The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-08
IN MARYS REIGN
By BARONESS ORGY

The women were ali wearing becom-
tng gowns. sombre OF hue a. befitted
the occasion His Grace OF wessex was
so handsome. there was sure to be an
occasion for tears.
But only as q pieasurabls sentiment.
Like one feels at the play. where the
actor expresses feelings. yet is himself
cold and unimpassioned. What His
Grace himself would feel was never
considered. The crowd had come to
see. some had paid three-pence for q
clearer sight Of the accused. and all
meant to enjoy themselves that day.,
Proud Wessex! thou hast sunk to
this, q spectacle for q common holiday
Thy face win be scanned lest one
twitch escaped thy shoulders. II they
stoop, thy neck II II bend! A thousand
eyes viii be fixed upon thee In curios-
ity. In Observation-Disclosures In pityl
Ye gods. what q fall.
The Lord High Steward Of England
was expected to arrive at 10 o'clock.
In the centre OF the great court .
large scaffold had been erected, not far
from the Lord Chancellor's Court. In
the middle OF this there was placed q
chair higher than the rest and covered
with cloth. which bore the royal arms
embroidered at the four corners.
This was for my Lord Nigh Steward.
Each side Of him were the seats for
e-sH WV .WtAS VIEW ~ 1G ttAU ttA1t -
Great names We're whispered. az the
servants of the Knight Marshal arr
ranged these in their respective places.
There was the chair for the Earl of
Kent, and my loro Of Sussex. the Earl
Of Hartford and Lord Saint John OF
Basing, and q score OF others. for there
we're twenty-four triers In all.
On lower form were the seats for
the Judges. and in q hollow place cut
In the seaffold itself. and immediately
at the feet Of ny Lord High Steward,
the Clerk Of the Crown would sit with
his secondary.
And facing the judges and the peers
was the bar. whore presently the ex-
allied prisoner would stand.
No one was here yet OF the greater
personages; the servants were still
busy putting everything to rights: but
sorre gentlemen of the Queen's house,
hold had already arrived. ana several
noble lords who would be mere specta.
tors His Grace's friends could be
easily distinguished by the sombreness
OF their garb and the air Of grief upon
their faces. Mr.. Thomas Norton. the
Queens printer, was sorting his papers
and cutting his pens, and two Gentle
men Ushefs were receiving final in
structions from Garter King AZ Arms.
There was Indeed plenty for thA
oilers to see. Great ropes had been
the hall. leaving O wide passage from
the main entrance right Down the cen.
tire and up to the Lord High Stewards
seat. BEHIND these r0pea the crowd
was forcibly kept back. And the gos.
sip and the noise went on apace.
Laughter. too ana merry Jests. for this
was holiday my masters, presently to
be brought to a close-after the death
sentence had been passed ana everyone
dispersed-with lively jousts and co..
pfous sacks of ale.
But Of all this excitement and hustle
not q sound penetrated within the pre-
cincts OF the Lord Chancellors Court,
which His Eminence the Cardinal de
Moreno vat patiently waiting.
DESTROYS above all things Of escaping
observation, he had driven over from
Hampton Court IN the early dawn. and
wrapped IN a flowing black cloak which
efSectuaIly hid his purple robes he had
slipped into the hall and thence into
the inner court even before the crowd
had begun to collect Since then he
had sat there quietly buried in thought.
calmly looking forward to the inter
view which was destined finally to UNI ?
ravel the tangled slxetn Of his own di-
pIomacy.y Once more the destinies OF
Europe were hanging on thread; q
girls love for a man.
Well so be I'll His Eminance loved
these paipitating situations. these hair
breadth escapes from perilous positions,
which were the wine and salt OF his ex.
istence He was ready to stake his
whole future career upon q Woman's
Lowell He. who had scoffed all his life
at sentimental passions, who had used
every emotion Of the human heart aye!
ana its every suffering, merely as 20 l