Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-02-21
-THE-
Storyof Francis Cludde
A Romance Of Queen Mary's Reign.
BY TANLEY J. WEYMAN.
BY STANLEY J. WEYMAN.

3 an Fo' way ~ NANN
people / should have thought as lttle
of shame, for if the old may not lay
hand to the young, being related, Where
is TO be any obedience? Now, however
my first glance met the g%rinning faces
OF strange lackeys, and while my shout
ders still smarted the laughter or a
couple Of soberly clad pages stung q
hundred times more sharply. i glared
furiously round, and my eyes fell on
one face--a face long remembered. III
was hat OF a man who neither smiled
nor laughed; q man whom | recognized
Immediately. not by his sleek hackney
or his purple cassock,, which a riding
coat partially concealed, or even by his
jeweled hand, but by the keen glance OF
power which passed over me, took me
in and did not acknowledge me; which
saw my humiliation without interest or
amusement. The look hurt me beyond
smarting OF shoulders. for it conveyed
to me in the twentieth part of a second
how very small a person Francis Cludde
was, and how very great a parsonage
was Stephen Gardiner, whom In my
thoughts had presumed 10 belittle.
/ stood irresolute a moment, shifting
my feet and glowering at him, my face
on fire. But when he raised his hand to
give the benediction, and the more de-
vout, or those with mended hose, fell
OH lHelT knees III the Uluu, l. luIIcu NY
back abruptly, and climbing the wall
flung away across the chase.
What, Sir Anthony" l heard him
say as / stalked off. his voice ringing
clear and incisive amid the r~everential
science which followed the Latin words.
Have we a hereto here, cousin? How
is this? So near home too"
1T is my nephew, my lord bishop" /
could hear Sir Anthony answer apology
in his tone, and a willful boy at times.
You know of him, He has queer no.
tons OF his own, put into his head long
ago"
/ caught no more, my angry strides
carrying me put OF earshot. Fuming, /
hurried across the long damp grass,
avoiding here n there the fallen limb
OF an elm or a huge round of holly.
/ wanted to get out OF the way and be
out of the way, n made such haste
that before the slowly moving caval-
cade had traversed one-half of the in
terval between the road and the house
| had reached the bridge which crossed
the moat. and pushing my way impa-
tiently through the maids and solutions
who had flocked to ii to see the show
had passed into the courtyard.
The light was failing, and the place
looked dark and gloomy in spite of the
warm glow of burning logs which
poured from the lower windows and
some show Of green boughs which had
been placed over the doorways in honor
of the occasion. | glanced up at a lat
tice in one of the gables, the window of
Petronilla's little parlor. There was
no face at it. and / turned fretfully into
the ~hall-and, yes, there she was,
perched up in one OF the high window
seats. She was looking out on the
chase. as the maids were doing.
Yes, as the maids were doing. She,
too. was watching for his high might
ness l muttered, and hat angered me
afresh. / crossed the rushes in silence
n climbed up beside her.
"Well,"I said u~ngraciously as she
started, hearing me at her shoulder,
well, have you seen enough of him yet,
cousin? You will, / warrant you. be-
fore he leaves. A little of him goes
far"
"A little OF whom, Francis?" she
asked simply.
Though her voice betrayed some Won
der at my rough tone, she was so
much engaged with the show that she
did not look at me Immediately. This,
of course, kept my anger warm, and
/ began to feel that she was in the con-
spiracy against me.
"Of my lord Of Winchester, of
course" / answered. laughing rudely.
"Of Sir Hot Pot"
why do you call him that?" she re-
monstrated in gentle wonder, and then
she did urn her soft dark eyes upon
me. She was a slender. willowy girl III
those days. with a complexion clear,
yet pale-a maiden all bending and
g~racefulness, yet with a great store
of secret firmness. as | was to learn.
He seems as handsome an old man."
she continued. "as l have EVER met, and
stately and benevolent, too. as I see
him at this distance. What is the mat.
ter with you. Francis? What has put
you out?"
Put me OUT" / retorted angrily.
Who said anything had put me out?'
But I Redeemed under her eyes. / was
longing to tell her all and be comforted.
while at the same time I shrank with n
mans shame from saying to her that
i had been beaten.
II can see that something Is the mat
ter" she said sagely, with her head on
one side. and that air of being the eld-
er which she often assumed with me,
though she a really the younger by
two years. Why did you not wait for
the others: Why have you come home
alone? Francis" with sudden convic-
ton. you have vexed my father, That
is it,"
HE has beaten me like a dog" I
blurted out passionately, land before
them all. Before those strangers he
fiogged met"
She had her back to the window. and
some faint CLEAN OF wintry sunshine,
passing through the gules of the shield
blazoned behind her, cast a red stain
on her dark hair and shapely head.
She was silent. probably through pity
! or CONSERVATION. but I could not sec
her face and misread her. / though;
her hard. and, resenting this, Dragged
on with a lads empty violence.
He did, but / will not stand II, ]
give you warning. / won stand It
Petronilla." and I stamped. young
bully that l vas. until the
dust sprang out of the board;
and the hounds by the distant
hearth jumped up and whincd. mo
not for all the base bishops in Eng.
land." l continued, taking a step tni!
way and that. He had better not do i
again! If ne does, l tell o 1t viii b,
the worse for some Cne!"
Francis" she exclaimed abruptly
you must not speak In hat way"
But l was too angry to be ~silenced
though instinctively l changed my
ground.
stephen Gardiner," l cried furious.
ly. Who is Stephen Gardiner, l should
like To know? He mas no right to cal
himself Gardiner at all! DIR. Stephen.
he used 10 call himself, / have heard
A child with no name bur his goliath
er,s: that is what ne is, for all his airs
and his bishopric! Who is he to lool
on and see a Cludde beaten? IL m,
4 l4nriQ hnnG nnf IN l. a na q