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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (July 12, 1903)
Over the Border A Tale of the Days of Charles I, by Robert T. 13arr o (Copyright. 1903, by Robert Barr.) CHAPTKH XVII. Pelaon. IN TUB nrrxt morning Do Courcy called on Armstrong to take him to the king. H had thought all night, but dared not Interfere with their mission, whatever It But the Idea for a subtle revenge had coma to him and on the way to court ha proceeded to wreak It. Ha invited the Boot to bis room on pre tence that it still' was too early to see the king. There he net out wlno and asked bis attest to be seated. "I as the lady who accompanied you quite recovered from her fatigue?" asked le Courcy Indifferently. "Well, as I told you, I met her yesterday for a few moments only, and I am sorry he was not In the highest spirits, but she will be the betUr for seeing the green fields again. LJke myself, she la of the country, and does not thrive wlthJn the walls of a town." "Tea, I noticed that when she was la Lo.-vion." "In IxndonT Did you know her In Lcrn- "Oh, hasn't she told you of our relation ship? rerhaps I should not have mentioned 1L" "What do ynu mean by your relation ship? You lire. French; nho Is pure Eng lish." De Courcy threw back his head and laughed, unheeding and Indeed unnotidng the angry c lr mounting in a face that bad grown suddenly -Uer.i. "My dear comrade, there are other rela tlonHhlpa between a young man and a handsome woman than the ties of kinship. But those days are long past, and I should never have rocalled them had It not been that you two have been traveling about the country together, I make no doubt, with an Innocence that recalls the sylvan days of yore." Armstrong pushed back bis chair and rose to his feet "Sir, the lady took her brother's place, he being unexpectedly and grievously wounded. II y position has been that of trua comrade) te her." "That la precisely what I have said. X said your Journey was one of Arcadian In nocence.' "Those were your words, but your tone bears a meaning I resent." "You are quite In error. I will say no more about her." "You have already said too much or too little. Tell me In plain words what this re lationship was to which you have re ferred." "First answer me a question. Are you betrothed to France Wentworth?" "No, I told you I acted tho brother's part toward her In this Journey." "Oh, we all kh y that, but 1 urn not In the leant curious. If you intended to marry her, then were my mouth sealed. Very well; since you will have it, and 1 take your word as a gentleman pledged that you will say nothing to the girl of this until you are vlcxr of Oxford, know that 1 was onre her betrothed. She was to have been my wife, and would have ben my Wife today had her father not fallen." "Your wife!" "Yes, Her futher gave me permission to pay my court to her. She could not have been much more than 16 then, and I was her Brat lover, a personage that a girl never forgets. At first she was frightened, but that stage did not last long. Her father's ruin changed my plans and 1 re fused to marry her. I announced this refusal to her In the seclusion of my own room In Whitehall and" "Sir, you lie!" Armstrong's sword seemed to spring of Us own will from the scabbard and his hand drew it a-swisth through the air with the hiss of a deadly serpent. The French man shrugged his shoulders, but did not move. The three words of his opponent had been spoken very quietly, despite his Impulsive action. De Courcy did not raise his voice as he asked: "Which of my statements do you question?" "No matter for that. We fight on this phrase In Scotland. No man ever called me liar and lived." " T!s a coarse phrase, I admit, and, did I not represent my king were I as free as you you should have had my response In steel ere this. But I cannot wreck the king in private quarrel of my own. Whether you killed me, or I ynu, 'twould be equally diuitHtrouj to his majesty." "I cure nothing for the king. Draw, you poltroon, or l shall kill you where you Hit." "My dear Armstrong, I refu:o to bj mur dered under a mlnaprehvnslon on your part. I have said nothing ugalnst the girl. Tl.i an your own hot Mood. And, lnd ed, your brawling Is the girl's greatest danger; he might well tremble If Hhe knew your present occupation. If ym run jour -nimble sword through mo you give th -rl to the fate that befell her father." ' At the first word of rtnnger ti Franco tho point of Armstrong's blade sank to the Boor and he tood hesitating. A gleam of triumph glinted aad died In the eye of the Frenchman. He knew he ww the vlct r although the chance he had run at o.i i stage of tho game almost made his heart stop beating. "How can any action of mine Jeopardise Miss Wentworth?" "If the King knew this lady was within his Jurisdiction, she would be Instantly arrested, tried and condemned. She en tered Whitehall the day her father was ex ecuted for the sole purpose of murdering Charles. I prevented the carrying out of that purpose, and these scars on my face are the results of my Interference with a maddened woman." "Again, you lie. yet If she had killed yon both she would but have accomplished the Justice of Ood." "As to the truth or falsity of say sta ta ins' man. The king's game's up, and I shake the duet of Oxford from my feet tonight Saint Denla. If she had only known! Every man In Oxford distrusts me except the King." When Armstrong was brought before Charles a great pity filled him aa he gazed for the first time on that gaunt, haggard face, the face of a beaten man, with his back to the wall. He found no difficulty In convincing the king that he was a well accredited envoy, and his majesty Inquired eagerly about the disposition of the Scottish people toward him. the number likely to take the field In his behalf, who then probe ble leaders were and hew soon they would be ready for the fray. All these "I congratulate you, Sir William," said the Frenchman. The sight of the smile aroused the new hatred against the man which was smoldering In his heart and he made no reply to the greeting, but said to the king: "Sire, the only thanks I can tender ynu, is haste to the north, and may Ood make my arm as strong to defend this signature as my heart Is true to your majesty." With that he turned his back upon roy alty, a grievous breach In the eyes of cour. tiers, and fled. "Ood grant It," said the king, with a sigh, as he sank once more In the seat from whence be had risen. "There Is no doubt of It," said De 1 if-. VD lie!" Armstrong's sfoord seemed to spring q its cfarn h)ilt from the scabbard. sKSEasssaessp Stents, regarding which you make com ments of unseemly terseness, you may ask the king when you see him or you may ask the lady herself when you get her out of Oxford. If you precipitate a turmoil here, you are like to tumble her pretty head In the basket. When this war la done with I will go far to teach you the correct method of addressing a gentleman." Armstrong's sword dropped Into scab bard again, and he drew a breath that was a sigh. The poison was already at work. He remembered the distress of the girl on the road, and her wail, 'I am not worthy of the love of any honest man.' "I shall never question her or any other, but will believe her lightest word against the world when she condescends to tell me. Meanwhile I shall get her out of this thieves' den as soon as may be, and by God when I meet you " De Courcy had rison, and now bowed slightly to his perturbed guest. "Sir, you shall meet me at 13, and it will be ray privilege to conduct you to his Majesty. Good morning." Ho stood by the window overlooking the quadrangle und watched his lite visitor cross It, staggering once as If he had par tuken freely of the wine which remained untasted on the table. As the Scot disap peared under the archway De Courcy laughed. "My fine strutting cockrel," he muttered; "I'll lay you by the heels before two days . nt. Cromwell's at Broughton, curse ttling tongue. How many more has .-.kl of meT Never Dklnd. He's the corn- questions Armstrong answered as hope fully aa he could in deep commiseration for a defeated man. The king commanded one of the secretaries to write out the re quired commission and while this was being done Armstrong related to Mm the purport of the papers which he had not dared to bring with him. The names of the nobles were inserted In the document from the dictation of the scot, then the king's seal waa affixed and Charles signed the parch ment. He seemed In feverish haste to get the business done with, as if every moment lost was Irreparable. When the Ink was dry and the parchment folded, Armstrong placed It in safe keeping within his vest. While thus engaged, the king said a word to the secretary who handed him a light rapier, then whispered to the messenger the single word., 'Kneel. The Scot flushed to think he had been wanting in the etiquette of tho court, his kind heart yearn ing to proffer any deference which should be rendered to a monarch, more especially that he was no longer In a position to enforce the homage. He dropped on one knee and bowed his head. Charles rising, touched the rapier blade lightly upon the shoulder of the kneeling man, saying. "Rise, Sir William Armstrong and he as sured that If ytm bring this poor signature of mine to Scotland there is no title In my gift you may not demand of me." Armstrong rose, awkward as a school boy, not knowing where to look or what to say until he caught the cynical smile "of Pe Courcy standing at the right hand aide of the kin. Courcy, softly. "Doubt of what?" asked the king. "The oath he took will sit lightly on his conscience. He prayed that his arm's strength might equal Ids heart's fealty. I distrust those who talk glibly of their hearts, and his was a most ambiguous prayer. If his heart be not true, and he made no assertion that It was, his strong arm will avail us little." "Surely if ever honesty beamed from a man's face it was from Armstrong's. The Scot's are trustworthy men." "Some of them, your majesty." Uneasy suspicion came into the sunken eyes of the king as he turned them on his chamberlain. "What do you fear, De Courcy?" "I have been studying the man these three days past. I accepted without ques tion his assurances, and threw him oft his guarcV Cromwell loves an honest looking envoy, and from what Armstrong said, I am sure he saw Cromwell no further away than Northampton. He was very ready with his account of his own country people, but he told us nothing about the marvelous luck that brought him safely through a hostile land, which we know, to our cost, Is admirably patrolled. There is young Rudby, gone this month and more to Kdlnburgh, and yet no word of him. And this stranger expects us to believe be came over the same ground unscathed and unquestioned In less than a week." "Oh, Ood! Oh. Ood! In whom can I ' place dependence," cried the tortured king, burying his head In Ids hands. Then ho