Show THE THET r t K KI ING l 1 1 il TRYST S TR Y ST J I Ir i I by Robert ve Barr BeT BY a Y R ROB ROBERT OB E R R T BARR BARN B R R HE KING ruled There Ther was none to ques question question tion the supremacy of James V At theP the age of ot 22 he now sat firmly lY on his throne He Ho was at Lt peace with England friendly With France and a d was pledged to take tak a P wife from that country His teat great grandfather James H II had crushed brushed the Black Douglas and he himself had had scattered the Red Bed Douglas to exile No NoS Scottish noble was Wi S now powerful enough to threaten the ithe stability of ot the throne The country was contented contente and prosper prosperous prosperous ous so James might well take his bis pleasure as best pleased him If It any danger lurked near him bim him it W was s unseen and of ot The king ever first in the chase whether the quarry ran on four lour legs or on two found himself alone on the road leading northwest from Stirling having outstripped his bis comrades comrad in their hunt of the deer Evening was falling Tam being some miles mUes from Stirling castle raised his bugle to his lips Ups lipsto lipsto to call together his scattered followers but before a n blast broke the stillness his majesty was accosted accost d by bya a woman suddenly and unnoticed from the forest on his left leU hand My lord the king she said and her voice like the sound of silver bells thrilled with a note of ot in inquiry InquIry inquiry Yes my lassie answered answered the young man peer peering peering peering ing down at his questioner lowering his bugle and reigning in his frightened horse which was startled by the sudden apparition a before him The dusk had bad hadnot hadnot not yet so far thickened but the king could see that his Interlocutor was young and strikingly beautiful Although dressed In the garb of at the lower orders there was a quiet and imposing dignity in her demeanor de demeanor demeanor meanor as she stood there by the side of the road Her head was uncovered the shawl she wore over it having slipped sUpped down to her er shoulders and dant hair unknotted and was ruddy ruday as spun gold Her complexion was dazzlingly fair her h r reyes eyes of the deepest blue and her features perfection except that her small mouth showed a trifle too much S firmness a quality which her strong but finely fin molded chin corroborated and emphasized The king ever evera a a connoisseur of ot womanly loveliness almost held his breath as he gazed down upon the comely fade face ta e up turned to him They The told me at Stirling she said that you were hunting through this district and I r have been searching for you in the forest Good heavens girl cried the king 1 ing have 1 you walked all the way from Stirling Aye and much further It is nothing for tor I ra am accustomed to it ft And now I crave a word w rd with your y r majesty Surely purely surely replied the king with enthusiasm enthusiasm No thought of danger in this unconventional encounter even occurred to him The natural pru rn Ij dence of James invariably deserted desert d him where a pretty woman was concerned Now Instead of summoning his train he looked anxiously up and down the road listening for any sound of his men but the stillness seemed to Increase with the tile darkness and the silence was profound not even the rustle rustIc of a leaf disturbing It 11 And who my m girl gIrt are you continued the king noticing that her eyes e es followed his glance up and down the road with some trace of apprehension in them and that she hesitated h to speak May It please your gracious majesty I lam am a humble to that tha noble lady Margaret Margar Stuart Stu Stuart art your honored mother The king gave a whistle of astonishment My mother he exclaimed d Then what In the name of t heaven are re you doing here and a t p alone alon so far from front Methven T r TWe 1 We w came calme from Methven yesterday to her hert h lady dY ships ship s castle of Doune Then her ladyship must mUt have come com to a ra very erY sudden resolution to travel forthe for the constable of Doune Is fg in my hunting party an am J Ill ex expected no visitors V t r 1 My gracious lady did not wish Stuart Stu n the con constable constable r stable ble to expect her nor does she now desire his knowledge of her presence in the castle She com commanded com commanded me to ask your majesty to request the con constable constable stable to remain in Stirling where she understands he spends most of his time She begs your majesty to come to her with all ail speed and secrecy I wonder what is wrong now mused the king kink I have not heard from her h r for nearly a year She has bas quarreled with her hel third husband I suppose for the Tudors are all aU daft where matrimony is con concerned con concerned concerned What does doea your majesty say asked the girl I was speaking to myself rather than to you but I r may add that I am ready to go anywhere if you are to be my guide gulde Lend me your hand and spring up here behind me We Ve will gallop to Doune at once The young woman drew hack back a step or two No no she said sad The fady ady Margaret is most anxious that your visit should be unknown to any MY but herself herselt so she begs you to dismiss your followers and lay lax your commands upon Constable Stuart of ot Doune But my followers are all of them old enough enough to look ook after themselves objected the king and the constable is not likely to leave Stirling where he has remained these many months The Lady Margaret thought persisted the rl that If your retinue returned to Stirling and learned of your continued absence anxiety would ensue and anda a search might be undertaken that would extend to Doune How did my lady mother know I was hunting when you could not have learned of my my excursion until you reached Stirling asked the king with a glimmer of that caution which appeared appe red to have deserted de deserted deserted him The girl seemed somewhat nonplussed by the ques tion but she answered presently with quiet delibera deliberation lion tion Her ladyship was as much perturbed and feared I should not find you at the castle She gave me various instructions which she trusted I could accommodate to varying contingencies My girl said the king leaning toward her you do not speak like a serving maid What is your name I have been a gentlewoman gent sire fire she answered an were 1 simply but hut women alas a as cannot control their for tor fortunes fortunes tunes My name nam is Catherine Cathorine I will now forward to Doune and wait for you at the further side of ot the new bridge the tailor has built over the If It you will vIII secure your horse somewhere before coming or to the river and meet me there ther on foot I will conduct you to the castle Will you come Of O a surety suret cried the king in a a tone that left no doubt of his intentions I 1 shall overtake you long before bECore you are at the bridge As Ashe he said this the girl fled away awn in the darkness and then he raised his bugle to his lips I and blew a blast that speedily brought answered calls James unexplained absences were BO so frequent that hat his announcement of ot an intention not to return home bome that night caused no surprise among his company so 50 bidding him good night they cantered oft off toward Stirling while he unaccompanied set his face to the northwest and his spurs to the horses flanks but his steed was as already tired out and could not now keep pace pave with his hie impatience To his disappointment he did not overtake the girl but found her waiting for him at the new bridge e and together they walked w ed the short half mile to the castle The young man was Inclined to be conversational but the girl made brief replies and finally besought his silence The night had proved exceedingly dark and they were almost at the castle before its huge bulk loomed blackly before them There was something w so sinister In its dim grim contour that for the first time since he set out on this night adventure a suspicion that he was acting unwisely crossed the kings mind Still he meditated it was his mothers own On castle the constable of ot which was a warm friend of ot his almost as one might say a relative for Stuart was the younger brother of his mothers moth rs husband so what could be amiss with this visit You are not taking me to the main entrance he hev WhIspered v No to the postern door But the postern door Is s situated In th v high g above my reach It Is intended for far r the thee exit exit dt of a a pose pos possible sible messenger during a siege and not forthe en entrance trance of a guest I am acting in accordance with my instructions replied r the girl IA A rope ladder descends from the postern ostern door A rope ladder That sounds promising will you yo ascend it Yes sire but meanwhile I 1 Implore your your yo r majesty to be silent r The king said no more until the rope ladder was t as s in his hand band handI bandI I hope it is strong he murmured murmur d Then he mounted lightly lf up in the darkness until lie he stood on the sill sUl of ot the narrow doorway when wh n he reached forward his hand to assist his slower T comrade In mounting but she sprung past him without ut avail V ing herself of his aid In a 8 low voice she Ahe he begged r pardon for preceding him They walked up and up a n winding staircase on whose steps there ther was yag barely room for two to pass each other She pushed open adoor a adoor adoor door and allowed some light to stream eam through on n the turret stair which disappeared in jn the th darkness da s still farther aloft The he king found himself in a large square apart apartment ap apart apartment rt ment either on the first or second story It appeared appear d dIn In some sort to be a ladys boudoir boUd lr for the benches were cushioned and comfortable T and and nd there were vi IV ili c about on small tables of or tapestry work and other needle employment recently abandoned Will WUI your majesty kindly be seated said the girl I must draw up the ladder close the postern door and then inform my lady that you are here She went out by the way they tiley had entered and nd shut the door with a force that seemed to too the king 1 ing unnecessary necessary U but he caught his breath an instant later as his quick ear seemed to tell him liim a bolt had fallen He rose at once tried to open the door and discovered that it was indeed barred on n the outside One other exit remained to be tested test a larger door evidently communicating with another room or pas passage passage passage sage that also he found locked and he be returned to the middle of the room and stood there for tor a few minutes with knitted brow Trapped Jamie my lad Trapped he muttered to t himself Now what object can my mother have In this Does she expect by such childish means means to resume her authority over me Does she hope that her third husband shall rule Scotland in my name as did her second with me a prisoner By B St An Andrew Andrew Andrew drew no The king seized a bench raised it over his hi head h ad and crashed it in bits against a the larger Jarger door with a anoise anoise anoise noise that reverberated through the castle Open he cried Open instantly Then he paused awaiting the result of his fury Presently he thought he heard light Ug t footsteps coming g galong along the passage and an instant later the hugg h key turned slowly in the lock Jock The door opened and to his amazement he saw standing before him with wide e frightened eyes his guide gulde but dressed now as a a lady Madam said the king sternly ste ly I ask you the meaning of this pleasantry Pleasantry echoed e the girl staring at him with her hand upon the huge iron key alert al rt to torun run if iJ this thiis handsome maniac strewn by the wreckage wreck ge of Qt the bench he had broken attempted to lay hands her Pleasantry she repeated re that is a question I Imay Imay Imay may well ask you Who pre you sir air and what wn t are you ou doing here Who I am and what I am doing here you very well know because you yon O brought me here A change of garb does not change a well remembered face race and the king bowed to his visitor with a return of his customary courtliness now that his suspicions were allayed for he ho knew how to deal with pretty women Madam there Is no queen In Scotland but butt you are queen by right of ot nature and though you doff your gown you cannot change your golden grown crown The girls hand unconsciously went up to her ruddy hair while she murmured more to herself than to him This Is some of Catherines work Catherine was your name In the forest my lady What is your our name In the castle Ue Isabel is my name In castle and forest alike aUke You have met my twin sister Catherine e Why has she brought you here Like an obedient son I lam am here at the command of my honorable mother and your sister if indeed goddesses so strangely fair and so strangely similar can be two persons has gone to acquaint my mother ther of my arrival The girls alarm seemed to increase as the kings king s diminished Trouble dismay and fear marred her ber perfect face and as the king scrutinized her more minutely he saw that the firm mouth and the resolute chin of her sister had no place in the more softened and womanly features of the lady before him Your mother Who is she First Margaret Tudor daughter of the king of England second Margaret Stuart wife of kIng of Scotland third Margaret Douglas ill mate of the th thEarl Earl of Angus fourth and let us hope finally Mar Margaret Margaret Margaret garet Stuart again spouse of Lord Methven and own owner er of this castle The girl swayed as if she would ld fall f nalI all color struck suddenly from her face Slie S leaned feane nearly fainting against the stone wall passing her hand once or twice across her led eyes Great God she moaned dp not nott tell ll me that you are James king of ot Scotland here b and An alone in inthis inthis inthis this den of Douglas cried the king roused at the hated name How Holy can there be ses In th the castle of Doune my mothers house by my friend young Stuart Stu rt Your mothers mo s house ho said s aid the girl with an uncanny laugh J H v leas as Lady y Margaret D set et foot in Doune Not since sh was w as s divorced from my uncle Archibald Douglas Dougla Earl E rl of Angus And Aud the constable Aye the constable con is in it Stirling Doune castle stands gloomy and alone but in Stirling with the he young king there are ar are masques and hunting h and andr r gayety Young Stuart draws the revenues x of f t his bis charge but pays slight attention to to the fulfillment of his duty You are then Isabel Douglas And Ild now to echo your own question how ho came caroe you here If this ia Is a den of as you say flY hov ow w comes my mothers castle to be officered by the enemies of her ber herson berson herson son That you ask such a question shows little fore foresight foresight foresight sight or knowledge of men When your our first step stepfather stepfather father and my uncle Archibald Douglas had control of this castle through your mothers mother s name he filled It with his own adherents Naturally nepotism was a well known trait rait cf ct my domineering stepfather which did not add to his hi popularity in Scotland Who can get g t ce or justice against a Douglas Doulas was their cry But B t did not young Stuart when he be was made constable const ble put in his own men menT menThe The liThe constable cares nothing for this stronghold so o long as It furnishes money which he may spend gayly gayb in Stirling I see So you OU and your our sister found refuge among your underlings und And where so 50 safe from search as within the Ute kings mothers own fortress f almost under the shadow of Stirling An admirable adm rable device Why then do your jeopardize your safety by letting tUng l me Into the secret The girl sighed deeply with |