The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-04-23

a little homesick. And I sought leave
to retire early.
You are right" said the duchess.
rising g~raciously. Tonight, after be-
ing out in the air, you will sleep sound
ly, and tomorrow you will be a new
man." with a faint smile. Believe me,
I am not ungrateful, Master Francis,
and I win diligently seek occasion to
repay both your gallant defense OF the
other day and your future service" She
gave me her hand to kiss, and ! bent
over 1t. now. she continued, do.
homage to my baby, and then l shall
consider that you are really oae OF US
and pledged to our cause" "T9~~+r
/ kissed the tiny fist held out to me,
a soft pink thing looking like some
dainty seashell. Master BERTHE cordially
grasped my hand And 80 under the
oil lamp In the e cabin of hat old
Dutch boat, somewhere on the Waal
between Gorcum and Nimuegen, we
plighted our troth to one another, and
In a sense l became one OF them.
/ went to my berth cheered and en-
couraged by their kindness. But the
Interview, satisfactory as IT. was, had
set up mo little excitement in my brain,
and II was long before i slept. When I
did, / had a strange dream. / dreamed
liza Il "dS SilIlIlB III the mail AT COIOTl,
and that Petronilla was standing on the
dais locking fixedly at me with gentle,
sorrowful eyes. 1 wanted to go to her,
but l could not move. Every dreamer
knows the sensation. ] tried to call to
her, to ask her what was the matter,
and why h so looked at me. But I
could utter no sound. And still she
continued to fix me with the same, sad,
reproachful eyes, in which l read a
warning, yet could not ask its mean
ing.
1 struggled so hard that at last the
spell was In a degree broken. Follow
ing the direction of her eyes, l looked
down at myself and saw fastened to
he breast Of my doubiet the knot Of
blue velvet which she had made for
my sword hilt, and which I had ever
since carried in my bosom. More, I
saw, with a singular feeling of anger
and sorrow, that a hand which came
over my shoulder was Juggling hard at
the ribbon In the attempt to remove 1t.
This gave me horrible concern, yet at
the l could not move nor. do
anything to prevent it. At last. making
a ~stupendous effort, I awoke, my last
experience, dreaming, being of the
strange hand working at my breast.
My first waking idea was the same, so
that threw out my arms and
III liz IL
tensity of my relief as I looked about
and welcomed the now familiar sur
~roundings. 1T was only a dream. 1t
was"
I stopped abruptly. my eyes falling
on a form lurking in the doorway. I
could see 1t only dimly by the light of
a hanging lamp, which smoked and
burned redly overhead. Yet 1 could see
1t. 1t was real, substantial-a walk
ing figure. Nevertheless a faint touch
OF superstitious terror still chung to me.
Speak, pleased" l asked. "Who is it?"
1T is only l." answered a soft voice,
well known to me-Mistress Anne's.
Il came In to see how you WERE" she
continued, advancing a little, land
whether you were sleeping. 1 am,
afraid l awoke you. But you seemed
she added, to be having such painful
dreams that perhaps 1t was as well I
did"
1 was fumbllng in my breast while
she spoke, and certainly. whether in
my sleep / had undone the fastenings
or had loosened them Intentionally be-
fore / lay down-though 1 could not
remember doing SONY doublet and
shirt were open at the breast. The vel
vet not was safe, however, in that tiny
n pocket beside the letter. and I
6reathed again. II am very glad you
did awake mel" l replied, looking
gratefully at her. "I was having a hor-
rible dream. But how good 1t was
OF you to think of me, when you are
not well yourself, too"
"Oh. l am better" she murmured,
her eyes, which %glistened in the light,
fixed steadily on me. Much better.
Now go to sleep again, and happier
dreams to you. After tonight" she
added pleasantly, Il shall no longer
consider you an invalid nor intrdue
upon you"
And she was gone before I could re-
iterate my thanks. The door fell to.
and l was alone, full of kindly feelings
toward her and Of thankfulness hat
my horrible vision had no foundation.
Thank h~eaven!" / murmured more
than once as lay down. 1T was only
a dream"
Next day we reached Nimuegen.
where we staid a sort time. Leaving
that place in the afternoon, "a hours
jo~urneying, partly by river, partly. If
! remember rightly. by canal, brought
us to the neighborhood OF Arnheim on
the Rhine. 1t was the first OF March.
but the opening month belied its repu-
tation. There was a brightness. a soft
ness in the air and a consequent feel
ing as OF spring which would better
have beitted the middle of April. All
day we remained OF deck enjoying the
kindness Of nature, which was es-
pecially grateful to me, in whom the
sap OF health was beginning to sprine
again, and we were still there when
one of those gorgeous sunsets which
are peculiar to that country began to
films Its e acros our path. We
turned a jutting promontory. the boat
began to fall off, and the captain came
up, his errand to tell us that our jour-
ney was done.
CONTINUED Next WeekJ