The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-11-07
CHAPTER VIII.
AN ORDER FOR a PARsoN.

tNu wi HACI .CLdhIy WlCh oaElCh
out into the little hall and greeted her
with embraces.
"Ohl Peggie, Peggie, I have been
counting the minutes for your return"
she cried, literally dancing round her.
Since you went away, all sorts Of de-
lightful things have happened. Our
boEess have come from Yorkshire;
think OF II, all finery-packed any
how. to be sure. but a hot iron will
repair h d~amage--and we can go to
court and to church and to the play,
and TO the Duchess OF Marlborough's
masquerade Oh! Peggie, I am crazy
with joy!" and she kissed her cousin
again, with an ardor that must have
been rather exasperating to Sir Geoff-
reyS who was looking on.
BY this time. Peggfe had thrown OF
her wraps, and forgetting air about
Robin, had become az joyously as PrHe.
"Ohi the ncasquerade-shall we be
IfnvitedH / was breaking my heart to
think OF missing Iii"
I'VE are invited Scarcely had the
trunks arrived, when there came O
messenger from the duchess with the
Invitations for the masquerade, and a
note bidding me to dinner with her
grace, tomorrow, at noon. Think how
overjoyed + was to be able to accept
both invitations. I flew up to grand
mother to give her the good news
hNNSA AAAAAAAItHS AVN IHdI BIG WOItu
do aught but scotland found her in
a most gracious mood. She gave me
a lovely lace founce. Oh! Peggie, you
know her rose-point2 there's some for
you, too; and what do you think2 She
offered to lend me her pearls, and
promised to give us fifty guineas to
help make US ~presentable at the queens
! newsr And now, Peggie, you must
help me prepare for tomorrow; that is
even more important than the mask,
for IL the duchess should be In great
good humor with her little Prue, she
might take her to Kensington Palace
to make her peace with the queen!'
Tomorrow morning you have al.
cried Peggie. laughing. II see, how
ever, that Door Robin was right in
thinking you might change your mind
before L got back"
Robin" Prue glanced at Sir
Geoffrey, and turned scarlet. Then her
eyes danced with mischief. Tell us
all about It, Peggie; Sir Geoffrey may
as, well enjoy the Joke" 49,
Margaret hesitated, and would have
changed the subject. but Prue, wilful
as usual, would not be denied.
""Tis too good~to keep" she laughed.
You mist know, Sir Godfrey, that /
am desperately in debt; tits no secret,
though no one but Peggie knows how
| have been driven and harried by my
creditors. Well, in utter despair. / hit
upon a most original way OF paying
my debts. / decided to be the widow
OF Robin Freemantle. who Is con-
demned to. be hanged next Monday"
The, widow of Robin Freemantle!"
he exclaimed, with evident mystical
ton. Pray, how can you be q widow
without first being q wife?'
That was the only difficulty" cried
Prue, with a mock serious air, so /
persuaded Peggie togo to Newgate and
ask Robin to marry me. Did he con-
sent, PeggieR Did he make terms and
demand a bride, or am I forestalled by
some fair Molly OF the Minories, and.
must I pine in the Fleet, or marry good
Mr.. Aarons?" =. q
Sir Geoffrey. who was. perhaps, a,
little deficient In sense OF humor, could
not dissemble hIS' p~erpIexity. He had.
passed the afternoon at the feet OF his
|capricfous mistress, or rather under
the high heels of her dainty Slippers,
for she had laughed at his vows and
persisted In turning his poetic rhapso-
dies into coolest prose. Even her Joy
over the arrival OF her trunks and the
duchess invitations, had not improved
matters, for h took little pains to
conceal that the prospect Of returning.
to the field OF her former trinmphs had
psaMakened "a thirst for further con
guest. which might prove disastrous,
both to his matrimonial views and his
rash wager. SO
1t was certainly disconcerting to hear
his betrothed calmly discussing her
possible marriage with this one and
that one, while he was racking his
brain to devise some means of marry
ing her without burdening himself with
the debts she must needs bring in her
little hand. And Sir Geoffrey had
already discovered that Prudence was
never so likely to be serious, sasAwhen
she appeared most frivolous. .. .
Miss Moffat has beea@to Newgate? p,
he exclaimed. gPssping that one fact
out Of a. b~ewilderfng array OF vague
a~dventurel And did you really see the
~miscreantP" -
IT saw ,him,"F replied Peggie, and
Tor a nigcreant, he was ~reallygqnite i'm
offensive and even agreea5ie,p she
smiled furtiyely, as she thought of the
two kisses he had stolen, "and IL Prue
VIII choose thai way out Of her
marry her tomorrow. IL she win provide
the priest and the ring"
Prue glanced at her. sutton and OBJ
serving his doWncast eyes and the
thoughtful frown upon his brow,
thought the joke had been carried far
enough, even IOr ner perYerse INT
May, dearBPeggie, tits enough folly
for once" she said, let the poor fell
low die in peace. What good would II
do megto. be. the widow of a malefactor
publicly hanged2 iI&could never claim
the rights ofssuch'a widowhoodi",4t
"Ityneed not be known. coz" Peggie
eagerly suggested. He has another
.name--one quite familiar to you-and
Though he will die az Robin Freemantle,
he viii be married and buried under his
own name--or what he claims as his
own-Rohert Gregory, de Clinfe."
Both her hearers repeated the name
In tones OF establishment, de Ciifrel"
"Of course. II Is an assumed name,
but twill serve. none the less" said
Sir Geoffrey with a constrained smile.
+ DE Clife," repeated Prue; "'twouId
be strange, indeed, IL that name be-
came mine by such d means. Lord
Beachcombe would be greatly edited,
IL he knew / had a second opportunity
of bearing his family name" She
laughed merrily, IF such a thing could
De K seriously, this would almost
tempt me-"
And why not?H cried Peggie. Il
protest ! see no reason for throwing
away such a chance. You marry the
man. tomorrow, and. on Monday you