Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-07-03
cHApTER xIN-conllnud.

How come you here? How has I
happened?" Master Lindstrom asked
his voice, though he still remained be
low. hetraylng his perpelXity and IN.
happiness. Can ] not do something
This is terrible indeed"
You can come up. If you like / an
swered after a moments thought. But
you must come alone, and / cannot let
even you, friend as you are, see oui
d~efenses.'
As ne came up / stepped back and
drew the DOR of the room toward me,
so that, though a little light reached
the head of the stairs. he could not,
standing there, see into the room or
discern real weakness. / did not
distrust h~im-heaven forbid!-but IN
might have to tell all he saw TO his
friends below, and / thought it well, for
ms sake as we'll as our own, that he
should be able to do Ibis freely and
without hurting us. AS he joined me
l held up a finger for silence and list
ened keenly. But all was quiet below.
No one had followed him Then I
turned and warmly grasped his hands,
n we peered into one another's faces.
| saw he was deeply moved; tina he
was thinking of Dymphna and how |
mad saved her. He held my hands as
though he would never loose them.
Well | said as cheerfully as 1
f~F' FNFR SSo bAOdBIl dS Ill OlltI VI
terms? But let me tell you first /
continued, how it happened" And I
briefly explained that we had mistaken
the captain of the guard and his two
followers for Clarence and the two
Spaniards. rs he dead?" / continued.
No, he is still alive" Master Lind
strom answered gravely. But the
toWnsfolk are furious, and the seizure
of the tower has still further exasper-
ated them. Why did you do it?"
Because we should have been torn
10 pieces If we had not done It," / an
swered dryly. You think we are in a
strait place."
DO you not think so YOURSELF" he
said, somewhat astonished.
| laughed. THAT is as may he" 7
answered with an affectation of reck-
lessness. The staircase Is narrow and
the window low. We shall sell our
lives dearly, my friend. Yet for the
sake of The women who are with us
we are willing to surrender If the citi-
zens offer us terms. After all. it was
an accident. Cannot you impress this
on them / added eagerly,
He shook his head. They viii not
hear reason he said.
Then | replied. impress the other
thlng upon them. Tell them that our
swords are sharp and we are desper-
ate
Il will see what l can do he an
sWered slowly. "The Duke of Gloves
is expected here tomorrow. and the
toWnsfolk feel they would be disgraced
forever If he should find their gate held
by a party of marauders. as they CON
slider you
THE Duke of Cleves?" / repeated.
Perhaps he may be better affected to-
ward u.s.
They viii o%verpower you before he
~ ~ a - -
despondently. II YOU put no trust in
him II / were you. But 1 will go to
them, and, believe me, / Will do all that
mar can do"
"Of that / am sure / said warmly.
And then cautioning me to remain
strictly on the defensive. he left me.
Before his footsteps had ceased to
echo on the stairs the door beside me
opened, and Mistress Anne appeared at
II. / saw at once that his familiar
voice hal rouse her from the stupor
OF fear In which | had last seen her.
Her eyes were bright; her whole frame
was thrilling with excitement, hope,
suspense. j began to understand her,
TO discern beneath the disguise thrown
Yer 1t in ordinary times by a strong
will the nervous nature which was al
ways confident or despairing. which
felt everything so keenly-everything,
that is, which touched itself. "Well?'
she cried. "Weil?"
"Patiencei Patience!" I replied rath-
er sharply. / could not help comparing
her conduct with that of the duchess
and blaming her not for her timidity,
but for the selfishness which she had
betrayed In her fear. 1 could fancy
Petroniila trembling and a coward. but
net despairing, nor utterly cast down,
nor useless when others needed her.
nor wrapped In her w terrors to the
Very exclusion OF reason. ''Patience!"
I said. He is coming back. He and
his friends will do all they can for
us. We must wait awhile and hope
and keep a good lookout"
She had her hand on the door and
ny IN abrupt movement she slipped out
10 me and closed il behind her. This
made the staircase so lark that / could
no longer distinguish her face. but /
Judged from her tone that her fears
were regaining possession OF her. "Clar-
ence, she muttered, her voice low and
trembling. Have you thought OF him?
Could not he help us? He may have
followed us here and may be here now,
New. And perhaps he does not know
in what danger we are"
"Clarence." I said, astonished and al
NEST angry. Clarence help us? Go
back, girl, go back. You are mad. He
would be more likely to complete our
AHi. MO III dlu nurse the DaDy, l.
added bitterly.
What could she mean? 1 asked N.Y.
self when she had gone In. Was there
anything In her suggestion? Would
Clarence follow us hither? III so. and IL
he should come In time. would he have
power to help us. using such myster-
ious influence. Spanish or English. as
ne seemed TO possess? And, IL he could
heir us, would Ii be better to fall into
his hands than into those of the exas
perated S~antonese? / thought the
duchess would say MOI
SO liz mattered not what I answered
myself. i hoped, now Master Lindstrom
had appeared. that the women would
be allowed to go free. and 1t seemed
10 me that TO surrender to Clarence
would be to hand over the duchess to
her enemy simply that the rest OF us
might escape.
Master Lindstrom returned while
va still considering this. and observ-
ing the game precautions as before I
bade hin join me. WELL" r said, not
so lmpetutcusly. l hope, as Mistress
Anne, vet | dare say with a good deal
OF cagcrness, well, what do they SAY? 2"
Fer he was slow to speak
Il ave bad news he answered
gently.
AL" / calculated. a lump which
was due as much TO rage as to any
other emotion rising In my throat. 80
they VIII give US 10 terms? Then so