Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-05-15
IN-contInued.

causeway on 10 the dixie. When once
I bad stumbled on to the latter,
found ! had los sight of both hgufes
but / ran along at the top OF my speeo
calculating that the two, who could no.
be far apart, the man being the nearer
TO me. were about a quarter of a mile
or rather more from the road. mac
gone one half of this distance perhaps
when a shrill scream in front caused
me TO redoubIe my efforts. expected
TO find the ruffian in the act or rop-
bing the girl, ard clutched my cudgel-
Tor, alas, ] had left my sword at home
more tightly in my grasp so that
Il was an Immense relief TO me when,
on turning an angle in the dixie, / saw
her running toward me. Her face, still
white with fear, however, and her haIr
streaming loosely behind her, told how
narrow had been her escape. If escape
lit could be called. For abou ten feet
behind her. the hood he had plucked
of still in his grasp, came Master
Spaniard, hotfoot and painting, but
gaining on her now With every stride.
He was a tai fellow, gayly dressed,
swarthy, mustachioed and fierce eyed.
His corslet and sword belt shone and jim
xled as ne ram and Swore, but he had
dropped his feathered bonnet in the
slight struggle which had evidently
taken place when she got by him, and
1t lay a black spot in the middle OF
the grassy avenue behind him. The
sun-it was about three hours after
moon-was at my back n shining di-
rectly into his eyes, and l marked this
as l raised my cudgel and jumped
aside to let the girl pass, for she in
her blind fear would have run against
me.
1t was almost the same with him.
He did not see ne until was within
a few PAGES OF him, and even then /
think he noticed my presence merely
as that of an unwelcome spectator. He
fancied l should step aside. and he
cursed me, calling me a Dutch dog for
getting in his way.
The next moment-he had not drawn
his sword nor mad any attempt to
draw tive came together violently,
and I had my hand on his throat. We
swayed as we whirled round one an
other in the first shoe. of the collision.
A cry of astonishmelf escaped him
astonishment AT my hardihood. He
tried, his eyes glaring into mine and
his hot breath on my cheek, to get at
his dagger. but it was too late. /
brought down my staff with all the
strength of an arm nerved at the mo-
ment by rage and despair, upon his
bare head.
He went down like a stone. and the
0ASC1 0hRhltA At9lAi MS bD1- 4 2LOOd
over him watching him. He stretched
himself out and turned with a con-
vulsive movement on his face. His
hands clawed the grass. His leg moved
once, twice. a third time family. Then
he lay still.
There was a lark singing just over
head, and its clear notes seemed
during the long. long minute while /
stood bending over him in an awful
fascination 70 be the only sounds In
nature. / looked so long at him in
that dreaded stiffness and absorption
Il dared not at last look UP lest |
should see 1 knew not what. yet when
a touch fell on my arm / did not start.
You have killed him." the girl whis-
pered. shuddering.
Yes, l have killed him." / answered
mechanically.
/ could not take my eyes off him. II
was not as IL 7 had done this thing
after a long conflict. or in a melee
with others lighting round me, or on
the battlefield. l should have felt no
horror then such as | felt now, stand
ing over him In the sunshine, with the
lark's song In my ears. IL had hap
Dened so quickly. and the waste about
us was so still. and / had never killed
a ma before nor seen a man die.
-0h. come away" Dymphna walled
suddenly. Come away!v
turned then. and the sight of the
girls wan face and strained eyes re-
called me In some degree to myself.
I saw she was III. and hastily l gave
her my arm and partly carried, partly
supported her, back to the road. The
way seemed long. and / looked behind
wrfe often, but We reached the cause
way at last. and there in the open
4 felt some relief. Yet ever then, stop
ping 10 cast a backward glance at the
marsh. / shuddered anew, espying a
bright white spark cleaning amid the
green Of the rushes. 1t was the dead
mans corslet. hui If IT had been his
eye ! could scarcely have shrunk from
lit in greater dread.
Ii will be imagined that we were
not long In CROSSING the island. Nat
urally I was full OF what had nap
pened and never gave a thought to
Van Trees jealousy or the incidents
OF his short visit. I had indeed for
gotten his existence until we reached
the porch. There. entering rapidly.
with Dymphna clinging to my arm, /
wa so oblivious OF other matters that
when the young Dutchman rose sud-
denly from the seat on one side of the
door n at the same the
duchess rose from the bench on the
other \ did not understand in the first
instant OF surprise what was the mat
Ter, though let Dymphna's hand fall
from my arm. The dark scowling face
OF the one, however. and the anger and
chagrin written on the features of the
other. as they both glared at us,
brought all back TO me In q fash. But
IT was D late. Before I could utter
a word the girls lover pushed by me
with a fierce gesture and fercer cry
and disappeared round a corner OF the
house.
Was ever such folly." cried the
duchess, stamping her foot and stand
ing before us, her face crimson. sOi
such fools, You idiot! YOU
Hush, madam said / sternly. 'Hat
! really grown older in doing the deed
Something has happened
And Dymphna. with a low cry o
*the Spaniardg The Spaniard.'' totteres
UP 10 her n tainted In her arms
CHAPTER x.
This Ii a serious matter said Mas
ter BERTHE ,thoughtfully as we sat in tn
tcfclavc an hour later round the tabI
IN The III rlor. Mistress Anne was AT
tending to Dymphna up stairs. and Va
Tree had not returned again. ~ tha
we had been unable 10 tell him or til
mcrnings ~adventurr. But the rest (
us were there. Ii considerably add
70 the DANCE % M POSITION Bert
continued.
sOf course 1t does" his wife sal
promptly. Hut Master Lindstrom her
<an best judge OF that and OF whs
course 4 VIII bea safest - take