The Washington times., 1913-05-23
CHAPTER XIII.
In the Midst of Alarums.

-HE clock had struck 10 when
there came the knock for which
Thomsine realized she had oeen
waiting. Joan rose from the
hearth, where she had sat knitting, and
opened to my Lord Staversham.
He came to the bedside, the weary
Governor of Kings Staversham. Part
ly he thought of Carisford whose body
now In two short hours he must give
TO earth.
Partly he thought of Erisey. on when
more than he had realized until this
disasterous day he had relied.
Little strength indeed had he to be-
stow on this thwart affair of Won ker-
stenbroock and the possible share that
.nomsine Musgrove prayed therein.
Yet honestly he believed that with
all his brain he was beating on that
problem. He had come to the chamber
solely TO look with his own eyes, that
he might avoid asking the question
that, to ask, were insult.
He came to look, but all that he saw,
with DULY interested eyes, was Thom-
sine Musgrove.
At his first word Of conventional COM
fort and his hand upon ner shoulder,
Thomsine burst into tears of shame,
30 utterly did she feel herself iaise
hypocrite to him.
And Thomsine no longer cried, as a
year before, like a little boy. Her small.
firm bosom heayed. her rudy eyes
brimmed over, her unbound silky hair
fell screening round her flushed face.
With all his eyes Staversham looked,
to the forgetting of the half-framed
purpose with which he had come
thither.
II he were but younger by a poor ten
years, he shaped the wish OF a t"eivs-
month gone. In that thought, with
murmured words of comfort, ne bent
and kissed Thomsine.
Thomsine stopped repenting of the
part that she was forced to play toward
him.
She hated him, and suddenly she had
found out why she hated him. When
she saw the door close upon him, she
seized a corner of the sheet and with II
scrubbed her cheek, where MS lips had
She remembered how. a year ago. she
had striyen thus to rub out the memory
OF a kiss of her own bestowal- But
doubtless Won Kerstenbroock long since
"Now Mistress Tomsy." Joan stood at
the bedside and spoke as calmly as II
she went about the purchase OF farth-
SrI cen fetch hither file to the dis
"Ioanr Thomsine was willing to ac-
claim her, head and shoulders above
Doll FRYE and her iIk. but she did not
get look for the miraculous.
"But how wilt thou 50! ~
Easily done, T. faith!" said Joan; DO
Won NOT know-. Nay, how should you
know the gossip o. the base court. and
yexed were /, sootk, that my ladys
child should know II
"'Tis lob Carpenter. in verify, and a
lusty young man he Is, and le:sns 10
have a taking way with woman, put
the old lass is not blind OF more man
one eye," Joan nodded compiacentiy.
.''Tis my annuity he hath heard OF,
yea, and the snug little bit l put in my
good lady's service. Mary, a would
spend among the wenches. whilst the
old wife sat at home and blew the coais.
and SO have read him. plain as print:
but now will I glad him wi dafins an
hour in his chamber, where his tools lie
scattered, and, careless husbandman
that he be, / question will he mark the
loss of one slight file"
Thou blessed JOAN said Thomsine,
and her smile was divine.
Needs must" Joan grumbled, ana
etalked away.
The clock struck noon. The bells OF
the village church were toliing slow.
One feeting thought Thomsine gave 10
the corpse that hour borne TO the tomb
of the Gascoignes-to the LAD that
should have been her welded mate
Then she thought of matters more I'M
portant.
Was not Joan lingering overlong? She
fell 70 listening to the sound Of her own
heart-beats
The clock was striking one. when Joan
boited the door behind her.
Here's good cruel for ye: Mistress
Tomsy. she spoke. 'Tis all dared
But made shift to stow a bite O. bread
ana meat into my pocket"
Joan" prayed Thomsiue. upright In