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Show I THE LION'S WHELP I f). A Story of Cromwell's Tlmo r g BY AMELIA E. BARR. ' Author of "Tho Dow of Oranf nibbon." "I. Thou and the Othor On.." ) "Th Maid of Maiden Lane." Etc J"J (Copyrlsht. 1901. by Dodd. Mead & Company. All rights reserved.) CHAPTER IV. (Continued.) I Novlllo hnd naked lo bo called early, and before daybreak ho camo Into tho parlor ready for his Journey. Somo broiled beef, a manchet of whlto bread and a black jar of spiced alo, stirred with a rosemary branch, was waiting for him; and Mrs. Swnffham and Jane sat at his side whllo ho eat and drank. Soon Neville's horse camo clottor-Ing clottor-Ing to tho door. Ho clasped Jano's hand as It hung by her sldo, and they walked thus to tho threshold. Snow was falling; tho stops wero whlto with It, and tho oast wind blow It gently In their faces. Mrs. Swaffham laughed and drew hor shawl over hor head, and Novlllo laughed also, and with a cheorful word, leaped to his saddlo, his dark figure growing more and more phantom-llko through tho dim dawn and tho whlto veil of tho snow. At tho gate ho wheeled his .horse, and, saluting them, vanished Into the gray obscurity, which made All things as If they wero not. "Ho did not say much of tho Crom-wells. Crom-wells. I'll warrant they will forgot ;you In their rising state." "Far away from It. Mary and Fran-ces Fran-ces sent mo many good words, and they are very persuasive with mo to -come to London and sharo tholr ;state." "You cannot go Just yet, Jano. Your lather is opposed to It, until Gen. Cromwell returns there Then, if it so please God wo shall all go at least -for a soason." Then tho mother and daughter separated, sep-arated, and Jano wont to hor friend's room. She was languidly brushing out her long black hair, and Jano tried to kiss a smllo into her molan-choly molan-choly face. And as sho lifted hor Tiead, sho had a momentary glance at a beautiful miniature lying upon tho dressing table. Tho face was that of a youth with flowing locks and a falling fall-ing collar of laco. In that same moment, mo-ment, Matilda moved her ribbons and 'kerchief in a hurried way, contriving Jn so doing to cover the picture. "Oh, Jane, Janel In truth, I am a Cromwell Sat at the Table. ,i wretched' girl, this morning. I have "boon dreaming of calamities and my .speech is too small for my heart. "Very soon this lucky Cromwell family fam-ily will coax you to London to seo all their glory, and I shall bo left in do ' "Wick with no better company than a -clock; for my father speaks to mo about onco an hour, and tho Chaplain not at all, unless to reprove mo." , . "But you shall come to London ;nlBO." . "Do you think so ill of mo as to bo- liovo I would leave my father in tho loneliness of do Wick?" And sho stood up and kissed her friend, nnd in a littlo whllo they wont downstairs together, to-gether, and Matilda had somo boiled , milk and bread and a sllco of venison. Then sho asked Mrs. Swnffham to lot lior havo a conch to go homo in. Mrs. Swnffham kissed hor for nn swor, nnd thoy sent hor away with such confidence of good-will nnd coming com-ing happiness that the girl almost believed be-lieved days might bo hers in tho fu-turo fu-turo ns full of Joy as days In tho past liad been. After this viBlt it was cold winter f weather, and Cluny Novlllo came no more until tho palo windy spring was I over tho land. And this visit was so i short that Mrs. Swaffham, who had gono to Ely, did not seo him at all. For ho moroly restod whllo a fresh hoVso was propared for him, eating a littlo broad and moat almost from Jano's hand as ho wnlted, Yet In that half hour's stress and hurry, lovo over-looped, over-looped, a spneo that had not boon takon without it; for as ho stood with ono hand on his saddle, ready to leap Into It, Jano trembling nnd pale at his sldo, ho saw unshed tears In her eyes and felt tho unspoken lovo on hor lips, nnd as ho clasped her hand his heart sprang to his tongue, nnd ho said with a passionate tenderness: "Farewell, Jano! Darling Jano!" then, afraid of his own tomorlty, ho was away oro ho could seo tho wondor and Joy called Into hor faco by tho smeet familiar words. When ho enmo again, it was harvest tlmo; tho reapers wero in tho wheat-fields, wheat-fields, and ns lie neared Swaffham ho saw Jano standing among tho bound sheavos, serving tho men and women with meat and drink. Ho tied his horso at tho gate and wont to her sldo, and oh, how fair and sweot ho found, hor! Never had sho looked, novor. had any woman looked In his eyes so enthralling. Tho charm of tho qulot moon was over all; thero was no nolso, indeed rather a pastoral melancholy melan-choly with a gontlo ripplo of talk threading it about plowing nnd sowing nnd rural affairs. In a short tlmo tho men and women scattered to their work, and Cluny, turning his bright faco to Jano's, took both her hands in his and said with oagor delight: "Dear Jano! Darling Jano! Oh, how I lovo you!" The words camo without Intent But tho heart Is a ready scholar whon love teaches, and as thoy slowly passed through tho fields of yollow fullness, finding their happy way among tho standing sheaves, Jane heard and understood that heavenly tale which Cluny knew so well how to tell her. Not until thoy reached Swaffham did they remember that they two wore not tho whole round world. But words of caro and wonder and eager Inquiry about war, and rumor of war, Boon broke tho heavenly trance of feeling In which thoy had found an hour of Paradise. So tho blissful truce was over, and Jano and Cluny wero part of tho weary, warring, working world again. Cluny know nothing which could allay fear. Ho had Just como from London. "And what of tho General's family?" asked Mrs. Swaffham; "aro they not afraid?" "Thoy aro concerned and anxious, but not fearful. Indeed, tho old Lady Cromwell astonished mo boyond words. Sho smiled at tho panic in tho city, nnd said 'It is tho beginning of triumph. tri-umph. I havo seen, I havo heard. Rest on my assurance, nnd until triumph tri-umph comes, rotiro to Him who Is a sure hiding place.' And tho light of hor nged face was wonderful. It is tho substance of tho thing wo hopo for, tho ovidenco of what wo shall all yet seo," ho cried in a tone of exaltation. ex-altation. "And now givo mo a strong fresh horso; I will rldo all night!" Then ho turned to Jane. "Darling Jano! My Jnnel'i and kissing her, ho said boldly to Mrs. Swaffham, "I ask your favor, madamo. Jano has this hour promised to bo my wife." "Jano has thon been very forward," answered Mrs. Swaffham with annoyance. annoy-ance. "I nm grlovcd. And Jano's father has not been spoken to, nnd ho Is first of all. I can say nolthor yea nor nay In tho mattor." "But you will surely speak for us. Givo mo a kind word, madamo, ero I go." And sho could not resist tho youth's beauty and sweot nature, nor yet tho thought In hor heart that it might perhaps bo his last request, Sho drow down his faco to hors and kissed and blessed him, saying, ns Saul said to David, "Go, nnd tho Lord bo vith theo." i JL ' - -Wf. Thon ho leaped Into tuo saddle, and tho horse caught his impatience- ami shared his martial passion, and wu n loud nolgh went flying over tho lanu. Silently tho two women watched tno dark figure grow moro and moro v distinct In tho soft, mysterious moonshine, moon-shine, until at length It wns a mero shadow that blended with tho lns-tinctness lns-tinctness of tho horizon. "Thank you, dear mother," said Jano softly, and tho mother answered, "Whon Ncvlllo has done hla.dutyjho will como fo- you. Ho can n B?T boar to llvo without you than Without With-out his eyes. I seo that." jm CHAPTER V. fj Sheathed Swords. J This long winter had been ono of great oufforlng to Gen. Cromwell. After making himself master ,of tho wholo country south of Forth and Clyde, ho had a sovoro illness, nnd lay often at tho point of death. Ho took tho flold In Juno, throwing tho main part of his army into Fife, In order to cut off tho enemy's .victual. This movo forced tho hnnd of Chnrlc3 Stuart. His army was In mutiny for want of provisions, tho North country wns nlready drained, ho durst not risk a battlo but tho road Into England (was clear. Cromwell himself had gono northward north-ward to Perth, and on tho second of August ho took possession" of that city, but whllo entered it was told that Charles Stuart, with'1 'fourteen thousand men, had suddonly left Stirling nnd was marching towards England. Charles had taken tho western west-ern road by Carllslo, and It was thought ho would make for London. Ho wont nt a flying speed past York, Nottingham, Coventry, until ho reached tho borders of Shropshire. At Shrewsbury Shrews-bury ho found tho gates shut against him and his mon woro so disheartened that tho king turned westward to Worcester, a city reported to'fco loyal, where ho was rocolvcd with every show of honor and affection. Meanwhllo Cromwoll was following Charles with a stoady swiftness that had something fateful In it. This was to bo tho last battle of tho civil war, and Cromwell knew it. Thore was In his bouI, oven at Perth, the nssuranco of victory, and as ho passes through tho towns and villages (of England, men would not bo restrained. They throw down tho slcklo and tho spado in tho field, tho hammcrjjn tho forgo, tho piano at tho bench,, and catching hold of tho stirrups of tie riders, ran with them to tho halting place. So, with his ton thousand troops augmented aug-mented to thirty thousand, ho reached Warwick, and making his headquarters headquar-ters at tho pretty vlllKe of Kcynton noar by, ho gavo nfSj'timo to draw breath and callYl a council of war. Cromwoll sat at tho upper end of a long tabic A rough imp of tho country coun-try around Worcester lty before him, and Harrison, Lambert, Israel Swaffham Swaff-ham and Lord Evcshnm wore his com-panions. com-panions. Thoro wero two tallow candles can-dles on tho tablo, aid their light shone on tho faco of Cromwoll. At that moment It was lull of melancholy, melan-choly, but he saw In air Instant tho entrance of Novlllo, and with an almost al-most Imperceptible movement commanded com-manded his approach. Novlllo laid tho letters of which ho wns tho bearer before Cromwell, and his largo hand Immediately covered them. "Is all well?" ho asked and reading tho answer In tho youth's face, added, "I thank God! What then of tho city?" "Its panic Is beyond describing," an-Bwored an-Bwored Novlllo. "Parliament Is bosldo itself. But London Is manifestly with tho Commonwealth, and every man in it Is looking to you and to tho army for protection. Somo, lndjod, I mot who had lost heart, and who thought It better that Charles Stuart should como back than that England should become a graveyard fighting him." "Such men aro suckled slaves," said Lambert. "I would hang them without with-out word or warrant for It." "Yea," said Cromwoll, "for Freedom Ib dead in them. From hero thoro aro two courses open to us, a right ono nnd a wrong one. What say you, Lambert?" "I say it wero well toturn our noses to London, nnd to let tho roguoB know wo nro coming." "What Is your thought, Harrison?" "Worcester Is well defended," ho answered an-swered musingly. "It has Wales behind be-hind It. Wo cannot, fight Charlos Stuart till wo compass tho city, and to do that wo must bo on both sides of tho river." "Fight him," said Lord Evesham, "better now than later." "Fight him! That, l toll you, Is my mind also," said Cromwoll Btrking tho tablo with his clinched hand. "Somo may Judgo otherwise, but I think whllo wo hold Chnrles Stuart safe, London Is safo also. God has chosen this battloflold for ub, as Ho chose Dunbar. But thoro must bo no Blacknoss. Tho work is to bo thorough, nnd not to do over ngain. The nation wishes It so, I know it. Tho plain truth is wo will march straight on Worcostor; wo will cut off Charles Stuart from all hopo of London; wo will fight him from both sldos of tho river, and bring this matter of tho Stuarts to an ond." itf' (To bo continued.) , i. ' I |