Evening star., 1941-09-23
advanced with the black ring in the
palm of his outstretched hand.
EliZab beth Asks for Letter.

Eliza beth Asks for Letter.
1T is true, then" murmured Eliz-
abeth as she accepted and studied
the token. Mary is dead"
She was tall, slim and red-haired
this strange young woman who
was the last of the Tudors-with
deep-set eyes and dead white skin.
There was intelligence in the fine
forehead, resolution in the long aqui-
line nose, determination in the tight
Tipped mouth The daughter Of
Anne Boleyn, Warburton felt, would
be a great queen.
Elizabeth curled her long fingers
over the ring and addressed the
room at large: "All of you may retire
save Master Warburton." Then when
the great door had closed behind the
dismissed attendants, the Queen
smiled upon the man before her.
You are to be complimepted, sir,
upon your discretion" She held
out hand. The letter, if you
please"
Letter." Warburton's heart gave
a sickening lurch. There could be
but one letter-and Bartholomew
Montjoie had it!
Come, sir!" said Elizabeth. AN
end to pretense. We are alone?"
There was the faintest hint of anx-
iety in the words. Where is the
letter."
Your majesty" stammered War
burton. Your messenger entrusted
me only with the ring-but there
was a letter-addressed to the King
of France"
That is it," Elizabeth interrupted.
Where is it?"
Warburton bowed his head. 1T is
on its way to France"
ITO France!' The pale face of the
Queen drained Of all blood. And
you let it go, bringing me only
this" She flung the ring from
her in anger.
Elizabeth Offers Service.
"My gracious sovereign" to his
bowed head Warburton now added a
bended knee, "if I have blundered-
if have distressed you-it has been
Elizabeth had regained some OF
her composure. Tell me more, sir.
1t may not be too late to do some
thing"
In inscrutable silence she listened
to Warburton's account of his ad-
ventures; the escape from Newgate,
the death of the messenger. the bar
gain with Montj joie over letter and
ring, the attempt to poison and kill
Warburton and the gallant inter-
vention of blind Arthur Vance. II
have no excuse to offer, highness,"
Warburton concluded, save that I
was starving"
The slim fingers drummed on the
arms Of the chair Il do not CEN
sure you, Adam Warburton. Were
it not for the predicament in which
you have placed me, I could SYM
pathize with you Speaking dispas-
you deserve death. but
instead of ordering you to the gall
lows. l shall offer you chance to
undo the mischief you have done
In fact, I must do it. Without that
letter I cannot-I dare not-accept
the throne"
Your highness has only to COM
mand me-
Elizabeth spoke carefully, the
fingers perfectly still now:
Il wrote that letter when imprisoned
in the Tower. to save my head from
the block and gain my freedom.
With it. Mary was safe from me, for
Of its contents would
destroy utterly my claim to the
throne. When Mary was dying 1
realized that she might have the let
ter forwarded after her death to
Spain. Scotland or France; so. os-
tensibly dispatching messenger for
the ring, 1 secretly instructed him
to procure the letter. That it was
addressed already to King Francis
proves that had judged Mary cor
rectly."
n lVuS
What fool I have been!" War
burton groaned heavily.
How strong is your loyalty to me
to England? You know what it
means. if I am removed. England
becomes the property of Mary
Stuart, and it is not impossible that
she may bear son for her husband,
the King of France. What. then. Is
the fate of England? To lose her
Identity in that of France. Then
there is Philip. With me out of the
way, he may make a play for the
English Isles, and then England be-
comes a part of Spain-like the
Netherlands
All that was true, reflected War
burton. Only Elizabeth stood be-
tween a free England and state of
mo need to plead your
cause with me. princess he smiled.
Il am with you, heart and soul, hand
and sword"
Then you must secure that letter
for me. You are the only man who
knows what this Montjoie looks like.
It is to be hoped that you find him
before he leaves the country, but
you must follow him to France If
necessary. And I charge YOU"
earnestly, ION your word of honor,
not to glance at one word of that
letter."
mot one word-upon my sacred
honor"
IF you cannot bring it back to
me, destroy 1t unread. And you
must kill not only Montjoie but
every one whom you suspect of hav-
Ing read the letter. Every one. you
hear. Even the King of France, II
it comes to that"
Your Grace!" stammered War
burton. II am no assassin!"
But she brushed the objection
aside with the curt reminder that
he had no choice. Followed then
a busy hour while the energetic
Queen set into motion the machin-
cry that would avert the calamity
she feared. Midafternoon saw War;
burton on the road once more. re-
turning to the tavern of Underhill
to begin his search for Montjoie.
He was not alone. With him rode
Master John Carewe, a member of