Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-07-18
CHAPTER xVI-Continued.

slipped my hand through a well known
| slit in the lining. Yes, the letter hau
left there was still there-the letter TO
Mistress Clarence. / drew It out. The
corners of the little packet were frayed
and the parchment was stained ana
discolored no doubt by the damp which
| had penetrated to IL. But the seal was
| whole. / placed IL. as II was, in Master
Lindstrom's hands.
"Give it," said, ito the duchess aft
erward. 1t concerns her. You have
heard us talk about It. Bid her make
] what use she pleases Of It,"
/ ! turned away then and sat down,
feeling a trile fiurried and excited, as
one about to start upon a journey
might feel--not afraid nor exceedingly
depressed, but braced up to make
brave show and hide what sadness !
did feel by the knowledge that many
eyes were upon me, and that more
would be watching me presently. AT
the far end of the room a number of
people had now gathered and were con-
versing together. Among them were
not only my jailers of the night, but
two or three officers, a priest who had
come TO offer me his services and some
inquisitive gaZers who had obtained ad-
mission. Their curiosity, however, did
not distress me. On the contrary was
glad to hear the stir and murmur of life
about me to the last
4
to the duchess. though 1t were easy for
me to do so, seeing that her son has II
now. 1t contains some things very
proper to be said by a dying man, of
which | am not ashamed-God forbid
but which II would not be meet for me
to repeat here. Enough that / told her
In a few words who was and entreated
her in the name of whatever services
] had rendered her to let Petronilla and
Sir Anthony know how had died. and
added something which would, I
thought, comfort her and her husband
namely, that l was not afraid or in
any suffering of mind or body.
the writing of this shook my COM
posure little but as l laid down the
pen and looked up and found that the
time was come when l took courage in
a marvellous manner. The captain of
the guard think that out of a com
passionate desire not to interrupt me
they had allowed me some minutes of
grace-came to me, leaving the group
at the other end. and told me gravely
that / was waited for. l rose at once
and gave the letter to Master Lind
strom. with some message in which
Dymphna and Anne were not forgotten,
and then. with a smile-for felt under
all those eyes as If / were going into
battle-I said: Gentlemen, / am ready
II you are. 1t Is a fine day to die. You
y,
have proverb, the better the day the
better the deed So it is well to have
a good day to have good death, sir
captain"
"A soldiers death, sir, is a good
death, he answered gravely, speaking
in Spanish and bowling.
Then he pointed to the door.
AS ] walked toward it / paused mo-
mentarily by the window and looked
out on the crowd below. It filled the
sunlit street, save where a little raised
platform strewn with rushes protruded
itself-with heads from wall to wall.
with faces all turned one way-toward
me. II was a silent crowd, standing
in hushed awe and expectation, the con-
sciousness of which sent a sudden chill
TO my heart, blanching my cheek and
making my blood run slow for n mo-
ment. The next / moved on to the
door, and bowling to the spectators as
they stood aside began to descend the
narrow staircase.
There were guards going down before
me; behind me were Master Lindstrom
and mere guards. The Dutchman
reached forward in the gloom and
clasped my hand, holding it as we went
down in firm, strong grip.
Never fear" | said to him cheerily,
looking back. 1T is all right"
He answered in words which / will
4,
said, to make certain things common.
! suppose the doorway at the bottom
was accidentally blocked, for a few
steps short of 1t the same moment
started, despite myself, on hearing a
sudden ClamOr and a roar of many
voices outside.
What is it?" asked the Dutch
man"
rs is the duke of Cleves arriving,
! expect" he whispered. He comes
in by the other gate"
A moment later he moved on and
passed out into the light, the soldiers
before me stepping on either side to
give me place. This sunshine for an
instant dazzled me, and l lowered my
eyes. AS | gradually raised them
again l saw before me a short lane
formed by two rows of spectators kept
back by guards. and at the end Of this
two or three rought wooden steps lead
ing to platformOn which were stand-
ing a nmber Of people, and above and
beyond all only the bright blue sky,
the roofs ana gables of the nearer
houses showing dark against it.
| advanced steadily along the path
left for me and would have ascended
the steps, but at the foot of them
came to a standstill and looked around
for guidance. The persons on the
scaffod all had their backs turned to
me and did not make way, while the
shouting and uproar hindered them
from hearing that we had come out
Then it struck me, seeing that the peo-
pie at the windows were also gazing
away and taking no heed of me, that
the duke was passing the farther end
of the street and sharp pang of an
CRY pain shot through me. had come
out to die but that which was all to
me was so little to these people that
they turned away to see a fellow NOR
tai ride by.
Presently, as we stood there, in a
pit, as II were, getting no view, / felt
Master Lindstrom's hand, which still
clasped mine, to begin to shake, and
turning to him / found that his face
had changed to a deep red, and that
his eyes were protruding with q kind
of convulsive eagerness which instant
ly infected me.
What is II? I stammered. I began
to tremble also. The air rang, IL
seemed to me- with one word, which a
thousand tongues took up and reiter-
ated. But 1t was a German word, and
l did not understand it.
Wait, wait!" Master Lindstrom ex-
claimed. Pray God it be true!"
He seized my other hand and held II
as though he would protect me from
something. At the same moment Van
Tree pushed past me, and bounding up
the steps pushed his way through the
officials of the scaffold, causing more
than one fur -robed citizen near the
edge to lose his balance and come
down as best he could on the should
ers of the guards.
What is it?" / cried. What is it?"
/ cried in impatient wonder
"Oh, my lad, my lad" Master Lind
strQm answered his face close to mine
and the tears running down his cheeks.
1T is cruel If it be not true! Cruel!
They cry a pardon!"
"A pardon?" 1 echoed
AYE, lad, pardon. But it may not
be true" he said, putting his arm
about my shoulder. Do not make too
sure of 1t. 1t is only the mob cry it
out"