Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-04-10
Storyof Francis Cludde
ARomancc Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY TANLE j. WEYMAN.
BY STANLEY ]. WEYMAN.

y oliG lohSAtGu anu dllOlilti ~
a warning hand | grasped my compan-
4 ions arms and hurried them forward
some PAGES until | felt sure that ou
figures could not be seen through the
mist. Then / halted, and we stood lis
tening, gazing into one another's
strained eyes, while the step came near
er n nearer, crossed our track and
then with a noisy rush Numbered on
the wooden raft. My ear caught the
Jingle of harness and clank of weapons,
1t is my watch | muttered. Come
and make no noise. What | ant is q
little this way. | fancy j saw IL as
we passed down the wharf"
They turned with me, but we had not
taken many steps before Mistress
Anne, who was walking on my left
side. stumbled over something. She
tried to save herself, but failed. and fell
heavily, uttering as she did SO a loud
cry. / sprang 10 her assistance. and
even before / raised her | laid my hand
lightly on her mouth. Hush" l said
softly. For safety's sake, make no
noise. What is the natter"
"Oh she moaned, making no effort
TO rise, my ankle. my ankle, | am
sure / have broken it,"
i muttered my dismay. while Mistress
Bertram, STOPPING a~nxiouSS, examined
the injured limb, Can you stand?'
she asked.
Blu it was no time for questioning,
and ! put her aside. The troop which
had passed We're within easy hearing.
and If there should be one amor them
familiar with the girls voice we might
be bounced upon. fog or no fog / felt
that 1t was no time for ceremony and
picked Mistress Anne up in my arms.
whispering TO the elder woman: Go
on ahead, l think | see the boat. II Is
straight before you"
Luckily | was right. 1t was the boat,
and so far we'll. But at the moment |
spoke i heard a sudden cutlery behind
us and knew the hunt was up,
plunged forward with my burden, reck-
lessly and blindly, through mud and
over obstacles. The ferry for which ]
was making was moored I'm the water a
Few feet from the edge. | had remarked
IL idly and without purpos as we came
down to the wharf and had even no.
ticed that the oars were lying i'm II.
Now. IL we could reach 1t and start
down the river for Leigh, we might by
possibility gain hat place and meet
Mistress Bertram's husband.
AT any rate, nothing in the world
seemed so desirable to me at the mo-
ment as the shelter OF that boat. l
plunged through the mud and waded
desperately through the water TO il.
Mistress Bertram ccarce a whit behind
me. / reached 1t, but reached Il only
as the foremost pursuer caught sight
of us. | heard his shout OF triumph.
and somehow L bundled my burden into
the boat. / remember that she chung
about my neck in fear, and I had 10
loosen her hands roughly, But | did
loosen them-in time. With one stroke
OF my hunting knife / severed the rope
and pushing off the boat with all my
strength sprang into ii as Ii fioated
away n was in time. But one sec
ond's delay would have undone us.
Two men were already in the water up
TO their knees, n their very breath
was hot On my face as we swung out
into the tream
Fortunately l had had experience OF
Stafford. and eoaaG pun a good oar
For a momen indeed the wherry rolled
and dipped as / snatched up the SOULS.
but | quickly got her in hand, and
bending to my work sent her spinning
through the mist, every stroke I pulled
increasing the distance between us and
our now unseen foes. Happily we were
below London Lridge and had not that
dangerous passage to make. The river.
too. was nearly clear Of craft, and
though nee and again i'm the pool a
huge hulk doomed suddenly across our
bows and then faded behind US into
htC Aho bNG OitA IAtOAASNloGS pIdllLOfll,
and so told OF a danger narrowly es-
capped, l thought 1t best to run all risks
and go ahead as long as the tide should
ebb.
1t was strange how suddenly We had
passed from storm into calm. Mistress
Anne had bound her ankle with a hand
kerchief and bravely made light OF the
crouching in the stern watching
me. their heads together. their
faces pale. The mist had closed round
us, and we were alone again. gliding
over the bosom OF the great river
that runs down to the sea. / was oddly
struck by the strange current OF life
which for a week had tossed me from
one adventure to another. only TO bring
me into contact at length with these
two and sweep me into ain unknown
whirlpool OF their fortunes.
Who were they? A merchants wife
and her sister flying from Bishop Bon
ner's inquisition? / thought Ii likely.
Their cloaks and hoods indeed, and all
that | could see OF their clothes. fel,
below such a condition. but probably
they were worn al a disguise. Their
| speech rose as much above it, but I
knew that OF late many merchants
wives had become scholars and might
pass In noblemen's houses. Even as ln
those days when London waxed fat and
set up and threw down governments,
| every alderman had come to ride IN
mail.
No doubt the women, watching me In
| anxious silence, were as curious about
me. l still bore stains OF country tray.
ell. / was unwashed, unkampt. my
| duublet was torn. the cloak ! had cast
at my feet was the very wreck OF 9
| cloak. Yet l read ~ distrust In thesr
looks. The elders brave eyes seemed
ever thanking me. I never saw hes
Iips move silently that they did no,
! shane .Well done.' And though
! caught Mistress Anne scanning me once
or twice with an expression l could III
interpret a smile took its place the mo.
ment her gaze met mine.
We has passed but were still in sight
OF Greenwich palace-as they told me-
when the mist rose suddenly like q
curtain rolled away and the cold
bright February sun. shining out, dis
closed the sparkling river. with tax
green hills rising on u rigat hand
Here and there on its surface a sinai
boat such as our own moved to anr
fro. and In the distant pool from which
we had come rose a little forest d
masts. Ihung on the oars A moment
and my eyes were drawn to a two
masted vessel which. nearly half a mi,
below US, was drifting down, GENT
heeling over with the current az tn
crew got up the sails. ~ wonder Whit
er she is bound. ! said thoughtfHisy
land whether they would take US 81
-. ML - MAM