Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-03-06

! N'Nf' ''N ''H $780,
the paler and grimmer, the more satur
nine and all mastering, for the darl
frame which set it off?
"He did this" he continued slowly
which came to light and blasted him
he asked as the price of his service n
betraying me his brothers estate.
Impossible" / stammered. Why
Sir Anthony
What OF Sir Anthony, you would
ask" the chancellor replied, interrupt
ing me. with savage irony. on, he
was a papist, an obstinate papist! He
might go bangor TO Warwick jail
Nay, but this at least. my lord, is
false" cried. "Palpably false! If my
father had SO betrayed his own flesh
and blood, should / be here? Should /
be at Cotton End? You say this hap
pened eight years ago. Seven years
ago | came here. Would Sir Anthony
There are fools everywhere the old
man sneered. When my Lord Hert-
ford refused your fathers suit. Ferd-
inand ~began--iJ is his nature-to plot
against him. He was found out and
execrated by all, for he had been false
to all, He fled for his life. He left
you behind, and a servant brought you
to Cotton End, where Sir Anthony took
you in"
1 covered my face. Alas, / believed
him! l, who had always been so proud
OF my lineage, SO proud of the brave
traditions of the house and it's honor,
so proud of Cotton En- and all that
belonged to IL! Now. if this were
true, | could never again take pleasure
In n or the other. | was the son
Of a man branded as a %turncoat and
an informer, of one who was the
worst Of traitors! | sank down on
the settee behind me and hid my face.
Another might have thought less of the
blow, or, with greater knowledge of
the world might have made light of it
rs a thing not touching himself. But
on me, young as / was, and proud, and
as yet tender. and having lone moth
Ing myself, il fell with crushing force.
1t was years since / had seen my
father, and | could not stand forth
loyalty and fight his battles as a son
his fathers friend and familiar fon
years might have fought it. On the
contrary there vas so much which
seemed mysterious in my past life, so
much that bore out the chancellor's
accusation, that | felt a dread of it's
truth even before / had proof. Yet L
would have proof. ''Show me the let
ters!" / said harshly. SHOW me the
letters, my lord!"
You know our ather's handwrit-
Ing?"
II do"
l knew it, not from any correspond
snce my father had held with me, but
because | had more than once exam
ined with natural curiosity the wrap
pers of the dispatches which at inter-
walls or many months, sometimes of q
year, came from him TO Sir Anthony.
| had known anything of the con
tents of the letters, all that fell to
my share being certain formal mes
l.sagss (which iI AAiiitnr5s would give
me, generally with a clouded brow aga
a testy manner that grew genial again
only with the lapse of time.
Gardiner handed me the letters, and
| o them and read one. One was
enough That my father, Alas, alas!
No wonder that | turned my face to the
wall, shiyering as with ague, and that
all about me. except the red glow of
the fire. which burned into my brain
seemed darkness! ! had lost the thing
| valued most. | had lost at a blow
everything OF which / was proud. The
treachery that could flush thai worn
face opposite to me, lined as it was
with statecraft. and betray the willy
tongue into passion seemed to me,
young and impulsiye, a thing so vile
as to brand a mans children through
generations.
Therefore / hid my face In the cor
ner OF the settle, while the chancellor
gazed at me awhile in silence, as one
who had made an experiment might
watch the result.
You see now, my friend" he said al
last. almost gently. that you may be
base born in more ways than one. But
be OF good cheer. You are young, and
what | have done you may do. Think
of Thomas Cromwell-his father was
uaught. Think OF the old cardinal-my
master. Think Of the duke OF Suffolk
VI nFI L. D-A 49,
plain gentleman. yet he married a
queen. More. the door which they had
to open for themselves I will open for
you-only, when you are inside. play
the nan n be faithful"
what would you have me do?"
whispered hoarsely.
II would have you do this" he an
swered. There are great things brew
ing i'm the Netherlands, boy-great
changes, unless l am mistaken. / have
need of an agent there. a man. stout.
trusty, and, In particular. unknown,
who will keep me informed OF events.
If you will be hat agent, / can procure
for you-and not appear in the matter
myself-a post of pay and honor In
the regents guards. What say you to
that. Master Cludde? A few weeks,
Cotton End will seem a mean place to
you Now, what do you say?'
/ was longing TO be away and alone
with my misery. but l forced myself to
reply patiently,
with your leave / will give you my
answer tomorrow, my lord, II said as
steadily as ! could, and I rose, still
keeping my face turned from him.
Very weli.'i he replied. with appar-
ent confidence. But he watched me
keenly. as / fancied II know already
what your answer will be. Yet before
you go | will give you a piece OF ad,
vice which i'm the new life you begir
tonight will avail you more than sill
yer. more than gold-aye, more thar
steel-Master Francis. 1t is this. Be
prompt to think. be prompt to strike
be slow 10 speak. Mark 1t we'll! 1t Il
a simple recipe, yet ii has made m,
what ] am and may make YOU greater
Now go!"
He pointed to the little door opening
on the staircase, and i bowed and wen
out. closing 1t carefully behind me. Oh
the stairs. moving blindly in the dark
] fell over some n who lay sleepinl
there and who clutched at my leg.
shook him off. however. with an e
clamation OF rage, n stumbling dow
the rest of the steps gained the opel
air. Excited and feyerish, / shranl
with aversion from the confinement o
my room, and hurrying over the draw
bridge sought at random the long ter
race by the fish pools. on which tn
moonlight fell, a sheet of silver. broke
only by the sundial Ind the shadows O
the rosebushes. The night air. weep
frr A. n S.~- - E---.x <A.-Al ~ -.