| Show armce of waymen by KATHARENE TYNAN b job p L bo v es I 1 cs c s a lorn turbulent 1 sup ose abe h id 0 m hard ridi ig 1 ard ather rather than 01 my e mou r if my lather hid i el I 1 li gs d been better with me lor I 1 his great joll la liter wh n I 1 had behaved 1 or so L m th r et out of mere 1 d sti ery nd daring i ither t ar e 1 ii ten he was not man n hi dead gnei my baroti er an er was born people ej to boncer hit v e d be sprung of one stock 1 darl he fair I 1 so rude and ltd n m w s be all ant ene s I 1 was avei lu ty and u the ears passed 1 grew strong as a oung olt and unmanageable as one yet un bitted he on the other hand ept his delicacy of look and w s somewhat frail of health na e another 1 tor my mother s ing him since she b amed herself that excess e grief for my father had we likened the unborn hild I 1 was lonely till my cou in loan came her mother dame winchester was my mother s sister and now joth were widowed therefore they thought well of housing their grief under one root bat these are childish things and let me on to the time of the great war my mother was dead belore enose evil days befell or eleb she had lied of them perhaps as many a loyal lady did and even at the last dear soul she left a barbed wound m my heart lor said she to me in those last pe clous hours while we et 1 ept her roger my son do you love our ou sin joana I 1 know not dearest said I 1 ind reddened even at that moment for I 1 was a callow rough lad and would have been ashamed to think upon love she laid her thin hand on mine and I 1 thought he would hae kissed me tor we had drawn closer during her illness but what she said was listen roger if aymer loves her w as I 1 fear he does let aymer wed her you will forget you will go out in the world among other men and will see other ladles to love ou are strong and valiant my son he Is gen tie and delicate let him have his love I 1 did not and for my part in certain exploits came to be known as mad mainwaring Maln waring but alack those glories were well over and here was I 1 a ragged cavalier with but my horse my and my little dog and ere I 1 joined some gay friends of mine who were making war in another fashion a great hunger came upon me to look upon the home of my childhood to see that which I 1 had renounced and visit once again mothers grave I 1 turned my face westward thre fore and rode night and day till the watery sunset of a spring evening showed me king s beeches v ith its turrets and chimneys alaci against the sky the window was open and some one was singing a ripe voice which I 1 was slow to recognize as that of my to ther aymer with the song went the thin music of a spinet I 1 hoisted myself by my bands on the window sill yet ere I 1 bad looked within I 1 knew what I 1 should see my brother dressed soberly et with richness leant by the spinet which cousin joan was playing several years had gone and some thing almost matronly had come upon my cousin s beauty something so noble and so tender that I 1 must swear or ever no woman s beauty were perfect lacking that the waves of her chest nut hair rolled away from the pure outline of hr face I 1 could see her little ears and ohp full milky throat below the golden head for an instant I 1 feasted on her bai ty then my eyes wandered to my brother he looked less slight than of old but his apollo grace and fairness which used to thin unbecoming a had not deserted him the whole scene was peaceful so full of home that it made his heart ache who had doomed himself to be homeless and then a thought came to me that sent the blood surging to my head why it was a home scene I 1 looked upon and this pair with their happy quietude were no lovers except wedded ones I 1 had willed it so or the dead had willed it for me yet I 1 turned to the night with an oath on my lips and despair in my heart for never until then I 1 think had I 1 realized ore tor my cousin and so swearing I 1 would not come again lest worse be all I 1 strode off to the dell in the wood where saladin pawed the ground and neighed the way I 1 had taken we gentlemen of the road drop out of the world we once knew as much as if we were dead two years did tom selby dick la vader and myself lead the highway man s life and if I 1 said it had not clings to recommend it I 1 should err there came a night I 1 rode alone as t e would hae it and was scarce thinking of business but leant by a wayside gallows in the shadow of a wood and mused as was my wont on the wherefore men were born into he world only to leave it with not a hope fulfilled then tar away in the moonlight moon ligh I 1 baw a great coach coming toward me there were four horses ridden by postil ions so much I 1 could see so it was at least five to one against me but ft consorted with my desperate mccod to take the coach single handed now I 1 aw the vantage the woods gave me and were these fellows as great cowards as I 1 have often proved euch varlets to be the enterprise were eafe enough therefore as the coach rolled beneath the hangman s tree I 1 stepped out and crying yield knaves to me and my men I 1 flourished my pistols in the face of the first man oh lord highwaymen I 1 heard him sob and indeed the woods sha low might be r 11 of us the horsie fell back on their ea and the great equipage to a I 1 bent forward calling td my imaginary comrades to stand when suddenly a great oath broke from the immovable haure of a man that sat on the box of the coach and turning at tl e sound I 1 saw the four postil ions scurrying like rabbits as fast as their feet would carry them send your pistols after them good high va man wheezed the figure on the box and in faith forgetting what ambush there might be I 1 blazed away w th both pistols so that the es m have real tun for their money chank ou friend said I 1 but vhoid do yoi v ith soua mi mistress a lady 1 that when 0 o i have beheld her so i will not hurt her 0 o i gentlemen of the road do not var on beauty tear not friend bald I 1 I 1 will not h rt her and w saving 1 opened the coach door and looked w th p add i said I 1 w 11 od not step ut and enjoy the bea ity ot the n atit would tain u if air ayea mi ct yo r diamonds a aritt ot mo n igau into he coach had bevelled revelled revel led to me the chasn of ewels on tl e fingers of the lady as he drew tightly about her tice her hooded cloak Vit hoit a word she held out her hand tor me to assist her to al then she stood upright in the moon light a shining figure all in white tor a long cloak of white satin hid the glories beneath and since the domino AT LAST AT LAST ROGER screened her face I 1 could but guess at the beainy within you are from a ball madam I 1 said from supper at my lord ciren cester s she said you shall go free said I 1 on on condition that I 1 yield jou my diamonds that you tread a minuet with me here it will recall the brave days of old afterward that you will give me one kiss she was silent an instant afterward I 1 cried with a passion that fired me of a sudden I 1 shall no other woman be sure of that and I 1 shall not ask to see your face you will let me go unquestioned 9 that shall I 1 you are the prince of highwaymen she murmured as she placed in my hand her own like the petal of a illy then on the turf below the gallows we went through the stately dance and scarce could I 1 tread it because of my desire for the kiss that was to follow when we had finished I 1 took her hand and led her to the coach now madam said I 1 for bour beauty s sike and your loyalty s I 1 will if ou will it forswear the last condition of our bargain the als she said the kl I 1 answered though I 1 thirsted for the touch of hei lips on mine aay but you shall not she alis leaning forward from her seat in the coach I 1 felt her hands nold me in a vice soft as they were they drew me to ward the coach her lips met m ne then her arms were about me at last at last roger she cried and we have been seeking you I 1 and aymer this many a year and the voice was my joans wice but you are aymer s wife I 1 cried aymer s sister and your wife it you will have me at last who have waited so long for you love come home with ma Is your stew ard who holds your lands and your house tl 1 you come come I 1 answered her tended invitation by taking her within my arms I 1 had no words to speak and the future was long in which to ask questions I 1 returned to mine own house a hap py lover to find my place kept ready for me so was my mother s great love for my brother aymer justified for a true and dear brother he proved him self to me |
