June 21, 1003.
TIIE ILLUSTRATED BEE.
11
s If a film like that of an eagle's eye tem
porarily obscured It.
"Some nights since, as I was making for
tho English line, I stopped for refreshment
at an Inn where I had been accustomed to
hult In my travels. To my amazement I
was refused admittance . by a man who
stood on guard. We had a bit of a debate
wrich ended In my overpowering him and
forcing an entrance, anil which was more
surprised, the dozen there gathered to
gether, or me with their sentry under my
oxter, it would be difficult to tell. Sword
were drawn, and I might have c nn ; badly
out of the encounter had it not been that
a friend of mine among the assemblage,
recognized me."
A shade of perplexity hud overspread th3
grim face of the general as this apparently
simple tale went on. He leaned his elbow
on the table and shaded his face with hi
open hand from the light of the two can
dles, thumb under chin and forefinger a'on
his temple. At this peilnt In the discourse
he interrupted:
"I suppose you wish to mention no
names?"
"1 see no objection," continued Aim
strong, Innocently. "I take it that the
men were quite within their right In gath
ering there, although 1 contended they
exceeded their right In trying to keep ine
out of a public hou-;e. My friend was th
earl of Traquuir. The others I did not
know, and was not introduced, hut In the
course of the talk I gathered that the one
who had lh most to say wis Henderson,
a minister of Edinhurg, who spjke much,
us was to be expected from his trade.
Well, these gentlemen, finding I w is f r
England, asked me to carry a mess tge
to the king, but 1 explained that 1 had in
Wish to interfere in matters which di 1 no;
concern me, and they parted to meet again
somewhere else."
'Do you know where?"
,-l think in Ixird Tr.iquilr's own castle,
but of that I am not sure."
"This is Interesting. We shall, of course,
try to prevent any messenger te idling
the king, but I do not understand why you
connect the incident at the inn with your
detention. '
"There was a great splore about a spy
that escaped, and I have no doubt if he
saw me there, und heard the proposal
made to me, he might well have brought
my name and description across the border.
At least that was the way I reasoned it
cut with myself."
"It Is very like you are right. Spies, un
fortunately, seem to be necessary v wlion a
country is in a state of war. Many un
justifiable acts ure then committed, in
cluding the arresting of Innocent men, but
I am anxious nothing shall be done that
will give cause of offense to Scotland; a
God-fearing country, and a friendly. When
Buch Injustice happens, as it has happened
in your case, I try to make amend. How
far south do you propose to travel?"
"I may go the length of Manchester or
Iiirmingham. The distance and the time
will depend on the state of trade."
"If you will tell me the place you in
tend to visit i will include them In the
pass I shall now write for you."
"That I cannot Just say at the moment.
1 wish to follow trade wherever it le.eds
me."
"Then an Inclusive pass, extending as
far south as Manchester will meet your
li oeds?"
"It will more than meet them, general,"
said Armstrong, with supreme indiffer
ence. The commander took up his pen, but
paused, and still Blinding his face, scru
tinized the man before him.
"As I um not likely to see you again,
perhaps it would be as well not to limit
it to Manchester. You may wish to travel
further south when you reach that town?"
"It U barely possible."
"As you carry no message from Tra
quair to the king, I can write Oxford
on your permit easily as Manchester."
"Thank you, general, tiut Manchester
will be far enough."
"I may say that we are strict aliout those
whom we allow to journey to and fro at
. the present time, and if you should over
step the limit of this document you are
liable to investigation and delay, and I am
not like to be near at hand on the next
occasion."
"I quite understand, and if I wished to
go further south I would have no
hesitation in begging permission of your
Kxeellency, but I doubt if I shall even see
Manchester."
"You will not be leaving Corbiton until
the morning, of course?"
"No general. I know when I am well
housed."
"Then, as I hnve much to do. I Mill make
ut your paper later, and It will be handed
to you In the morning."
Thank you. general."
With this the commander rose and him
self accompanied Armstrong to the door
In most friendly manner. The young man,
in spite of his distrust, was very favorably
Impressed, for here had been nothing In
Cromwo'.t'o conversation of that cant with
which he ws popularly accredited. The
Scot had expected to find an English
Alexander Henderson, a deputations, gruff,
tyrannical leader, eivm:tlirg acts of op
pression or cruelty, r.nd continually ap
pealing to his Maker fir .lust I Mention, r.ut
Cromwell's attitude Uuuugliout had been
that of the honest soldier, with little to
suggest the fervent exhortcr.
After giving some laconic instructions
touching the welfare of the northerner to
Captain Ilent, who was hovering uneasily
In the outside hall. Cromwell, bidding his
enforced guest a cordial farewell, ordered
Wentworth to be brought to him and
retired once more Into the dim council
chamN-r.
Willi hands clasped Itchind him nnd head
hept, he strode slowly up nnd down the
long room in deep meditation, vanishing
into the gloom at the further end and re
appearing in the limited circle of light that
surrounded the two candles, for the torches
had long since smoked themselves out. and
there had licen no replacement of them,
for none dared enter that room, unsum
moned. while the leader was within It.
The watcher In the gallery felt, rather than
saw, there w;is an ominous frown on the
lowered face as .the commander waited
for the second prisoner, over whom hung
sentence of death.
This time a clanking of chains announced
the new arrival, who was preceded by
Colonel I'orlock, and accompanied by two
soldiers, one on either side of him. The
young fellow, who shuflled up to the table,
dragging his irons, east an anxious look
at the forbidding face of the man who
wi;s to lie his final Judge; in whose word
lay life or death for him, and he found
there little to comfort him. Cromwell
seateil himself once more and said gruffly:
"Take off those fetters."
When the command was complied with
the general dismissed the trio and sat for
some moments In silence, reading the
frank, open face of his opposite like a
poster on a wall.
"You are to lie shot at daybreak tomor
row," he began In harsh tones thot cc-rnrl
dismally from the raftered celling. This
statement contained no information for the
youth, but the raven's croack sent a shiver
through his frame, and somehow the tid
ings brought a terror that had been ab
sent lefore. even when sentence of death
was pronounced with such solemnity by
the court. There was a careless Inflection
in the words, which showed thnt the
speaker cared not one pin whether the
human being standing before him lived
or died. Allowing time to produce the
Impression he desired, Cromwell continued
In the same strain of voice:
"I have examined the evidence, and I find
your condemnation Just."
The boy remembered that-his father had
met death bravely, asking no mercy and
receiving none, and the thought nerved
him. If this man had merely brought him
here to make death more bitter by taunt
ing him. it whs an unworthy action; so,
moistening his lips twice be fore they would
obey his will, he spoke up:
"I have never questioned the verdict,
general, nor did I make appeal." The
shaggy brows came down over Cromwell's
eyes, but his face cleared perceptibly.
"You own the penalty right?"
"Sir, it Is partly right and partly wrong,
like most things In this world. It Is right
to punish me for deserting my post; it is
wrong to brand me a traitor."
"Ah, you have found your voice at last,
and there is some courage behind It, De
sertion Is an unpardonable crime. The
olnt I press upon you is this: Tour life is
forfeit, yet although your fault is unpar
donable I do not say It cannot be compen
sated for. Even my enemies admit I am an
honest trader. I will bargain with you for
your life. You shall buy It of me nnd I
shall pay the price, even though I do not
forgive the crime.
"We will first. If you please, clear up the
charge of treachery. You were visiting
your own home that night, and as It is on
the further side of Rudby Hal! our an
cestors naturally thought you had a ren
dezvous there?"
"No, general; It was my Intention to have
Visited Rudby H.VI."
"The residence of that foul, malignant.
Lord Rudby, so-called?"
"Yes. but not to sec- his lordship, who is
my enemy, personal as well as political."
The scowl vanished from the face of his
questioner, and something utmost resem
bling a laugh came from his firm lips.
"You are truthful and It pleases me. Why
did you make a foolish mystery of your ex
cursions? I take the case to stand thus:
Your grandfather and Uudby were neigh
bors, and possibly friends. You were, and
are, in love with my lords daughter, but
s'lue you belong to the cause of the people
this oppressor of the people will have
naught of you. You have risked your life
to see the girl, who is doubtless as silly
as the rest of her class, as you will dis
cover If I let you live. Stands the case
not thus-.'"
"In a measure, sir, it does, saving any
reflection on the lady, who"
"Surely, surely. I know what you would
ay, for I was once your age anel us
' uked In folly. The question Is, if you
will risk your life for her, will you do
what i ask of you to earn the girl and
your life, or will you refuse, and let her
Uo to anothe-r?"
"Sir, I will do anything for her."
"Then harken well. Thro was here be
fore me, where you now stand, some mo
ments since, the most plausible liar In th
kingdom. He told mo truths, which on the
surface appeared to be treachery to his
friend, but which he was well aware I al
ready kuew. This wus to bailie into believ
ing him. He rides to Oxford to sen- tho
king, and in that I am willing to aid him.
lie may tell the king what please-s him. anel
those who send him little gemel will It do
any of them. In return the king Is to give
him a commission, to be handed to certain
lords in Se'otland. If t !: commission
cross s the border we are like to have a
blaze to the north of us, which I do not
wish to see kindled until a ye'iir from now,
then, by Ood-then, by Hod's will. 1 shall
be reaily for them. We- shall defeat the
Scots in any ease, but If this commission
reaches these malcontents we cannot have
the pleasure humph we shall be precluded
from the el.ity of beheading the ringleaders,
without bringing on oursclve'S the con
tumely of Euroie. Without til;' king's
commission they are but broilers-marauders.
With this commission they will set
up the claim that they are lwlltgercnts.
lio you understand the (Kisitlon?"
"Perfectly, (Jeneral."
"The commission must te Intercepted at
all cost. It will be your task to frustrate
tho intentions of the king and his Scottish
nobles. Hut tile tusk is more complicatee!
than yet appears. It would be an e-nsy
matter to run this messenger through the
body, and there an end. I want what he
carries, but I do not wish to harm the car
rier. These Scots are a clannish, trouble
some, determined race. If you prick one
with a sword's point the whole nation
howls. This, then must be done quietly,
so that we bring no sw-m about our ears.
"William Armstrong Is tho messengers
name, and he has owcrfu! supporters In
his own country. He was stopped as soon
as he crossed the border yesterday and
brought here. He pretends to tie an inno
cent trader In cattle, and will likely keep
up that pretence. I have appeared to le
lieve all he says, und he leaves this house
tomorrow with a pass from my hand, giv
ing him permission to travel as far south
as Manchester, which was nil he asked. I
would willingly hnve given him safe con
duct to Oxford, but he was too crafty to
accept such a thing. He thinks he can
make his way south from Manchester. As
a matter of fact, he cannot, but I wish to
make the way easy for him.
Of course. I could give a general order
that he was not to be molested, but there
aro reasons against this, as we have doubt
less 'spies In our own ranks, and a general
order would excite suspicion, and would
probably prove useless, be-ciiuse this man,
south of his permit's territory, will en
deavor to go surreptitiously to Oxford, and
by unfrequented routes. It will be your
duty to become acquainted with Armstreing
and win his confidence. You will accom
pany him to Oxford und re-turn with him.
You will be protected by a pass so broad
that It will cover any disguise either of
you may care to assume. It Is such a pass
as I have never Isaueei before, anel I am
not likely to issue again, so I need not
worn you to guard it carefully, and use it
only when necessary.
It reads thus" Here the speaker took
up a sheet of paper on which he had been
writing, and. holding It so that the light
from the candles fell upon It, read aloud
"Pass the bearer and one other without
question or interference from Curlisle to
Oxford and return.
"The Journey south will give you the op
peirtunlty to become acquainted with your
man. On the northward murch you must
become possessed of wluit he carries, und
when you bring it to me, you rece-lve in
return full pardon and promotion. If you
do not succeed before you reach Carlisle,
then I must crush him; possibly kill him
as a spy. Will ou undertake it?"
" 'Tis iin ungracious uflice you would be
stow uKin me, sir. I had rather meet him
in a fair fight, and slay him, or have him
slay me, as Ood willed."
"There speaks youth," cried Cromwell im
patiently. "This man Is a treacherous, ly
ing spy, whose life, by all the rules of
war, is already forfeited. I proimse to dis
comfit him with his own weaiions. Nay,
more; I willingly save him from the de
st ruction he merits. You are set to do him
the greatest service one man can effer
another. If you fail, ho elies. If you suc
ceed, he has probably a long life be-fore
li i in, Ood knows I yearn to cut no man's
thread, where It can be avoided, but the
true Interests of England stand paramount.
Would you eoiidcmu thousands of Innocent
men to agony and the horrors of a pro
longeel war, to save the fee-lings of a border
rulllan, who intervenes in a quarrel that
should not concern him?"
"Sir, you are in the light, find your urgu
meet is incontestable. I accept your com
mand willingly."
A gleam of pleasure lit the rugged face
tif the general, for he was flattered to be
lieve his pro wish in controversy was no
l ss potent than his geiius in war. His
voice softened fie-rcept ibly ns he continued.
"We are enjoined by the word to unite
the wisdom of the sergent with the harm-'
icasiiHSH of the dove. Your mission com
bines the two attributes, wisdom and harm
lessness, for you are to begull-i d'-eelt and
yet suffer the elt-ceive-r to pass on his way
scatlilcss. You save your country's enemy,
forgiving them that persecute you. What
excuse will you give to Armstrong for your
des.ro to visit Oxford?"
"My friend, the sou of Lord Rudby, is
there. Although we are on opposite sides,
lie has none of the bitterness against in
shown by his falla-r. 1 will say 1 wish t
confer with him."
"That will serve. Now this pass Is for
two, and you can offer to Armstrong
safe conduct under your guidance', giving
what plea you choose- for the ahscni-e- of
the man who was to accompany you. timl
who, it may be, was supposed to have
procured this pass from me. Whatever
dllfhtilticH arise- on the Journey must Is- met
as they advance, and. in so meeting them,
will come Into play whatever gifts of
Ingenuity you may possess.
"If you show yourself worthy and diplo
mat ie- there Is scarcely limit to what you
may attain in the councils of your country.
The need of the future Is capable men,
men earnest in well doing, t ne rgetic In
action, prompt In decision, unwavering in
execution In the hoe of finding you one
such. I snatch you from the scaffold. The
king cravenly bent your father's neck to
the block, although he hail shown himself
to he the erne strong man in his council;
I arre-st the order to fire nt your breast,
though you are yet unproven. See that
you do not disappoint me."
Cloiuwei; folded the pass nnd handed it
to young Wentworth.
"Oo. This puMr Is your safe-guard. I
shall give the order that you are to lie
well mounted and provided with money.
Send Captain Ite-nt to me us you pass
out."
Once more alone, Cromwell wrote the
pass for Armstrong, giving him permis
sion io travel between Carlisle and Man
chester. When he had linlshed writing
Captain Ilent was standing ls-sidc the
table, and to him he delivered the paper. "
"You will give that to your late pris
oner," he said. "He is to depart tomor
row morning, not before H o'clock, and is to
travef unmolested. You have accomplished
your duties well, captain, nnd your services
shall not be forgotten."
The silent but gratified captain left tho
room with striiiglit-r shoulders than had
marked his previous exit. His chief looked
up nt the dark gallery and said:
"Come down anil report yourse-lf to the
oflie-er eif the night."
For nearly ten minutes Cromwell sit at
the table In silence-, save for the busy
scratching of Ids j-n. Then he rose
wearily, with a deep sigh, his marked face
seemingly years older than when he had
entereel the room. Once outside, he gave
Colonel I'oiioe-k the papers he had written,
anil said:
"The finding of the court-martial is ap
proved, hut the verdict is suspended. It Is
possible that Wentworth may rentier such
service to the state as will annul the
sentence against him. You will give him
every assistance he requires of you, and
the amount of money set down in this
order. Itring eiut my horse."
"You will surely partake ef some refresh
ments, general, lie-fore you"
"No. My horse; my horse':"
When the animal was brought to the
lawn the general mounted with seime diffi
culty, more like an old man than a leade-r
of cavalry. The two silent horsemen be
hind him, he disappeared once more int
tho night ss he had come.
(To He Continued.)
A Stack of lilucs
If a black eat enters the room It Is m
sure sign that the "kitty" will win every
time.
Y'ou seldom have to look over a bulwark
of chips to see where Theory sits In a
poker game.
The only way to gain practical knowl
edge of the game is to study the pack und
the players.
The right passes In poker are more diffi
cult to learn than those of any other se
cret society.
It Is claimed by many experts that you
should never enter a game with the left
foot first, hut are always safe In betting on
the right hand.
Often in a poker game the clumsy black
smith draws iK-lter than the comic artist
and the matinee idol combined.
When you have learned all that the books
can tench you about the game, it is barely
possible that Jou may know enough to
stay at home.
If you wish to gain everlasting knowl
edge of the simon pure science of poker,
Join In a flight session with a "gentle
manly" stranger or two.
All expert writers on the groat American
game seem to have overlooked the highly
important scientific fact that a hand worth
a whole pyramid of Lines tonight may
compel you to lay down to your undo to
morrow. New York Times.
Nursing Them Sick
"I need a vneatlnn badly, but I can't take
it now," said Dr. Frlce-ivice. "Many of
my patients are In such condltl,,n that I
can't afford to leave thrm. They need
constant nurslnjr."
"Ah, ye-s," replied th twin who knew, "t
guess there ,tre certain ptir.ts wtio If you
quit nursing them -II ,rt tr, first
thing you know."-l'hkadclrhii Cithollo
Standard.