Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-07-11
Story of Francis Cludde
ARonance of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY STANLEY l. wEYMAN
BY STANLEY J. wEYMAN.

ct little money, with which the duch-
ess had furnished me, ! put a silver
/ piece in the bowl and handed II back
to him. The man seemed astonished
and muttered something in German as
he turned away.
What did he sayg I asked the
Dutchman.
"Oh, nothing. nothing" he answered.
But what was 1t? 1t was some
thing" I persisted, seeing him con-
fused.
"He-well. he said. he would have
a mass said for you" Lindstrom an
swered in despair. TT will do no
harm"
NO: why should itY' I replied me-
chanically.
We were in the street by
this time. Master Lindstrom
ard Van Tree walking be-
side me in the middle Of a score OF SOL
diers. who seemed to my eyes fantastic
ally dressed. I remarked, as we passed
out, a tall man clothed in red and
black. who was standing by the door
as II waiting to fall in behind me. He
carried on his shoulder a long broad
bladed sword, and I guessed who he
was. seeing how Master Lindstrom
strove to intercept my view of him.
But was not afraid of that. had
heard long ago-perhaps six months in
bravely Queen Jane had died. And If
a girl had not trembled surely a man
should not. So l looked steadfastly at
him and took great courage, and after
that was able to gaze calmly on the
people, who pressed to stare at me,
peeping over the soldiers shoulders
and clustering in every doorway and
window to see me go past. They were
all silent, and 1t even seemed to me that
some-but this may have been my fam
cy-pItied me.
saw nothing of the duchess and
might have wondered had not Master
Lindstron explained that he had con-
trived to keep her in ignorance of the
hour fixed for the proceedings. Her
husband was better, he said, and con-
sCious; but. for fear of exciting him,
they were keeping the news from him
also. | remember I felt for moment
very sore at this. and then I tried TO
persuade myself that 1t was right.
The distance through the streets was
short, and almost before l was aware
Of it I was IN the court house. the
guard had fallen back. and was
standing before three persons who were
seated behind long table. Two of
them were grave, portly men wearing
fiat black caps and scarlet robes, with
gold chains about their necks. The
third. dressed as an ecclesiastic, wore
a huge gem ring upon his thumb. Be-
hind them stood three attendants hold
ing n sword. n cors!er and a ducal cap
upon cushion. and above and behind
all was n lofty stained window, whose
rich hues, the sun being low as yet,
shot athwart the corbels of the roof.
At the end Of the table sat a black
rObcd man with an ink horn and spec
tacles, a grave, still, down looking man,
and the crowd being behind me, and
n dead silence. and the at
standing like statues,
seemed indeed to be alone with these
four at the table and the great stained
window and the solemn hush. They
talked to one another in low tones for
n minute. gazing at me the while, and
fanCied they We're astonished to find
me so young.
At length they all fell back into their
chairs. "Do you speak German" the
eldest burgher said. addressing me
gravely. He sat in the middle, with the
subdean on his right.
mo, but l speak and understand
Spanish" I answered in that language,
feeling chilled already by the stern for
mality which like an iron hand was
laying it's grip upon me.
Good! Your name?" replied the pres
ident.
II am commonly called Francis Car
ey, and I am an Englishman." The
was a pale, stout man,
with gloomy eyes-had hitherto been
looking at me in evident doubt. but at
this he nodded assent, and averting his
eyes from me gazed meditatively at the
roof Of the hall. considering apparently
what he should have for breakfast.
You are charged" said the president
slowly, consulting a document, with
having assaulted and wounded in the
highway last night one Heinrich Schro-
der citizen of this town, acting at the
time as lieutenant OF the night guard.
Do you admit this, prisoner or do you
require proof?"
He was wounded" l answered stead
ly, but by mistake and in error.
him to be one Of three per-
sons who had unlawfully waylaid me
and my party on the previous night be-
tween Emmerich and Wesel."
The subdean, still gazing at the roof,
shook his head with a faint smile. The
me. but made no comment, and my
words seemed to be wasted on the sill
ence. The president consulted his doc
Iment again and continued: You are
also charged with having. by force of
arms, in time of peace, seized a gate
Of this town and maintained it and de-
clined to surrender 1t when called upon
SO TO 90. " nat 90 you say 10 tIlal
1T Is true in part" I answered firm
~. II seized not the gate, but part of
the tower. Ia order to preserve my life
and TO protect certain ladies travelling
With me from the violence Of a crowd,
which, under a misrepresentation, was
threatening to do us mischief"
The priest again shook his head and
smiled family at the carved roof. His
colleagues were perhaps somewhat
moved in my favor. for a few words
passed between them. However, in the
end they shook their heads. and the
president mechanically asked me If
had anything further to say.
Nothing" l replied bitterly. The
cynical heedlessness, his
air of one whose mind is made up.
seemed so cruel to me, whose life was
at stake. that lost patience. Except
what I have said" I continued, that
for the wounding, it was done in error,
and for the gate seizing, I would do it
again to save the lives of those with
me. Only that and this-that l am a
foreigner ignorant of your language
and customs. desiring only to pass
pea cefully through your country"
THAT is all?" the president asked i'm
AL" answered, yet with a strange
tightening at my throat. Was 1t all?
All could say for my lire!
l was waiting. sore and angry and
desperate, to hear the sentence, when
there came an interruption. Master
whose presence at my side
had forgotten. broke suddenly into
torrent of impassioned words, and his
urgent voice, ringing through the court,
seemed in a moment to change its as
pect-to infuse into 1t some degree of
life and sympathy. More than one gut
tural exclamation, which seemed to
mark approval, burst from the throng
ut the back of the hall. In another
indeed, the Dutchman's cour-
age might have saved me. but there
was one who marked the danger. The
who had at first only glowered
at the speaker in rude establishment,
now cut him short with harsh ques-
ton.
lone moment, Master Dutchman!" he
cried. Are you one of the heretics