THE ( XMATIA DAILY BEE : STTSSTDAY , PEBTMJABY 13 , 3800.
/ < 5.R..Crocketi >
Al/rvon ortue
CIIAI'THK 1,1V. C'onllntieel.
Tlic Sncrlilee < o llnrrnii-Sittlmiin .
( Miles de Ilotz waited till his acolytes had
retired to their appointed places , where they
ttood lllto carvcn statues watching what
tboulJ happen. Then slowly nntl deflber-
atoly IIP ascended to < tlio liroad platform
from whlr-h tlio Iron nltar rose , and stood
iwlth his arms folded over bis flame-colored
robe , looking gloatingly down upon lite In
nocent victims. Maud Llndcsay was tbo
nearer to him , and her unbound hair fell
buck anil touched tlio peak of his pointed
bhoo of crlmion leather.
With a quick movement ho caught up a
liaiiilful of Its' rich luxuriance and allowed
9t ito run through his fingers like sand again
nnd again , with apparent delight In the scn-
Ktitlon
Kven as ho dlfl BO the dim flguro of the
Iiorned demon above appeared to lean for
ward as If to touch him , nnd with a rushing
nolso the great hourglass set upon a pedestal
nt the foot of the Imago turned Itself com
pletely over. Oines turned aluo with a
startled nlr nnd seeing what It was ho
laughed a lrange , hollow laugh.
"It Is Indeed tlio hour , the hour of doom ,
fair maids , " ho said , looking down upon
them ni deferentially as It ho bad been pay-
Inn his court in the great hall of Tlirleve ,
"but It shall not pass without taking -with
It your souls to another and , I trust , a
hlplior sphere. "
Ho paused , but no complaint nor appeal
came -'o lib cnicl nnd Inexorable ear. The
certain graclousncss of l'ro\ldenco to those.
In extreme peril seemed to have blunted the
edge of fear In the Innocent victims. They
lay still and apparently without conscious
ness upon the Iron altar. The red glow
played upon their faces , shining through
from the Inner chamber , and the Ogure of
the marshal stood out black agilnst It.
On the lloor lay the goblet from whVch ho
had drunk the rod mirk.
"ai\o mo the knlfo ! " ho cried , suddenly
la Mown ,
BS a tiumphot that
And , reaching a withered hand within the
marshal's chamber as If to detach something
from the wall , La. MclTrayo hobbled quickly
ncros-j toward the nltar platform , bearing In
her hand , a shining blade of steel , broad of
lil.ido and curved ut the point. She placed
thd ebony handle In the marshal's hand ,
vhn weighed It lovingly In his grasp.
Then for the llrst tlmo since the men had
( bound her , the sweet childish ejes of llttlo
aiargnret were unclosed and looked up at
GillcH do Iletz with the touching wonder of
helplessness and Innocence.
At that moment the Imago appeared to
J.aurenco to beckon to him out of the gloom
A quick and nervous resolve ran through
Ills veins. Ills muscle * became llko steel
within his Hcsh. Ho rose to his feet nnd
ju-shed without pause for thought acrobs the
ch.ipol from the nlcho whcro he had boon
Million.
"Murdcrci ! Fiend ! I will kill you ! " ho
cried , and with Ills dagger bare In his hand
ho would have thrown himself upon the
marshal. But swifter than the rush of the
young man In his strength thorp came another -
ether from the door of the Inner chamber.
Wltli n deep-throated roar ot wholly bos-
tlal fury Asturte , the blie-wolf spiang upon
Laurence , nnd , though ho sank his dagger
twlio deep Into her hairy cheat , she overborn
him and they fell to the ground with her
teeth gripping his shoulder. Laurence felt
Iho hot blond of the beast spurt forth and
inlnglo with his own. Then a Hood of Bwlrl-
Ing waters seemed to bear him suddenly
nwiy Into the unknown.
When Laurence M.icKlm came to himself
ho emerged Into a chill world Inwhich ho
felt bomehow Inllnltcly lonely and forsaken.
Next ho grow slowly conscious that his feet
nnd arms were hound tightly with cords tlmt
cut painfully Into the flesh Then ho rea-
ll/cd that lie , lee , hud taken his place bc-
ulilo the maids upon the altar of Iron.
Strangely enough , ho did not feel afraid nor
c\on wish himself elsewhere. Ho only won
dered what would liappon next.
Ho opened his eycH end lo' they looked
tlh oelly Into it ho leerlnft counte-mnce of
th imnibtroiiR Imago Yet there seemed
rx > methlng strangely encouraging end
oven beneficent about Hio aRpe--t of the
demon Hut sr > often ns Glllos do Kctz
pat sod the array of his victims with his
IwcU to the image , itho regard of the sculp
tured devil followed him , grim and mocking.
Words of angry altercation came to the
earn of Liurcnco MacKlm.
"I toll you , " cried fho voice of Ollles do
not1 will not spare them. Well-nigh
liad I succeeded Almost was I young again.
I was lasting the llrst sweetness of knowl- |
cdgo wldo us that of Uio gods. I felt the
now llfo stirring within mo. But I hid not |
enough of the blood of Innoeenco , which Is
the only worthy libation to Barran-Sath-
niiat ) , who nlono c.m bestow now lifo. "
Then the Ivady Sybllla answered him. "I
juuy you , Olllrfl do Iletz , as you hope for
moryr , ( day not these * maidens nnd thla
youth. Tiiko mo and bind mo Instead , for
itho Mcrlllco of death. I have wrought
enough of evil ! Take of my blood and
* work out your puriioso. Lot mo glvo you
the libation you iloslro. ( lilies do Hctz , If
c\cr I have aided you , grant mo this boon
now. I beseech you lot itheso Innocents KO
end bind moupon the altar In their place "
Long and loud laughed ( Jlllos du Itctz , a
Uiard , evil and ruloiitlras laugh
"Syhllla do 1 hoiiars an Innocent maiden's
eacilflco ! Il.in-an-Sathanas himself laughs
nt the Jest. Ho would have no pleasure In
your death. Soul and body you ere his
already. Ho desires only the blood nnd
fluff rlnff of the Innocent of those on whom
lie has never set his mark. Nay , these three
fclmll surely die , and in that bath under his.
nltar I shall l.ivo mo from head to foot In
the red nilllc of Innocence. I have no more
need of you , Sybllla mine , Ton bavo done
your work , and for reward you can dopirt
to your own place. Out of my vvay , I say.
I hu\e l > eon
o infill and pnarltYU laimlvu ( bur are slmplr won
ilL-rful. Mr ilauiibltr uml 1 imo liotlicrvd wltb
alclt iiomaah and our iTtulli n very txul. Aficr
taklnit u ( undone * of CutcarcifcHU liarolmpooTCd
wuudvtfully. THor niu u urc-at help 111 tbo taiutly. "
VVll III l.Ml.S t tl.tl.tU
1177 Uluenuouic bt , Cincinnati , Ohio.
Pleft , I'aUtablo. 1'olont , Taite Good. lo
Goad , oror blckoii V oaken or Grli > u , 10c.Sic.Wo.
. . . CURE CONSTIPATION. . . .
Ktrllnf K < ur < 7 ttmfimj , rtlrifg. KMlrtil , * t l rl. 311
.Tn.B9n bold i l Kiiarantced
I U'HHu glut to ( IVm : Tobacco ilub !
Hcnrlet , Poltou , quick ! Remove this -woman
from bcforo the allarl"
Then , struKgllng Btrongly In their hande ,
Cho servltora carrlotl Lady Bybllln to the
further end of the chapel , where they abode
on cither side , holding her fast. And as the
last grains of sand began to invlrl toward
their fall and n llttlo whirlpool to form
funnolwlao in the tnldst of the hour-glasa ,
the butcher was left alone TvUh his victims
upon the platform of the Iron altar.
allies de Hotz turned toward the Image ,
and lifting up his Imiul solemnly ho crla.l
lu a great \olce. " 0 , llarran-Sathanns , bo
well pleased to behold this Innocent blood
eplllcd glowly In thtno honor. As the red
fount flows and the red flro burns , restore
my youth nnd make mo strong. Faithfully
will I servo thcc and thca alone , renouncing
all other. O , Barrnn-Sathanas , great and
only Lord , receive my sacrifice. It Is the
hour ! "
And so saying , he laid hold of Aland
Llndosay by the hair , and raised the curved
knife on high.
Then from the end of the chapel to which
the Lady Sybllla had been taken there
came a sound. With a great despairing ef
fort she burst from her captor's hands nnd
ran forward She knelt down on the mar
ble slab whereon the maids had stood at
their flrflt entering , and as she knelt she
held nloft a golden crucifix.
"If there bo n God In heaven let him man-
roar. A triple Dlo guarded Uio prisoners ,
und even their leveled pikes could scarce
heat back the furious rushes of the popu
lace.
It was Hkf > n civil war , for the nsnallhnts
struck fiercely at the eoldlcrs UK If In pro
tecting him , they became accessory to the
crimes of the hated marshal.
"Unrbo Hlcitl Barbe Bleul" they cried
"Slay Barbo Ul ul Make his beard blood
red Ho hath dipped It often In the life
blood of our children. Now vre will redden
It with his ownl"
So ran the tumult , surging and gathering
nnd scattering. And ever the pikes of the
guard flashed , and the ordered files should
ered their way through the press.
" .Make way there ! " cried the provost mar-
ahals. "Mako way for itho prisoners of the
dukol"
And ns they entered the city from behind
and before , from all the windows nnd roofs
rose the lioarso grunting roar of the hatred
and cursing of a whole people.
In the city of Nantes the rumor of the
taking of Gllles do Hctz had spread like
wild-fire , and as the cavalcade rode through
the streets the windows rained down curses
nnd the citizens hooted up from the side
walks. But the marshal kept his haughty
and disdainful regard llko a nohlo nature
who perforce companies for the nonce with
moaner men. Ho sat his fa\orlto charger
llko the companion of Dunols nnd dc Illche-
mont , and ns moro than one remarked , on
this ooca lon he looked llko the royal prince
and the duke of Brittany the prisoner.
So In the new tower of the castle of
Nantes allies do ttotz was placed to wait his
trial. There IB no need to glvo a long ac
count of It. The documents have been
printed In plain letter , and all the world
knows how clnrk Henrlct flrst broke down
under the stern questioning of Pierre de
1'Hopltnl , and bow ho declared fully all
these Iniquities without parallel In which ho
had borne so cruel a part.
Poltou , more faithful to his master , held
out till the threat of torture nnd the appeals
ot his friend. Henrlet , broke him down.
Dut the attitude nnd bearing of the chief
culprit , however , deserve that the historian
should not wliolly pass them over.
- c. I
"AND WONT YOU MAHUYIL3 ! \ , IP I ASK YOU VERY NICELY , SHOLTO ? "
Ifcst himself now ! " she cried. "By the -slr-
tuo of Ibis cross of Jesus Christ I call upon
him' ' "
Then suddenly all the place was filled with
a mighty rushing noise. The last grains
ran low In the hour-glass. It shifted In UH
stand and turned over. A tremor like that
of an earthquake shook all the castle to Ita
foundations The solid keep Itself rocked
like a vessel In a stormy sea. The great
Imago overturned and in Its full ( lilies do
Ret ? was stricken senseless to the earth
The next moment llko Hood gates burst by
n mighty tide the doors of the temple wcio
opened with a clang and through them u
crowd of armed men came rushing In with
triumphant shouts nnd angry cries for
vengeance ,
Sholto was far ahead of the others , and
as If led by the unerring Instinct of love ho
ran to the altar whereon his love lay whlto
as death , but without a mark upon her fair
body.
It was the work of a moment to cut thcli
cords and chafe the numbed wrists nnd
nnklre. Jamea Douglas took the little Mar
garet. Sholto had his bwectheart In his
arma , whllo Laurence recovered quickly
enough to old bis father In securing Gllles
do ReU and his servants. La Mcffrayo they
took not , for she lay dead within the Inner
chamber , where yet burned the great fire
which was used to consume the bodies of
the demon's victims. Two gaping wounds
were found In her breast , in the finmo place
In which the dagger of Laurence MacKlm
had smitten the she-wolf as who sprang upon
him. But Astarte , witch or she-wolf , was
never seen again , either by starlight , moon
light nor In the eye of day. Truly of Gllles
do Retz was It said , "His demon hath de
serted him. "
Beneath , in the courts and quadrangles ,
swarming through tbo towcre nnd clamber
ing perilously on the roofa , surged the press
of iho furlrus p pul.ico U was all that Uuko
John and his officers could do to keep tbo
prisoners Inward and to prevent them from
being torn limb from limb ( as had perhaps
bcun fittest ) and tossed nllvo Into the flamIng -
Ing funeral pyre of Castle Macbecoul , which ,
lighted by 100 hands , presently began to
flame llko n volcano to the skies.
Kor the hour that comes to every evil doer
had come to Glllou do Hetz. And In that
hour , RH It shall ever be tbo devil in whom
he trusted had deserted him ,
But the. Lady Sybllla stood on tbo garden
tower that In happier days hod been her
ploaKiiunco and watched. And as she
watched she kissed the golden crucifix of the
rhllil Margaret. And her heart rejoiced bo-
CUUEO the Ihes of tlio Innocent as well as
the death of the guilty had been given her
for her portion.
"And now , O Lord , I am ready to pay the
price ! " aha said.
CIIAI'TKH IV ,
IIU Demon Ilutli Dviprtcd Him ,
The soldiers of the duke of Brittany stood
with bared swords and deadly pikes around
the Marshal de Retz nnd those of his serv
ants who bad been taken , that Is to say ,
round Poltou , Clerk Honrlct , Blnnquet and
Robin Romulart. About them surged the
angry populace , drunk with the very wine of
destruction , having been fllled with Incon
ceivable fury by that which they had been
In the round tower wherein stood the fllled
bags of little charred remains.
"Tear , the \\ol\cs Into gobbets ! Kill
[ ll.m.l ? Ilurn them ! Scnd 'aem Quick to
hell ! So ran the cry.
And twice and thrlco the villagers charged
desperately ns men who flgiit for their lives
"Stand to it. men ! " cried Pierre do 1'Hopl-
tal. "Ollloa do Retz shall hnvo fair trial ! "
"But I shall try him ! " ho added under his
breath.
Never was seen such a sight as the
procession which conducted Gllles de Retz
to the city of Nantes The duke had sent
for bis whole band of soldiers , and these
in ordered companies inarched lu front und
Even In his first haughty and contempt
uous silence Glllcb do Retz was shifting his
ground , and with a cool , unheatcd Intelli
gence oiientlng himself to the now condl-
tlonti. It soon became evident to his mlnrt
that the powers of evil , In whom ho trustoJ
nnd to whose service ho had consccrnU * ! his
life nnd fortune , bad befooled and betmyed
him.
him.Well
Well oven so would ho fool them If , by
the grace of God , there were yet any merit
or hope In the service of good. The prlcsU
said so. The scripture said so , and tvy
might he right after nil. At least the thing
was worth trying.
For a calculating brnln lay behind the ex
cesses of the terrible Lord do Retz. The
religion of the cross might not be of much
final 110 , still It was nil that remained , and
! Gllles de Retz determined to avail himself
of It. So once morf * " ipostnslsed from
Barran-Sathanns to Jehovah.
"With an effrontery almost too stupendous
for belief , he arrayed himself In the white
robes of n Cnrmollto novlco nnd spent hl
! prison days In singing lltonlea and In private
confession to his religious adviser.
| When the great day of tlio trial n.t last
arrived 'the marshal , who had expected on
I the bench the weak , kindly face of Duke
I John , was called upon to confront the In-
domltablo judicial rectitude of Plcrro de
I 1'IIoplUl , president nnd grand seneschal of
Brittany ,
Gllles do Retz appeared at his trial
dressed In nhlto of the ilchest materials
and with all his military decorations upon
him. But his judge , habited in stern and
simple black , wns not In the least Intimi
dated.
Then came the great surprise. After the
evidence of Henrlet and Poltou had been
read to him , the marshal was asked to plead.
To the surprise of all ho claimed benefit ot
clergy
"I have been a great sinner , " he said. "I
havo. Indeed , deserved a. thousand deaths.
But now I nm a man of God. I have con
fessed. I have received iibsnlutlon for all
my sins , ( lad has forgiven mo anil my soul
In cleansed ! "
"Good1" answered Pierre do 1'Hopltal. "I
luvo nothing to do with your soul I must
leave that , as you Justly remark , to Gel
But I nm hero to try your body , nnd If
found guilty , to condemn that body to suffer
the ponaltlw by law provided. "
Then Clerk Henrlot w&a "brought " In to
testify moro fully ot Uio crimes beyond par
allel In the history of mankind ,
The court had been hung round with
black , and the only object which appeared
prominent wua a bountiful ciucifix with a
noble figure of the Redeemer of Men carved
upon It This wns suspended , according to
the custom , over the head ofttio president
of the tribunal ,
Hojirtot had not proceeded far with his
terrible relation of Inconceivable crimes
when ho stopped.
"I cannot go on , " ho eald In a broken , ap
pealing voice. "I cannot 'tell ' what I have
to tell with that llgure looking down upon
' '
mo'
So , with the whnlp court standing up In
reference , the Image of the Moat Pitiful
was bolcmnly veiled from sight , that such
deeds of darkness might not be w > much ns
spoken of in "that " holy and gracious pres
ence.
And during the ceremony Friar Gllles of
the order of the Carmelites stood up moro
reverently than any , for , seeing that no
better might bo , he had definitely cast In hl
lot with God Almighty.
*
"Tho sentence of this court Is that you ,
Glllea de Laval , lord of Retz , marshal ot
Trance , and you , Poltou and Henrlet , be
carried to the meadow of La Hlosfio at 0
o'clock on the morning of tomorrow , and
there that you be hanged und burned till you
lire dead. And to God , the just , be the
Klory ! "
The voice of Pierre < le 1'Hopltal rang out
I
through the silence of the hall of Judgment
' Amen1" said Friar Glllea , devoutly crossIng -
Ing himself.
And to , In duo course , on the meadow ot
La Blesso , by the side of the blue l/lrc , the
sinful eotil ot Gllles > do Retz went to Its
own place , with all the paraphernalia of re
pentance , nnd In the full odor of a somewhat
beetle sanctity.
The day after the burning a little company
of riders left the city of Angers , journeying
westward along the Loire , It consisted of
the maidens Margaret Douglas and Maud
Llndcsny , with Sholto MacKlm and n dozen
hornamcn belonging to bis grace of Brittany.
It had been arranged thnt they were to bo
joined upon nn emlncnco above the river , on
the right bank , by the Lord James , Mnlloo
nnd Laurence , with the eicort which wns to
nccompany them to the lltlo port of St. Na-
znlro. Thence ( ns wns usual In order to es
cape tbo troublesome navigation of the swift
nnd treacherous upper reaches ) they would
flnd vessels ready to set sail for Scotland ,
An the little cloud of riders left behind
them the black towers ot Angers they
passed through woodland glades , wherein , In
spite of the latcncm of the season , the blrda
wore singing. The nlr was mild and delight
some. Then , leaving the river , they struck
nwny Inland , having the frowning towers of
Chnmptoco on their left as they rode. Pres
ently they came to a forest , wherein In days
before the cruel Gtlles do Retz had
often hunted the wolf nud the wild boar.
Hero the woodland paths were covered
deep with fallen leaves , and the naked
branches spoke powerfully ot the desolation
of a dead year.
As the mnlda redo forward , first of their
company , and talked , as was natural , ot that
which had taken place the day bcforo nt
Nantes , they became awnro of the Lidy
Sybllln riding toward them on hoi palfrey
of white. She would have passed them
without speech with her head downcast , nnd
her eyes fixed upon the dank ground with Its
covering drift of dead nutUmnnl leaves.
But Margaret , grateful for thnt which the
Lady Sybllla had done for them at Mnche-
coul , spurred her steed and rode on to Inter
cept her.
"Sybllla , " she said , "you also will come
with us to Scotland. I have m.iny castles
there , nnd , they tell me , n princcssdom of
mine own. Wo shall all be happy together
and forget these 111 times. Maud and I
can never repay that which you have done
for us. " >
"Vrb , I pray you come with us , " said
Maud , a llttlo moro slowly , "we will be
your sisters , nnd the 111 times shall not
come again. "
The Lady Sybllla smiled n sad , subtle
smile , und shook hnr head.
"I thank you. I thank you more than
you know , It eases my hc.irt that you should
forgive one such ns I for nil the evil she
has brought you nnd yours. But I am now
no fit companion for you or any. I nm be
come hut a wandering shape , speaking to
ono vrho cannot answer , and seeking him
whom I can never find. "
The llttlo maid , being but a child , mistook
her meaning
"No , no , " she cried , "your llfo Is not
done. If the ono whom you love hath left
you unkindly well , bide nvvhlle nnd when
the flrst smart Is passed wo will marry you
to eomo braver nnd more handsome knight.
There are many such In Scotland. I pray
you come with Maud and m ns we wish you
Why , there will not bo three llko us In
all the land. I wngcr wo will set kings by
the ears between us , Though ns for mo , I
will only marry a Douglas ! "
The smile of the Lady Sybllln grew over
sndder nnd ever sweeter.
"Tho man whom I loved and who loved
mo I betrayed to the death. There Is no
forgiveness for such ns I In this life. Per
haps there may bo In the next. At least
ho fnrgavo me , nnd that Is enough. He be
lieved In mo against myself , and I will wait.
Till then I go hither nnd thither , and none
aliall hinder mo nor molest for God hnth
set the seal of Cain upon Sybllla dti
Thouars ! "
Margaret Douglns lllckod her stood impa
tiently , causing the spirited llttlo beast
to curvet.
"I think It Is very III done of you not to
coma to Scotland with us , " she * ald , petu
lantly , "when wu would have been so good
to you ! "
"Too good too kind , " said the Lady
Sybllln , very gently ; "such kindness I ; not
for such u I nm. But If I may , while- I live.
I will keep the golden cross you lunt me
the crucifix your brother gave to you on
your birthday ! "
"Keep It It Is yours ! I do not want It ! "
cried Margaret , glad to have found some way
of showing her gratitude.
"I thank you , " said Syhllla do Thouars ,
"some day I may como to Scotland , Anil if
I do , you shall come out from Tbrlcve i.ud
nieot with mo by thu whlto thorns' of the
Cnrlln wnrk nt thu hour when the llttlo
children sing' "
And FO without other farewell she turned
nnd rode slowly away down the nvenilPs of
fallen leaves , till the folding woodlands hid
her from the sight of those two who vvntchnd
her with tearblurrcd eyes and hearts
strangely stirred with pity for the fate
of her whom they had once hated with euch
cause.
im lt\t ,
Leap Yenr In Rnllcntny ,
Morning dawned fair over the wide strath
ut Doe. Calrnsmulr and Ben Galrn stood
out south and north llko blue , round-shoul
dered Ecntlnclu. Castle Thrle\o rose in tbo
midst , gray , massive and somber In tbo
early sunshine
Andre the penman nnd hla brother John ,
with the taciturnity natural to early risers ,
were silently hoisting tbo flag which de
noted the presence of the noble young chate
laine of the great fortreta.
Bholto had also risen early , for the affairs
oftlio castle and of the host wcro In his
hand , and there was much business to bo
dispatched that morning. The young Avondale -
dale Douglases were riding an ay from
Thrievc , for word hnd eomo that Jarnc * th
Grose , povonth earl of I > ougta , WM surely
nt death's ilowr.
"Beside , " imld William Douglas , "where-
fora fthould wo stay our work Is done. No
one will molprt our cousin In her heritage *
now. Wo have stood about her whllp ( hero
was need. But for Hie present Sir Sbolto
nnd his men can keep count nnd reckoning
with any from the back shore of Lcswalt to
Berwick bound "
"Aye , Indeed , " cried James Douglas , "we
will go till the time OCTOP when the eultors
gather , llko corbies about n dead lamb' ' "
"That Is not a savory comparison , " crltd
Margaret of Douglas , now grown older , and
already giving more than promise ot that
wondrous beauty which afterward made her
celebrated In nil lands , "but , after nil. sou ,
cousin James , have some right to make It.
For , but for you end our good Sholto there ,
this cwo lamb would have been carrion
Indeed1"
"Ooodby , " "cried James of Avondalo.
"Hasta theo and grow up , sweet co . Then
will I como back with the rest of the corbies
nnd take my chance of the feast. I will
keep myself for thnt day. "
But William Douglas eat square and silent
on his charger.
The maid ot Galloway waved her hand
gully lo Uio younger.
"You Blmll ha\o your chance with the
rest , " she cried , "but you will not HUe mo
then. Very likely I may have to ( leech and
cozen with you llko tbo sweetlo'wlfo atafalr
before either of you will marry me. And ,
you know , I have sworn on I3jo bones of Bt.
Brldo 1o marry none but a Douglas of the
Douglases ! "
Then William Douglan saluted without a
word , nnd turning his brldlo-reln rode away
w 1th his face steadfastly set to the north. But
Jnmcs over cried back farewells and jovial
words long after he was out ot hearing. And
even on the heights of Kelten miiir he still
fluttered n gay kerchief In his left hnnil.
Then Margaret Douglas went back within
the gates , where she encountered Jlnud
Llndesny , coming through the cnstlc yard to
meet her. For that morning she had not
wished to encounter Shollo nt least among
so mnny. The two maidens walked on to
gether , nnd which was the fairer , the blacker
or the nut-brown , none could eay who be
held thorn.
After n while Margaret Douglns elghc6.
"I wonder which of them I llko the best ? "
she Bald
Maud laughed n merry , scornful laugh , In
which was a world of superior knowledge.
"You do not llko either ot them very much
yet , or you would have no difficulty about
the matter , " sold this wise woman.
"Well , I wonder which of them loves mo
best , " she went on. "James tells mo of it a
hundred times every day and nil day. But
William says nothing. Ho only looke at mo
often ns If he disapproved of me. I am over
light for him , I trow. Ho thinks not of me. "
Then after n pause she said , again with
her linger on her lip :
"I wonder which of them would do most
for my sake ? "
"I know , " said Maud Llndesay , promptly.
*
With the young Avondalcs there had rid
den Mullso and his son Laurence on their
way to the abbey ot Dulco Cor. Sholto went
also with them to convoy them to the fords
ot Urr.
For Laurence was to bo a clerk after all.
And this Is the way he explained It :
"The abbot cannot live long , and there Is
no Douglas to succeed him. Your llttlo maid
will make me abbot , It that Maud of yours
does her duty. "
"Sho IB not my Maud yet , " sigtied Sholto ,
"for. as they say In Scotland , the lady had
proved 'drlech to draw up ' "
"But she will be In good time , " urged
Laurence , "and she must persuade the Lady
Margaret of my many and surprising vir
tues. "
"Tho Lady Margaret hath doubtless seen
these for heiself Were you not bound be
side her on the iron altar ? " said Sholto.
"Yes , but I dirked the old witch-woman ,
or so they say. And that was no clerkly
action , " objected hla brother.
"Fear not , " said Sholto "You shall have
all of her favor you need without working
by means of another's petticoat But how
about marriage ? You cannot wed or woo
If you are a clerk. Yon did not i.so to bo
so unfond ot a lass in the steaming- along
the sweet strand called the Walk of Lovers
you know whero' ' "
"Psah , " cried Laurence. "I never yet
saw the , lass I liked better than myself.
And I ne\cr expect ito see ono that I shall
llko better than the fat revenues of the
Abbacy of Dulco Cor ! "
Ho paused n moment , as if roguishly
considering some point.
"Besides , " hotni. . on , "wed I may not ,
but woo that Is another matter. I hid
ncvor heard that an abbot "
"Good day' ' " cried Sholto suddenly at < hls
point. "I will not etay to hear you blas
pheme "
And leaving his father nnd Lnuronco to
rldo westward he turned him back toward
Thrlovc.
"I will surely return tomorrow , " cried
Mallro. "I must llrst see this bantam safely
In Mew. Aye , nnd bid the Abbott William
clip his wings , lee ! "
So In the gay morning sunshine and with
the glinting of the lltt reflected dark blue
from turn and lakelet , Sholto MncKIm rode
toward the custlo of Thrlovo. Ho bethought
him on all that had bygone. Tbo Avondalcs
wore nwny , James the Gross might die nny
moment might oven now bo dead and Wil
liam bo earl In Iiin plnce.
Ho thought over William of Avondnlo's
liibt words to himself , spoken with deep
solemnity and nil the dignity of n great
spirit.
"Shollo , you nnd yours have brought to
Justice the chief betrayer. The tlmo Is at
hand , when , having the power , I will settle
with Crlchton and Livingston , tbo lessor
villains. And In that count nnd reckoning
you shall bo my right-lmnd man. Keep
sweet young Margaret pnfo for my sake.
She Is very precious to mo Indeed beyond
my life , . And for this tlrao faro you well "
And he had reached a mailed hand to ( ho
captain of the Douglas guard , and when
Sholto would have bent his head upon it to
kiss It , William of Avondale gripped liH
suddenly , as ono grnsps a comrade's hand
when the heart is touched , and so was
gone ,
At the verge of the flowery pastures that
ring the Isle of Thrlove , Sbolto met Maud
Llndesay , now walking alone. At eight of
her ho leaped from his horse , nnd without
salutation of spoken speech walked by her
side.
"How came you hero alone' " bo nskcd.
Maud made her llttlo pouting movement
of the lire , and kicked viciously at a tuft of
grass.
"I forgot , " she said , hypocritically ; "I
ought to have iwkod leave of that noble
knight , the captain of Thrlevo. Wo poor
maids must not breathe without bis per
mission no , nor e'en walk out to meet him
when we are lonesome "
Maud Llndesay lifted her eyes suddenly ,
and shot at Sholto n glance so disabling ,
that , nlnrmed for the consequences , eho
veiled her eyes again by dropping her long
lashes circumspectly upon her cheek.
"Did YOU really come out to meet me ,
Maud ? " cried Sholto , air the life flooding
suddenly to his cheeks ; "In this you speak
truth and no mockery ? "
"I only said that we feared our castle's
governor so that we must not walk out oven
to meet him ! "
At this Sholto let hla horse go where it
would , nnd , as they were passing ut the
time through a coppice of hazel , he caught
his saucy sweetheart quickly by the wrist.
Mistress Maud , you shall not play with
BEFORE DURING AFTER
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The Students' ' Standard
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UNION hQDAUE , Now Yoric City.
mo ! " ho said , "you will tell mo plainly do
you love me or do you not ? "
Maud Llndesay puckered her pretty face
ns.If . she had boon about to cry.
"You hurt my arm , " she said , plaintively ,
looking up at him with the lone pathetic
gaio of a gentle animal put in pain.
Sholto perforce released the pressure on
her arm. She instantly put both handu be
hind her.
"You did not hurt mo at all , hear you
that , Master Sholto , " ste cried , "and I do
rot lo\e you not that much , sir noble
knight ! "
And she snapped ber finger and thumb
like a flash beneath his noso.
"Not that much ! " t ho repeated viciously ,
and did It again. Sholto turned away
sternly.
"You are nothing but a silly girl , and not
worthy that any true man should marry
you ! " ho said , walking off In tbo direction of
the castle.
Maud Llndesay looked after him a mo
ment as If not believing her oycs and cars
Then she tripped quickly after him. Ho
was taking long strides , and It required n
series of small hops and skips to keep up
with him.
"Not really , Sholto ? " she snld , beseooh-
li'gly , almost running beside him now , ho
walked so fast.
"Yes , madam , really ! ' ea-ld that > oung
knight , still moro sternly.
She took n. little run to get a step In
front of him. so 'that alio might look ad
vantageously into his face
r'Then you won't marry me , Sholto ? "
Her hands wcro clasped with the sweet
est petitionary grace.
"No ! "
The monosyllable escaped from his lips
with a , snort llko .1. puff of steam from
under the Up of a boiling pot.
"Not If I nslt you very iilcely , SioUo ? "
"No ! "
The negative can o again , apparently
fiercer'than ' before , almost llko on explosion ,
indeed. Dut still there was a hollow sound
about It somewhere.
At this the girl stopped suddenly , and ,
drawing a llttlo lace kerchief from tier
Lojom , she sank her head Into It In an op-
parent abandonment of grief ,
"O , wliat ahall I do ? " she walled. "Sholto
will not marry me , nnd I have nsked him
BO sweetly. AVhat shall I do ? What shall I
do ? I will o'en go nnd drown mo In the
Dee water ! "
And with her kerchief still to her eyes
or a < least , to bo wholly accurate , to ono of
them , -tho despised maiden ran towards the
river bank. She did not run very fust , but
fctlll she ran.
Now this wes moro than Sholto Jiad "bar "
gained for , nnd bo pursued her light-foot ,
swifter tlinn he had over run In Ills life.
Ho overtook her just as ho reached the
llttlo ascent of the rocks by tlio river
margin.
His hand fell upon her shoulder and bo
turned her round. Sha was still shaking
with bobs ,
"I will I will , I will drown myself ! "
she cried , her kerchief closer to her eye" .
"I will marry you I will do anything. I
love you , Maud ! "
"You do not you cannot ! " she cried ,
pushing him fiercely away , "you said you
would not ! That I was not fit to marry. "
"I did not mean It I lied ! I did not
know what I Bald ! " Sholto was groveling
now.
"Then you -will marry me If I do not
drown myself ? "
She spoke wltb a sort of delicious tenta
tive relenting.
"Yes yesl When you will tomorrow
now ! "
She dropped her kerchief suddenly and
the laughing eyes of naughty Maud Undusay
looked suddenly out upon Sholto lllio sun
shine In a dark place , They were dry end
full of merriment. No trace of tcnre waste
to ho discerned In either of them.
She ga\o another llttlo skip and , catching
him by tlio arm , fdio forced him to walk
with her toward castle Thrlo\o.
"Of COIIMO you will marry me , silly ! "
You could not help yourself , Sholto nnd It
shall bo when 1 like , too. nut now that
you are BO etern and crusty , I am not euro
that I will not take Landless Jock after all ! "
*
ThlH Is the end , aud yet not the end , for
still , say the country folk , when tbo leaves
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BtroJDjr Asnertlona nmto JnitVhat
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llunjon guarantee *
tlmt bla Rbeumatlam
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tism la n few boura ;
that ell Dycpepsla CUr
xi , .l cure Indlgtitloa and
11 itomach troubles ;
tbat bit Kidney Cur *
will cure 00 per cent.
of all caies of kidney
trouble : tbat bla Ca
tarrh Cure nlll curt
catarrh no matter bow
lone ctandinf ; that bl
Ileadocbo Cuio will cur *
any kind of bcadacbo In
a few mlnutce ; tbat
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qulrkljurrak up anr
form of cold and to oa tbroucb the entire Hit of
remedleg. At all druggUti , 2,1 cpnt a rial.
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Wholly cllffnrout from all
othors. 1'oslttvdly no Interference with worker
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Dr. Purdy , O. lllnc lildK. , Uouatotl. Texas.
Patronize
Home Industries
IIy PurrliiiNliiK l.noilN Made ut the Fol *
lolling J\Hiriinl < .n l"act rlc i
KLOUIl MILLS.
S. I' . < i11,91 AN.
Flour , Meal , Feed. Bran , 1013-15-17 Nrth
17th street , Oinalm , Neo. C. E. Dla > ; ! < .
Manager. Telephone 592.
IKON WORKS
DAVIS JL ( , OAVil.Iy. ; IKON WOIIICS.
Iron mill IlriiKN Kouiulcm.
Manufacturers and Jobbers if Machinery.
General repairing a tptclulty. 1501 , 1603
and 1C05 Jackson direct Omaha , Neb.
LINSUHD OIL !
WOODMAN I.IN.XKKl ) OIL WOKKM.
Manufacturers old process raw linseed
oil , kettle boiled Unseed oil , old process
ground llnsn d cakes , ground nnd scrueneU
llaxsepd for druggists OMAHA , NCI ) .
URCWKIUCB ,
OMAHA llliWl.Vi { ASSOCIATION.
Carload shipments rnnda in our own re.
Frleerator cars Dluo Hlbbon , Elite Export ,
Vienna Import und Kamlly Export deliv
ered t ) all parts of the city.
BOILEHB.
OMAHA JlOIIiilVOHKH. : .
JOHN It. : . VUI5V , I'rop.
Dollem. Tanks and Hhoet Iron Work ,
arc greenest by the lakeside , when the
whlto thorn la whitest and the sun drops
mobt gloriously behind the purple hills of
the west , and when the children Ding llko
manUt'B on the cluchnn -
gn-cns , wo muy
clianco to spy under the Three Thorns of
Cnrllnwark a lady fuln-r limn mortal ey *
Imih neon. She U Hitting gracefully on a
whlto palfrey nnd listening to tbo bairns
Hinging by Ihu watersides , And tlio tears
fall down her chock * a ) IH listens , In tha
place where in thu spring time of the year
young William Douglas flmt met the Lady
Sybllla.
And If wo meet her and eho bave speech
with us , bo sura tbat there will bo another
tale to lull.
( The IJnd. )