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Show , 2 IpTHE LION'S WHELP A Story of Cromwell's Tlmo BY AMELIA E. BARR. Author of "The Dow of Oranfe- Ribbon." "I. Thou and Iho Other On." "The Maid of Maiden Lane." Etc. (Copyright, 1901, by DodJ, Mead & Company. All tights reserved ) CHAPTER XI (Continued.) "And talking of going across fcas," aho continued, "reminds me of Cluny; neither of you seem to caro about him, yd our Jane Is fretting herself sick, and you might both of you see It." ; "Toll Jane to bo patient," said Dr. Verity. "If Cluny Is not back by the Now Year, I will go myself and bring him back. Cut remember all Is to arrange ar-range and rearrange, ordor and reorder, reor-der, men to put out of ofllce, and men to put Into ofllce. The work beforo the Protector Is stupendous." J This opinion proved to bo correct. " Day after, day passed, and no word jt concerning Cluny was possible. Ono crisp, sunny mottling in Janu- E ary Jane suddenly resolved to make f. some Inquiries herself. f, "Have you heard anything about Lord Neville, Sir Thomas?" she asked. , "1 nm very, very unhappy at his long delay." "So am I," answered Sir Thomas. "I sent a trusty man to The Hague, .ami It seems Lord Neville collected the- money duo there, six weeks ago. He refused a note on the Leather jNlerchants' Guild of this city, and Insisted In-sisted on being paid In gold, and was so paid. Now, Jane, a thousand sovereigns sov-ereigns are not easily carried and .and " "Well, sir? Please go on." "A ship left that night for tho Americasfor Amer-icasfor the Virginia Colony." "Dut Lord Neville did not go to America. Oh, no, sir! That 'is an Impossible thought." "Why did ho Insist on the gold? This is tho thing that troubles me." "Who says ho insisted on gold?" "Tho widow of tho man who paid It," "She may have been mistaken. She may herself bo dishonest. Tho money may never have been paid at all. I do not believe It has beec paid. Did your trusty man seo Lord Nefii6'3 quittance?" "I have not thought of that, Jane. I will send again to Tho Hague." "Yes, sir, and lot your messenger ask to seo Lord Neville's quittance." ered this little plan lo bo ti very wise ono, and so It proved. Her fear left her nit soon as the door closed, and she was nlono with her old frloud. "Jnne," ho said kindly, "Jane, what is the trouble?" "It is I.otd Novllle, sir. Nothing has been heard of him," "When did you hear last from him?" Jnne offered Cromwell Cluny's last letter, nnd nskod hltn to rend It. He read It aloud, letting his voice become sweet and tender as he did so. "My dearest and most honored mistress, mis-tress, I nm just on the moment of leaving Paris; my liotsc 1b at the door, but by n messenger thnt will come mote dltectly than myself I send you a last word from tills place. My thoughts outicach all written words. I nm with you, my own dear one, In all my best moments, mid my unchangeable un-changeable love snlutes you. Ora-clously Ora-clously remember me In your love nnd prayers. "Cluny Novllle." "A good letter, Jnne. I do think the man that wrote It Is beyond gullo, beyond be-yond dishonor of any kind. I will not hear a doubt of him. Ho touched a boll, and when It was answered said. "Mr. Tnsburg to my presence without with-out delay." Mr. Tusbuig came without with-out delny, nnd Cromwell turned to him In some passion. "Mark Tasburg." he said scornfully, "I have not once heard from you In the matter of Lord Nevlllo's delay. Tho commission for ynur search is mote than n mouth old; It is, sir, and I like not such dolnys." "My Lord Protector, 1 reported to Mr. Thurloo and Mr. Milton that my search had been of no avnll." "What date does ImiiI Neville's last letter bear?" "It was written at Paris on the J lth day of November." "Tho same date as your last letter, Mistress Swaffham. Four months ago. This is serious." Tho turning to Tasburg Tas-burg he said, "Find Col. Ayrton and send him here, to mo, without delay." de-lay." During tho Interval botween Tas- A good letter, Jane." "I will send a man to Thfl Hnguc to-day. Why do you not aeo tho Protector? Pro-tector? Ho was fond of tho young man. Ho believed in him." Sho only answered, "Yes, sir," nud then adding, "Good-morning, sir," she turned to go. Hor whole nppearntico was so wretched Sir Thomas could not rid himself of hor unhappy atmosphere. atmos-phere. His walk was spoiled; he went into his private room and smoked a pipe of Vliglnla, but all his thoughts sot themselves to ono text: "Thoro aro many Borrowful things in llfo, but tho hardest of nil Is loving CHAPTER XII hold Thou My Hands. This day was followed by a week of -wretched wenthor. Jano could do nothing but wait. Sho fully rosolvod when sho visited Cromwell to show him the henrt of a fearless woman-brave, woman-brave, because sho doubted neither God nor man. It waB, however, tho month of March beforo this visit could bo ruade. i Ono oxQulslto morning in MarcS sho r heard Gen. Swnffham say that tho Cromwoll ladles wore going to Hampton Hamp-ton Court. Tho Protector would then be alono In Whitehall, and sho might ee3 him without having to shnro her confidences with the family. She pre. parod a noto asking for an Interview, I and then called on Mr. Milton and induced him to go with her to the pal-ance pal-ance and dollvor It Into Cromwell's hand. In her simplicity etc conirld- burg's doparturo and Ayrton's arrival, Cromwell was occupied In writing a letter, and whon It was finished, Col. Ayrton cntored. "Colonel." ho said, "I think you know Lord Cluny Neville? Ho has disappeared, I do fear, in somo unfor-tunnto unfor-tunnto way. On tho 11th of last November No-vember ho loft Paris, after dispatching dispatch-ing tho business ho wns sent on with Cardinal Mazarln. No ono has heard of him since. 1 have written to his Kmlnonee, the Cardlna', horo Is the lettor, nnd if his reply bo not to tho point, go next to tho lodging of Lord Novllle, nnd from there follow his slops us closely as It may bo in your power. Tho treasuror will honor this order for your oxponses. Farewell, and God go with you." Ho wnited until the door closod, and then he said: "I owo you this and more, Japo; and I llko tho youth a dear, religious youth, of a manly spirit nnd n truo heart." "It Is four months, sir. 'TIs boyond my hopo, and 1 fear Cluny Is now boyond bo-yond human help." "Well, then, Jano, wo will trust to tho miraculous. Wo do not do thnt enough, nnd bo when our poor help Is not sufficient, wo tremble. Whcro Is the hopo and trust you sent to mo whon I lay between llfo nnd death In Scotland? Oh, what poor creatures wo aro, when wo trust In ourselves! Nothing then but tears and fears and tho gravo to end all." Comforted by his words, Jano forgot for-got her grief, and as she wont hom'- ward sho kept repeating to herself ! Cromwell's parting advice, "Don't doubt, Jane. God nor man nor nature can do nnythlng for doubters. Thoy cannot." Sho understood what was Included In this advice, and sho tried to realize It. The moment Mrs. Swaff-ham Swaff-ham saw her daughter, she took notice no-tice of the chnngo In hor couutonnnco and speech and manner, nnd sho said to herself, "Jnne has been with Oliver Cromwell. No one else could hnvo so Influonced her." And vory soon Jano told her all that bad been dono and said, and both women tried to assuid themselves thnt a few more woeka tit patience would end the suspense. At length April enmc, and tho bare brown garden was glorious with tta gold and purple of the crocus ilowors and the moonlight beauty of tho llllos. Uinta wore building In the hedges, and tho sun shono brightly ovorhcad. Tho spirit of spring was evorywhoro; men and boys went whistling along tho streets, the watermen woro singing in their barges, and a feeling of busy content and security pervaded London, Suddenly this atmosphere of cheerful cheer-ful labor and abounding hope waa filled with terror and with a cry of murder, of possible war. A gigantic plot for the assassination of tho Protector Pro-tector wns discovered that is, It was discoveted to the people; Cromwoll himself hud been awaro of Its first Inception, and had watched It grow to Its shamelul maturity. Hut to tho city of London tho arrest of forty cohsplrators In their midst was a shock thnt suspended for a tlmo all their business. Israel Swaffham wns tho first person per-son called Into the Protector's presence. pres-ence. He found him In great sorrow, soi row mingled with a just indignation. indigna-tion. With his clenched hand he pointed out to Israel tho personalities of the conspirators. At one name ho paused, and witli his linger upon it, looked Into Israel's face. "It Is a burning shamo," Israel said, angrily. "You havo pardoned and I warned and protected him for years." I "I must oven now do what I can; I must, Israel, for his father's sake. A warrant will bo Issued to-night, nnd I cannot stay that, and personally I can not warn him of It. What am I to do?" "My dear lord, do nothing. I can do all you wish. There needs no moro words between us. In two hours Abol Dowey you know Abel will bo on tho road. Give him a good horse and ha will so manngo himself and the benst as to reach IiIb journey's end In twenty-four hours." Israel then went quickly home. He called Jane and explained to hor In a few words what she was to do, nnd by tho time her letter to Matilda was ready, Abol Dewoy was at tho door waiting for it. Its beginning and ending end-ing wns in the ordinary strain of girls' letters, but in tho center there woro somo ominous words, rendered ro-markablo ro-markablo by the largo script used, and by tho lino beneath them "I must toll you there hns been a great plot against the Protector discovered. Chnrlos Stuart and Prince Itupert aro tho head and front of tho snmo, but thoro Is a roiKirt that Stephen do Wick Is not behindhand nnd my father did hear thnt a warrant was out for Stephen, nnd hoped ho would reach French soil, ere It reached him." Sho hasted to sign her name and closo tho letter. Abol Dewoy wns ready for It, and as sho watched him ride away hor thoughts turned to do Wick, nnd sho wondorod In hat,mood Mntllda might bo, and how sho would recolvo tho Information sent her. Would it bo a surprlso? "Not It," answered Mis. Swaffham. "Matilda knows nil about tho plot; that Is most certnln; but Its discovery may bo nows to her, nnd It so, she will not thank you for it, Jnne. Why will she burn herself with lire not on hor henrthhtono?" "Prlnco Ituport is hor lover. Sho will do anything ho desires her to do." "If ho truly loves hor ho would not permit her to bo put in dnngor." Thon Mrs. Swaffham wont out of tho room, nnd soon uftorwards Dr. Verity came In, asking chcorlly ns ho ontorod, ''How Is It with you today, Jnno?" "I llvo as best I can, doctor. I watch from tho morning to tho midnight for n footstep that does not como." "Thoro Is a doslro thnt fulfils Itself by Its own onorgy, but this desiro is born of unfailing Hopo, nnd of that unfaltering Faith that can move mountains. moun-tains. Havo you got It, Jano?" "I nm so weak, Doctor John. Pray for me." "Pray for yoursolf. Why should any ono pray for you? Pray for yoursolf, thouch It ho only to sny, with tho old Acadlans, 'Hold Thou my hands!' Go to God, Jnne; you nro only a llttlo babe in His Bight; a llttlo babe crying In tho vast void nud darkness, and trying to cntch hold of Bomothlng to which you may cling. Say to tho Fathor of your spirit, 'Hold my hand!'" And she roso nnd kissed him for his sweot counsel, nnd that night, and many a night afterwords, aho foil asleep whispering, "Hold Thou my hands!" (To Ijb contlnuod.) " i V - |