Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-04-17
CHAPTER VII.

be an intolerable torment. But PAD a.
his may be ii can be nothing In com
parison with the pains ! suffered r
the same cause as | recovered m
senses. My brain seemed TO be a cavern
into which each moment, with a rhyth
mical regularity which added the pang'
of anticipation to those of reality, tn
sea rushed, booming and laundering
Earring every nerve and straining tht
walls to bursting and making each mo
ment of consciousness a vivid agony
And this lasted long-how long l can
not say. But Ii had subsidized some
what when | first opened my eyes anc
duly, not daring to move my head
looked up.
| was lying on my back. About a
foot from my eyes were rough beams
of Woo disclosed by 81 smoky yellow
light. which fickered on the knotholeS
and rude joists. The light swayed to
and fro regularly, and this adding &c
my pain / closed my eyes with a moan
, Then some one came to me, and heard
voices which sounded a long way of
n promptly fell again into "A deep
sleep, troubled still, but less painfully,
by the same rhythmical shocks. the
same dull crashings in my brain.
When awoke again. j had sense to
know what caused this and where |
was-in a berth on board ship. The
noise which had so troubled me was
the waves beating against her forelock.
The beams go close 10 my face formed
the deck; the smoky light came from
the ships lantern swinging on a hook.
j tried to turn. Some one came again,
and with gentle hands arranged my pill
low and presently began to feed me
with Il spoon. When / had swallowed
a few m%outhfuls, / gained strength to
turn.
Who was his feeding me-? The light
was at her back and dazzled me. For
a short while / took her for PetroniIla.
my thoughts going back at one bound
to Cotton and skipping all that hap
pened since / left home. But as |
grew stronger | grew clearer. and re-
calling bit by bit what had happened in
the boat | recognized Mistress Anne. /
tried to murmur thanks. but she laid
a cool finger On. my lips and shook
her head, smiling OF me. You must
not talk" h murmured. You are
getting well. Now go to sleep again"
II shut my eyes at once as a child
might. Another interval of unconscious
ness, painless this time. followed. and
again | awoke, | was lying on my side
now. and without moving could see the
whole of the tiny cabin. The lantern
still hung and smoked. But the light
was steady now, and j heard no splash
ing without nor the dull gfoaning and
creaking of the timberS within. There
reigned a quiet which seemed bliss to
me. and / lay wrapped In It, my
thoughts growing clearer and clearer
moment.
On a sea chest at the farther end of
the cabin were sitting two people en-
gagged i'm talk. The one, a woman. |
recognized Immediately. The gray eyes
full OF command, the handsome fea-
lures. the reddish brown hair ana grac-
lous figure left me in no doubt, even
Tor u moment, thai / looked on Mistress
The sharer of her seat was
a tall thin man, with Il thoughtful face
n dreamy, rather melancholy eyes.
One of her hands rested on his knee
and her lips as she talked were close
TO his ear. A little aside, sitting on
the lowest step of the ladder which
led to the deck, her head Gaming
against the timbers and a cloak about
her, was mistress Anne.
l tried to speak and after more than
IN effort found my voice. Where am
IL! | whispered. My head ached sadly.
n fancied, though | was too languid
10 raise my hand to IL. that il was
bandaged. My mind was so far clear
that / remembered Master Clarence
and his pursuit and the fight in the
boats and knew that we ought to be
on our way to prison. Who, then. was
the mid, comely gentleman whose
ienglh or limb made the cabin seem
smaller than II was? Not a jailer sure
ly? Yet who else?
per. but faint as my voice was they
all heard me and looked up. .Anne6f
the elder lady cried sharply. seeming
by her tone to direct the other to at
tend 10 me. Yet was she herself the
irst to rise and come and lay her hand
on my brow. "Ah, the fever is gone
she said, speaking apparently to the
gentleman who kept his seat. His
head is quite cool. He will do well now.
l am sure. Do you know me?" she
continued, leaning over me.
| looke up into her eyes and read
only kindness. Yes" / mutterej Ruf
the effort of looking was so painful that
l closed my w again. with a sigh.
NeVeftneiess my memory of the events
which had gone before my illness grew
clearer, n / fumbled feebly for some
thing which should have been at my
side. Where is-where Is my sword y"
/ made shift TO whisper.
She laughed. SHOW Ii to him Anna -
she said. What a never die II is,
There, master knight errant we did
not forget to bring 1t off the field YOU
see"
But how. | murmured. how did
yot CSSopC. Il SdN lila tnere was no
question of a prison. : Her laugh was
gay. her voice full OF content.
That is a long story she answered
kindly. Are you well enough TO hear
1t? You think you are? Then take
some of this first. You remember that
knave Philip striking yor on the head
with an oar as you got up? No? Well.
IL was a cowardly stroke. but il stood
him In little stead. for we had drifted
In the excitement of the race. under the
stern OF the ship which you remember
seeing a little before. There were
English seamen on Der, and when they
saw three men in the act OF boarding
two defenseless women they stepped in
and threatened TO send Clarence and
his crew TO the bottom unless they
steered Off"
"Ha.' / murmured. Good"
And so we escaped. / prayed the
captain to take us on board his ship,
the F~ramlingham, and he did so. More.
putting into Leigh on his way to the
More, he took off my husband. There
he stands, and when o are better he
shall thank YOU"
Nay, he Will thank you now" said
the tall man. rising and stepping to
my berth with his head bent. He could
not stand upright. so low was the deck.
"But for YOU he continued. his earn
estnrss showing in his voice and eyes
-thv latter were almost tender for a
maL's-''my wife would be now lying
In prison her life in jeopardy n her
property as good as gone. She has told
me how bra yelv Won rescued her from