair amid a great hush
OF wonder, for she was still meanly clad
2 showed In a hundred places the
marks and stains or travel. Then he
stood by her with his hand on the back
OF the seal. He was a tall. burly man,
with bold, quick CHANGING eyes. q
flushed face and a loud manner-a
fierce, blusterous prince. as / have
heard. He was plainly dressed in d
leather hunting suit and wore huge
gauntlets and brown boots. with q
broad leayed hat pinned UP on one side.
yet he looked a prince.
Somehow ! starmered out the tale of
the surrender.
but why. why. why, man." he asked.
when | had finished, why did you let
them think IL was you who wounded
the burgaer. II IL was ot?"
Your highness," / answered, II had
received nothing but good from her
grace. ] had eaten her bread and been
received into her service. Besides II
was through my persuasion that we
came by the road which led to this ms
fortune instead Of by another way.
Therefore IL seemed to me right that I
should suffer, who stood alone and
could be spared. and not her husband"
1T was IA great decd" cried the
prince loudly. II would I had such a
servant, Are you noble. lad?"
/ coiored high. but not In pain or NOR
tincation. The old wound might re-
open, but amid events such as those Of
this morning II was q slight matter.
II toa.e OF a noble family, may 1t please
your highness," ! answered modestly,
but circumstances prevent me claim
ing kinship with &"
He was about, / think, to question me
further when the duchess looked up and
| said something TO Elm. and he some
| thing to her. She spoke again, and he
| answered. Then he nodded assent.
You would fam stand on your own
| feet?'' he cried to me. rs that SOL"
"It Is. sire, r answered.
Then so be IT, he replied. loudly,
looking round pm b throng with q
| frown. II will ennoble you. You would
have died for your lord and friend, and