The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-02-27


a blow thar either. or which
a~ftLfward, Well England Is go
Ing to be no place for soldiers. Please
God, we have finished with wars at
homo. A woman's reign should be q
reign OF peace.
I hardened my heart at that. A
reign of peace, forsooth, when the week
before we had heard OF a bishop burned
at Gloucester L hardened my heart.
i would not be frightened, though I
knew his power and NEW how men
in those days misused power. / would
put a bold face on the matter.
He had not done with me yet, how
ever. "One more reason l have" he
continued. stopping me as I was about
to speak, ''for saying that England VIII
not suit your health, Master Cludde.
1t is that ] do not want you here.
Abroad you may be OF use to me and
fortune. You have courage M can
use a sword, / hear. You understand
and it is a rare gift with English
men-some Spanish, which / suppose
your father or your uncle taught You.
You can. so Father Carey says, c0n-
strue a Latin sentence IL it be not too
difficult. You are scarcely 20, and you
will have me for your patron. Why,
were I you, boy, with your g and
your chances, I would die prince or
pope! Aye, / would" He stopped
speaking, his yves IN fire. Nay, a ring
Of such real feeling flashed out In his
last words that, though 1 d~istrusted
him, though old prejudices warned me
against him. and, at heart a Protestant.
/ shuddered at things 1 had heard OF
him, the longing to see the world and
have adventures seized upon me. Yet
] did not speak at once. He a old
me that my tongue outran my thoughts
F--l A-~I Ill., .-A ~ -a1rA1 80
CURLY. well, sirrall, what do you say?"
II say, my lord bishop" I replied re-
s%pectfully. that the prospect you hold
out to m would tempt me were I q
younger son or without those ties Of
gratitude which hold me to my uncle.
But, my father excepted. I am Sir An
thongs only heir"
"Ah, your father!" he said contempt
uously. You do well remind me OF
him, for l see you are forgetting the
first part of my speech in thinking
Of the last! Should 1 have promised
first and threatened later? You would
fain, / expect to stay here and woe
Mistress Petronilla? Do / touch there?
You think to marry the maid and be
master Of Cotton End in Gods time.
do YOU? Then listen, Francis Cludde.
Neither one nor the other, neither maid
nor meadow. will be yours should you
stay here till doomsday!"
i started anu SIOOu BIOWeTlnB OH HlIHp
speechless with anger and astonish-
ment.
You do not know who you are" he
continued, leaning forward with a sud
den movement and speaking with one
clawlike finger extended and a male
VIOLENT CLEAN in his eyes. you called
me a nameless child awhile ago, and
so i was. Yet l have risen to be ruler
Of England, Master Cludde! But you
l will tell you which OF us is base born.
/ will tell o who and what your ia
ther, Ferdinand Cludde, was. He was
ray, he is-my tool, spy, jackal! Do
you understand, boy? Your father Is
one of the band OF foul creatures to
whom such as l, base born though I
be, fling the scraps from their table!
He is the vilest of the vile men who
do my dirty work., my lad"
He had raised his voice and hand
in passion real or assumed. He dropped
them rs I sprang forward. You lie!'
! cried, trembling all over.
Easy, easy!" he said. He stopped
me where 1 was by a gesture of stern
command. Think" he continued
calmly and weightily. HAS any one
ever spoken to you Of your father since
h day seven a ago when you
came here a child, brought by a ser
want? Has Sir Anthony talked of him?
Has n servant named his name to
you? Think. boy. If Ferdinand Cludde
be a father to be proud of, why does
his brother make naught Of him2"
HE is a Protestant" / said faint
ly, family because I had asked myself
this very question not once, but often.
Sir Anthony so seldom mentioned my
father that I had thought 1t strange
myself. / had thought 1t strange, too,
that the servants who must remember
Ferdinand Cludde, never talked to me
about him.. Hitherto l had always been
satisfied to answer: HE is a Prot
estant," but face to face with this ter
rible old man and his pitiless charge
the words came but family from my
lips.
"a Protestant" he replied solemnly.
"Tes, this comes of schism, thai vii
lains cloak themselves in II and parade
for true men. A Protestant you call
him, boy? He has beer that-aye, and
all things to all men-and he has be-
trayed all things n all men. He was
in the great cardinals confidence and
forsook him, when he fell, for Crom-
we'll. Thomas Cromwell, although they
were of the same persuasion, he be-
trayed to me. I have here" and he
struck the letters in his hand a scorn-
full blow. the offer he made to me and
his terms. Then eight years back, when
the late King Edward came to the
throne I, too, fell on evil days, and Mas
ter Cludde abandoned me for my Lord
Hartford, but did me no great harm.
But he did something which blasted
him-blasted him al last"
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