The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-03-27

refuse a favor that is so hard to ask
and so easy to grant,,
B~eachcombe laughed unpleasantly.
Come, dear Viscountess," he said, ana
his tone. though bland, was tinged with
linsolence, II know Of old your thirst
for adventure, but surely 1t has been
slaked by the romantic episode Of the
queens necklace INT the mysterious
spiriting away OF your cavalier-your
knight Of the road-by Barbara Sweet
ing! The excitement OF the affair has
ev~aporated; its novelty has stalled.
Waste no more of your enchanting
Wiles on SO sorry a subject. I have
made up my mind, and even for the
sake of the most charming of women.
/ will not change It," .
Yet I think / may induce you," said
Prue, undoubtedly, because to my Ger
tain knowledge Captain de Cliffe has a
wife n those precious papers are in
her possession. She knows their value,
too, and will only give them UP on her
own terms. IL You will not grant. me
this gentleman's life as a favor-will
you make q bargain with herr
Astonjshment and doubt struggled
with Lord B~eachcombe's self command,
but he kept an unnoved face, although
an tnkling OF the truth began to force
itself upon him. Not the whole incred-
ible truth, Of course. but enough to
make him suspect that Lady Prudence
/ DAuOhO was IlOTc G1dH COHlI1ODly III
terested in the subject Of their discus
sion. s. ...0 ell.
'.And what might be the terms of the
bargain?" he demanded, after a brief
hesitation. "~
You had better settle them with
Captain de Cfffe," she said, and I
pledge my word that his wife will agree
to whatever will satisfy him"
7 will make no terms with him."
said B~eachcombe, sullenly. \ TT I listen
to any proposition 1t Is entirely for
your sake, Lady Prudence. and must
come from you and be carried out by
you alone"
She reflected , "a few moments, while
he watched her intently.
This Is my proposal" h said, at
last. That you will liberate your cap
tive, giving him such time to reach q
place OF safety as he considers neces-
sary. And then when you have re-
ceived the packet you will engage not
to a n steps to prevent his leav-
ing the country. In return l promise
that his wife will consider the whole
matter at an end and regard the claim
as though 1t had never existed"
And when / have liberated him and
given him every opportunity to elude
justice, what security have l that
those papers will be delivered to me?"
he demanded.
II myself will be hostage for him.
Send Steve with him and when he re-
turns, having left his master in safety,
I win hand you the packet. Does that
satisfy your"
Robin, sitting on the corner Of a table,
a little apart, could only guess from q
word here and there that arose above
the low voiced colloquy hat Prue was
making terms for him, the conditions
Of which 1t was not difficult to divine.
Cruelty as it irked him to see her plead
t~~ TfA a Coz hA- NO.
he resisted the strong temptation to
interfere, as he certainly would have
done could he have known that she
was offering to remain a hostage to
this INSCRIPTIONS mar until his safety
had been purchased by her acknowl-
edgment Of their marriage. She was
too we'll aware of that to admit him
to the conference.
Lord Beachcombe, sullenly balancing
pros and cons, found 1t no easy matter
to decide between the qualification Of
his revenge upon Robin and the fear
of losing Via might be his last chance
Of securing the, coveted documents.
It Is impossible to say how long he
might have f~luctuated between two de-
sires equally importunate, but it was
at last borne In upon the sluggish ur-
rent of his intelligence that the GER
tificates were possibly that m In
the possession OF Lady Prudence
Brooke. who certainly would not hest
tate to use them for his humiliation II
he exasperated her.
"What will you do II 1 r~efuse?' no
sal at last.
Then" said Prue, with spirit, II
shall go straight from here to the
duchess Of Marlborough and lay the
whole story-including the documents
before her. h has pledged herself
to grant me any request l make OF her.
and will not consider the life OF a
highwayman too high a price to cancel
her debt to me-"
THE duchess is no longer the power
behind the throne aid Beachcombe.
with a scowl. IF o rely upon her
influence
II do not rely upon that alone" said
Prue, retaining her patience with the
greatest difficulty; Il will go to the
queen herself and plead with her-oh!
when / show her my heart she cannot
resist the appeal of my prayers and
tears" n forgot for the moment
where she was and who was her lis
tener. and in imagination was already
at the feet other royaLmistress. Beach
combe regarded the sapphire ewes
sparkling through unshed tears and the
piteous tumul of the lovely bosom be-
meath the laces Of her bali dress. and
his pulse quickened dizzily.
: "If her gracious majesty were a. king.
I think he would give you whatever
you were pleased to ask he breathed.
Prue-"
And can you refuse me, when with
a word you can secure my gratitude
my friendship-for life" She stretched
out her hands with a gesture SO allur-
ing, and turned upon him a look OF
such compelling appeal as might have
melted even a colder heart than his,
He could not altogether resist her. but
he still sought to temporize.
CONTINUED Next Week.)