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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 7, 1903)
Over the Border A Talc of tbc Days of Charles I, by Robert T. Harr (Copyright, 1001. by Hnbert Barr.) CHAl'TKH V. Or'el. ItANCKS made her way to t tie north us hi-r father hail directed, arid everywhere found tho news of his arrest In advance of her, tho country ablaze with excite ment because of It. Tho world woiiM go well once Strafford was laid low. He had deluded and mls'od the good king, as TJuck Inpham did before him Buckingham had fallen hy the knife; Strafford should fall by the nxe. Then the un tram moled king would rule well; quietness and Industry should rureeod this unheulthy period of fever and unrest. Tho girl was appalled to meet everywhere thlH Interine hatred of hrr father, und In her own homo she was surrounded by IL Kven her brother could not be uro-iscd to sympathy, for he regarded his father not only ns a tri'ltor to his lountry, but as a domestic delinquent a'so, who had neg lected and desi rted his young wife, h aving her to die uncomforted. without even a message from the husband fur whom i-he had almost s.n rllli ed her good nntne, bear ing uncomplainingly his absence and hnr father's wrath. During the winter France aw little or her brother. Herbert Went worth was here and thero riding the coun try. Imagining with the confidence of ex treme youth that he was mixing In groat affairs, as Indeed they were, although he wns too young to have much Influence In their direction. The land was In a ferment, and the wildest rumors were afloat. Staf ford had escaped from the Tower and had taken flight abroad, like so many of his friends, who had now scattered In fear to France or to Holland. Again It was said the kind's soldiers hud attacked the Tower, liberated Strafford and tho black man was at the head of the wild Irish, resolved on the subjugation of Kngland. Blnce the letter she had received on the Bight of his arrest the daughter had heard no more from her father. Had he again forgotten, or were his messages Inter cepted? They heard, even In the north, that the carl would have to stand trial. At last she could wait no longer. Her horse, and tho pouthern road were at her disposal, with none to hinder, and she set forth for London again. She avoided her father' mansion when sho arrived there,, knowing that Irfidy Strafford was then In residence there, and she went to the Inn where she had formerly lodged. Then she appealed to ber father's treasurer, Mr. Volllns, to get a seat for her at the earl's trial, where she could see him, but whore he could by no possibility see her. lest the sudden sight Of ber might unnerve him In a crisis. At the next day Frances found herself one of a bevy of gayly dressed ladles, all of whom were chattering merrily. Rut their rhalter was silenced soon by the measured tramp of armed men. Behind them, with four secretaries, the earl of Strafford came slowly, a bowed and pallid figure dressed In black. A broken man, sentence of death waa already pc.ssed upon him by a higher tribunal. He took his seat and closed Ma yes as If th9 short walk from the barge te the place of judgment had boon too much for him. The preliminaries of the day passed by Frances like a dream. Hut suddenly she aw her father on his feet, and lie began to speak, the voice at first cold and calm, penetrating the remotest corner of that Tast room. In argument that even she recognized as clear and logical, and as dispassionate ns If he were setting forth the case of another. He was listened to with the most pro found respect by friends and enemies altkj. He seemed to brush away the charges against him as if they were very cobweba of accusation. As he went on, warmed to his theme, all In the great hall leaning Intently for ward, realized that they were listening to oratory such ns had never before greeted the ears of Kngland, and probably never would again. A breathless tension held the audience sMllltound, and It seemed impos sible that his direst foe could remain un moved. The liellef in bis acquittal became a certainty. Not a cloud on tho harp of humanity was left untouched. "And now. my Ixirds," he ended, "I thank God I have been by His blessing sufficiently Instructed in the extreme vanity of all temporal enjoyments compared to the im portance of our eternal duration. And so, my Lords, even so, with all humility and with all tranquility of mind, I submit clearly and freely to your Judgments. And whether that righteous doom shall be to life or death, I sail repose myself, full of gratitude and confidence In the arms of the great author of my existence. Te Deum laudumus, te lknilnum confllemur." The I-alin phrase pealed forth like the solemn tone of a chant, and the speaker subsided Into his hair almost In a swoon, for physical weakness had at last over come the Indomitablo spirit. On none of the vast visible throng had the effective oration exorcised greater power than upon an unseen auditor. The awed stillness was suddenly broken by a splintering crash and tho startled audience looking up, saw the frail lattice work that hid a gallery alcove shattered. And the king standing there like a hoat enframed by Jagged laths. Stern determination sat on that handsome countenance; a li ok which said as plainly ns wor-U, "This man shall not die!" m8 hands clutched the broken framework beneath him and ho moistened his lips as if to give utterance to the words his expression foreshadowed. Hut before he could speak a tall, angular figure sprang out from among the Com mons and held up a sinewy hand. His face was ablaze with anger; his stentorian voice dominated tho hall, envenomed with hatred, striking the ear with terror as does the roar of a tiger. "The might of Kngland, In Parliament as sembled, gives judgment, uMrammoled and unafraid. The king is not here. The king cannot bo here. The throne is vacant and must remain vacant until justice la done." here, but a determined man, knowing what he wanted and bent on having It To her excited Imagination the resolute face took on the semblance of a death musk, and the clrncb'-d right hand seemed to grasp the shaft of an ax. It was as if the headsman had suddenly stood forth and claimed his own and a chill as of the grave swept over tho audience with a shudder In Its wake. A low, walling cty went sobbing ucrnsa the silence; a cry that tugged at Strafford's heart when he hoard It. What memory did It stir In his troubled mind? A reminis cence of something that had escaped him, crowded out by matters of more pressing moment. "What is that?" he nuked, anxiously. "It is nothing, my lord." answered Vol llns, stepping between his master and the Wednesday saw no excitement on the streets. People were going soberly about their affairs and this was a hopeful sign to Frances, who hid grown to fear the hue atid cry of the mob even more than she feared tho Indecision of the king. If ho wire left unterrlfled, she reasoned all his tendency would be toward mer"y and the keeping of his solemn promise at Hampton. At tho palace gates opening on White hall, the captain of the guard refused to grant admission without an order; but stiuck by her beauty and evident distress, he consented to admit her If she could mime any about tho court who would vouch for her. Frances pondered a moment and hesitated, but her need was great, and she named De Courcy, though Wiere, Jtoeetest otnaons, you are sungiess now, ana naught but THe honey is to be gathered: j As the last words rang out the long In dex finger, shaken menacingly, pointed at the empty and draped throne In the hall. There was defiance of king or minister in words and tone and gesture; a challenge to the throne. Tho pale face of the king became a ghastly white, his hand trembled and fragments of the lattice work fell from beneath it. Irresolution took the place of former determination and he glanced piti fully from right to left, as if seeking hu man support, of which, in the amazed still ness, there was no iitie2!0n. Then the fine white hand of an unseen woman showed for a moment on his arm like a snowflake, and Charles, with one look ot haunting compassion on the prisoner, dis appeared from sight. The phantom pltture had vanished from its ragged frame with out a sound mid blank darkness occupied Its place. Truly the king was not present, conjured away by the strenuous hand of the tierce combatant on the stage, and the soft hand of the woman behind the scenes. "Who Is that man?" whispered Frances, gazing in frightened fascination on the rude Interrupter. "That is John Pym, the chief prosecutor and deadly personal enemy of Lord Straf ford." As the girl gazed at this dominating in dividuality al! the troth of confidence In her father's acquittal, whipped up by the chatter of conversation at the beginning, evaporate.1. There stood the personified hatred of Kngland against the earl of Strafford, No wavering in accent or action commotion amort the women. "A woman has fainted, that la all. They are taking her out." CHAPTER VI. Iletrn nl. There followed many days of suspense. Despite the fervor of l'ym's speech, the Commons haa not asked the lords for judg ment, and Strafford's friends hailed it aa good omen. 15ut the Commons speedily dis illusioned th -m. A bill of attainder was brought In. They would have tho head of Strafford by act of Parliament !f not by legal procedure. To the amazement of all, the lords gnve their consent to the bill, nnd nothing stood between Strafford's head nnd the block ex cept a scrawl from the king's hand. On Monday there were ever increasing rumors that Charles had signed the bill, which would send his chief minister to the block. But by nightfall news came that the bill had been signed, not by the king's own hand, but by four commissioners whom he had appointed for the purpose. Kven the House of Commons was amazed and the friends of the earl were mute with dismay. Hut shrewd men pointed out that the case In reality was no worse. At any moment the king could free his minister or mitigate his sentence, and Charles was free to reprieve the eaxl even at the last moment. Frances determined to see the king her self and learn from his own lips the fate of her father. with deep reluctance. Do Courcy appeared before many mo ments, lured by the Information that a beautiful woman was waiting for him. When ho saw Frances, he did riot trou ble to make an explanation to the cap tain of the guard, but bade her enter at once. "I will take you by a private way where you will encounter no one," he Raid with a leer. They threaded their way through de vloui passages until at Inst they reached a door, which he pushed open, saying: "If J oil will w ait hero for ft moment, I will go to t lie king." Ho t owed gracefully and ushered the girls Into a square room, the walls of which were decorated by groups of swords and rapiers of various sorts; a veritable armory. A table occupied the center, and there were several chairs with a lounge against the wall. A door opened upon an Inner room. De Courcy, distend of taking his depnrture. stepped In quickly after the girl, closed the door nnd turned tho key In the look. With the grating of the key came the first suspicion to the mind of Frances that her guide was troacherous. Much as she had always distrusted him, It seemed Incredible that, knowing her to be the daughter of the esrl of Strafford, anything disastrous might befall her here In the very palsoe of the kirg. the sworn protector of hli peoplo. n-. Wr on De Courcv's f ce nni nl -. ... .11,,, rltslllusloned her "If o.: . lc seated, my dear, we m