Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-03-28
CHAPTER Y.

Pray for the dead! Five o'clock and a
murky morning
The noise or the bell and the cry
which accompanied II reused me from
my frst sleep iu London. and that with
a vengeance. the bell being rung and
the words uttered within three feet OF
my head. Where did / sleep then? Well
had found cozy resting place be-
mind some boards propped against the
wall OF bakers oven IA a street near
Moorgate. The wall was warm and
smelt of new bread and another be-
sides myself had discovered its ad
Nantages. This was the WatChman
who had smmbered away most of his
vigil cheek by ioMi with me but. morn
ing approaching had reused himself.
and before he was well out Of his bed
certainly before he had left his bed
room, had begun, the ungrateful
wretch. 70 prove his watchfulness by
disturbing everyone else.
/ sat up and rubbed my eyes. grind
ing my shoulders well against the wall
FOR warmth. I had no need TO turn out
yet. but began to think, and the more
! thought the harder | stared at the
planks six inches before my nose. nv
thoughts turned upon very knotty
point one that I had never seriously
considered before. What was / going
TO do next How was | going 10 live
o" 10 rear the new house Of which 7
ma |e made mention? Hitherto / had
aimed simply at reaching London Lon
don had paraded itself before my mind
though my mind should have known
better not as town Of cold streets and
dreary alleys and shops open from
10 4, with perhaps here and there "a va
cant place FOR an apprentice but as
a SiIded city Of adventure and romance
IN "hlch a Young man Of enterprise
whether he wanted 10 go abroad or 10
riae at home. might be sure Of finding
his sword weighed priced and bought
up on he instant and himself valued
at his own standard.
But London reached. the boarding IN
Moorgate reached, and O'Clock in the
morning reached. somehow these Wis
ions faded rapidly. In the cold reality
left TO me | felt myself astray If
would stay al home Who was going
10 employ me- To whom should | ap-
ply? What patron had l. or If
would go abroad how was 10 set
about IT,? How find vessel. seeing
that | might expect TO be arrested the
moment ] showed my face i'm day
light?
Here all my experience failed me.
did not know what TO do though the
time had come for action and [ must
do or starve II had been an yery
that | would go UP TO London and get
across the water-such had been my
dim notion-to the Courtenavs and
kilhgrews, who, with other refugees
Protestants for the most part we're
lying on the French coast waiting for
better times. But now that I was in
London, and 3 good as an outlaw my
self saw no means Of going TO them
| seemed farther from my goal than
had been in Warwickshire
Thinking very blankly over all this
/ began to MUNICH the piece OF bread
which | owed 10 the old dame al TOT
tenham and had solemnly got through
half IL when the sound OF IA Did foot
steps-the footsteps of women. Judged
from the lightness of the tread-caused
me to hold my hand and listen. Who
ever they were-and | wondered for II
was still early, and ] had heard no one
pass since the watchman had left me
they came TO stand I'm front of my shell
ter and one OF .nem spoke Her words
made me start Unmistakably the
voice was a gentlewoman' such as |
had not heard for almost a week. And
at this place and hour, on the raw bor-
derland OF day and night. a gentlewom-
an was toe last person | expected 10
light upon. Yet il the speaker We're not
someone of station Petronila's lessons
had been thrown away upon me
The words were uttered IN low
voice, but the planks in front of me
were thin. and the speaker was ac-
tually leaning against them. / caught
every accent Of what seemed 10 be the
answer to "A question. Yes: yes II is
all right, she said, a covert ring OF i'm
patience in her voice Take breath
a moment. ] do not see him now.
Thank heaven" muttered another
voice. AS had fancied there were two
persons. The latter speakers tone
smacked equally OF breeding with the
formers, but was rounder and fuller
and more masterful, and she appeared
to be out of breath. Then perhaps we
have thrown him off the trail f" she con
tinued after short pause. I'm which she
seemed to have somewhat recovered
herself. Il distrusted him from the
first, Anne, from the first Yet. do you
know, | never feared him as | did Mas
ter Clarence, and as II was TOO much
TO hope that we should be rid of both
at once-they took good care of that
why, the attempt had TO be made while
he was at home. But | always felt he
was a spy
who. Master Clarence" asked she
who had spoken first
Aye, he certainly. But [ did not
mean him. 1 meant Philip"
We'll, II said at first YOU remem-
Der. that it was foolhardy enterprise.
mistress
Tut, tut. girl quoth the other tart
ly. This time the impatience lay with
her and she took no pains TO conceal
il. we are not beaten yet. Come look
about! Cannot you remember where
we are nor which way the river should
be? II the dawn were come. we could
tell"
But with the dawn"
The streets would fill. True. and
Master Philip giving the alarm. we
should be detected before we had gone
far. The more need, girl to lose no
time. have my breath again and the
child is asleep. Let us venture one way
or the other and heaven grant it be
the right onei"
Let me see" the younger woman
answered slowly, as If in doubt. did
we come by the church? No. We came
the other way Let us try this turning.
then"
why, child, we came that way was
the decided answer What are Won
straight back into his arms, the wretch,
Come, come! You loiter" continued
this, the more masculine speaker.
and minute may make All
the difference between a prison
ana freedom. If we can reach the
Lion wharf by lit is like to be a dark
morning and foggy-we may still es-
cape before Master Philip brings the
watch upon u.s.
They moved briskly as she spoke.
ana her words were already growing
indistinct from distance. while | re-
mained still, idly seeking the clew 10
their talk and muttering over and oyer
again the name Clarence, which seemed
familiaf TO me. when a cry of alarm in
winch ] recognized one of their voices.