Show I phe DOOM TRAIL Hy By Arthur D D. D Howden Ho OW eri Smith Author of PORTO t P BELLO GOLD COLD Etc t l by hy I STORY FROM THE START Harry Ormerod proscribed traitor to tho the British crown as asa asa asa a Stuart Stul partisan n returning from Francs Franca to London without friends or prospects rescues Al Alderman Alderman Al- Al derman Robert t t from as- as who had waylaid him The arrival of ot the watch puts an end to tho the affair and Harry tells his now acquaintance of ot his former In the the- as a n sold soldier lor service of tho the Stuarts and later Il nn an official at the court of the called so-called Ping King James the Third CHAPTER I Continued I-Continued 2 2 I had forgotten otten my surroundings forgotten or the dingy cobbles of Mincing lane tor forgotten otten the Uw strange circumstances circumstances circum- circum stances under which I had met this strange e person who seemed so Intimately Inti versed In m my family history I lived over again the brave days at nt I Foxcroft when Charles had been inns mas master muster ter am and I his lieutenant But Hut the moment moment moment mo mo- ment passed the memories faded and my eyes saw sate again the drab buildings of the alley and the odd fi figure ure of my whom deliverer deliverer whom I had first delivered And you ou sir I said May I ask how It happens you ou know so much concerning concerning con con- cernin the fortunes of a n plain Dorset family He lie seemed not h to tt hear me tae standing there In a brown sindy stady and I spoke to him again sharply answered al almost alost al- al Yes yes I heart heard lie he most ost Impatiently I was was was- But this Is no place for discussion Come with me Inc to my House Some trace of my feelings must have been revealed In my attitude m my face he could not have seen In the darkness for darkness for he continued You need not fear me Master Ormerod Or- Or merod I mean you ou no harm I could not do harm to your our fathers father's son But ut you I asked Who are arc you sir He chuckled dryly You know my name he answered and you heard the watch acknowledge acknowledge edge my civic dignity For the rest rest rest- If Jt you have spent much time In Dorset yon you should know a Dorset voice I Iff do that I assented heartily and grateful to my ears cars Then be content with that sir for fora forR a R few minutes Come let us be on our way I have reas reasons ns for not wishing to lo Invite a n second attack upon us lie ne set off at a great pace his head buried burled in his cloak collar and I walked beside him puzzled exceedIngly exceed- exceed 0 Ten minutes later Inter we stopped before a tall tall gabled house of brick and timber tim Um- her ber on the near side of Holborn My companion produced a key from his person and unlocked ed a n heavy door which opened upon a n staircase leading to the second stor story The first floor was occupied by hy a shop Enter Ma Mater Master ter Ormerod said Jugg Jug Jug- g gins ns You are arc right welcome I hope I you have none of the country gentleman's gentle gentle- mans man's scorn for the home of an honest merchant I A beggar must not be a n chooser I I answered But nut If I were not Indebted I ed to you for Cor my liberty I should 1 still sUII be glad lad to visit a Dor Dorset et man who I l knows lOWS how to fight and and wh who remembers remembers bers hers the woods of i Foxcroft 0 a Well spoken applauded Ju Juggins as he fastened e ed the h door dOo behind us So I might ha have expected ell your fa- fa ther's son to speak That is the second time you have called me my fathers father's son o I said I Master Juggins Tug ins hard hap you ou acquaintance acquaintance acquaintance ac ac- ac- ac with my father Bide hide bide ho he replied enigmatIcally cally We shall settle all that anon After you sir And he lie ushered me up the stairs which were hun hung with the skins of ot many kinds of ot animals some of which I did lId not even know stow The stairs gave ave upon a large e hall similarly decorated and through h this we passed Into a comfortable com com- chamber which stretched across the front of the house Master Juggins relieved relle me of ot m my cloak and hat and motioned to a deep chair in to front of the fire Rest yourself Mast Master r Ormerod I we shall have provender pro for forthe forthe forthe the Inner man as ns well Ho Goody Art abed after atter all nil Abed Abed Abeln answered a thin old voice that was In Inexpressibly ihly sweet with a Dorset made Master Roberts Robert's sound like the twan twang of a Londoner Abed sa says s 's he lIe lIeThen V When Then hen did didI I r ever feel the sheets and not riot ot know know- In lag he was warm warns and safe and his hism m cup where It belongs belongs which is In his stomach Abed Abell ver aver find find find- sh She stepped into the room a quaint little tittle fi figure ure In gray hodden-gray a dainty cap perched on her wispy white hair her brown e eyes es gleaming In the candlelight candle candle- light the crossed crossed wrinkles of her cheeks checks shining like a n network of ot flue fine lace ace In her hands she held a a tray supporting a steaming fla flagon on and divers divers di dl- vers ers dishes of Juggins favored me with a humorous humor humor- ous ons glance Sure I 1 grow more troublesome year by year granny rann he said us as she paused at sight sight- of or me inc Here I am come home ater than ever bringing a guest with me Who think you he Is She Site looked at us Inquiringly U Master Ormerod 1 a Ormerod Not Not Not- u Aye Master Harry But ut he Is In France I INay Nay he Is Lq here She the drew closer and aul studied my fea ten tures under the candles that shone I from the mantel shelf Is uIs he In danger she asked breathlessly breath breath- lessly The watch were after him when he I came to my rescue replied Ju Juggins gIns Yet t he came I She She patted patted my cheek check with her hand i That was a n deed which you need I Ineer never neer be ashamed of Master 1 Ormerod I and you shall win free to safety whatever whatever what what- ever eyer It mn may be or wherever if Robert Hobert and I have any wits between us Sit yourself down Master Ormerod and you shall have ha n a draft of mulled d ale and a u dish of deviled bones and there- there afterward a bed hed with sheets that have lain in Dorset lavender lavend r Hath it a n welcome sound to you oU The tears came into m my eyes I III am happier thIs tills night than I have hu been any time sin since sine e Charles and I r left Foxcroft I said salt But pray tell me wh why you ou two who are ure strangers to tome tome tome me should beso Interested In an nn outcast outcast out but cast lie He does oe not know exclaimed the little old 1 lad lady I have told him nothing said Juggins Juggins Jug Jug- gins smiling Well time he knew he was amongst among the thc rI right ht sort of friends the little In lady y said You are too young oun Master Ormerod to remember old Peter Peter Peter Pe Pe- ter Juggins to A light burst upon my addled wits Wh Why of course I cried lie was steward under tinder my father and in his fathers father's time before him I But you ou Peter was m my husband husban she said simply Robert Hobert here Is our grand grand- son When Peter died your our father of- of his place tg tV Robert Robert I would have none of It lie had the i a t 1 11 1 t ft r YOU TELL ME 11 NOW OF YO U l PRESENT ANT wandering bee In his bonnet He was young and he must see the world He lie would make his fortune too No 10 life as an estate steward for him And wise I was too granny ranny interJected interjected inter Inter- Master Tu Juggins Ins Even you OU will grant that now Be not too elevated by your our good fortune she retorted Had nad you ou followed fol fol- iott lowed ed your grandfather at Foxcroft Foxcroft your counsel m might ht have restrained Master Harry and his brother from their mane madness madness- s- s I wish it might have I said bitterly lilt hit terl terly thinking of Charles' Charles lonel lonely grave on a mist draped hillside In the Scotch highlands Many l a a gentleman would have taken talen In bad pm part lart t such an answer to toan toan tonn an nn offer made In kindness Master Or Or- mero merod But not your our father No after tr trying in all he could by fair means menns to dissuade Robert from his course he a asked ked where his fancies drifted and then supplied him with money for forthe forthe forthe the theo o voyage to the Western Plantations and to enable him to secure a n start that permitted d Robert to go overseas and arid to set himself elf up as a trader fur there and afterward aftel to ret return return re re- re- re t turn rn and establish his business downstairs downstairs downstairs down down- stairs which hath bath grown rown so that It ismore Is Ismore ismore more than he can handle All of It It I say we owe to you rou All of It granny reaffirmed Mastel Master Master Mas Mas- ter tel Tu Juggins himself have not ma made e eIt It one one whit too strong for fOI- me But ButI I would find timid out before we sleep how I ma may be of aid to Master Ormerod Aid she All that we have In the world worM Is his If It he lie wants It It- a aye e the clothes oft off our backs backs Good Goodnight Goodnight Goodnight night to you Jou Master Ormerod And remember this house poor though it be for your our fathers father's son Is to be lie your home tome until you have a n better I rose and bowed m my any acknowledgments ments but I could not speak My Iy heart was too full Here In this bleak bleal unfriendly London which had greeted me with suspicion and persecution persecution persecution perse perse- cution I had found foun friendship and as as- It was almost too good to believe I have no o claim upon you ou Master X X X X X X X X X x X X I I I i I I Ju Juggins I exclaimed as ae the door closed behind his grandmother Remember Remember Re tiRe member that And let me not Imperil for tor one moment two friends of ID my father who revere his memory as I had hadnot hadnot hadnot not supposed any did save m myself He ne pushed me down Into my chair b by the fire There Is no question of claim sir a n privilege e. e Do you tell me now now of your our present plight Fear rear not to tobe tobe tobe be frank with me ate Master Ormerod I Ido Ido Ido do not mix In in politics I am none of your red hot 10 loyalists who would hang hanga a man because ho lie remarks remarks' that our worthy king is a n Hanoverian lJ by birth But on the other hand Ill I'll have haTe naught to do with these plotters who fume over the exiled Stuarts The Stuarts went sir because they overtaxed the forbearance of ot a n longsuffering longsuffering long long- suffering people The They might have returned returned re re- turned ere this n as you ou know had bad they possessed the good sense to appreciate what their people required But lacked that good sense Master Master Mas Mas- ter Ormerod and with all till deference I Isa Isay Isay sa say to you ou they will never return unless unless unless un un- less they learn that lesson very soon I leaned forward la b my chair and Interrupted him the words bubbling from m my lips I could coul not have put neater my myown myown own ow-n feelings Master Muster Juggins When I was a lad not yet et of ot age I risked all allI I had for the Stuart cause What came of It A life liCe of ot exile that might have ha ruined me as It has man many a n better better better bet bet- ter man Iran My I family's s estate was seQuestrated sequestrated sequestrated se se- m my outlawry was pro pro- claimed I have no place to lay mayhead my may head save It he be by the bou bounty ty of a forel foreigner ner Have I secured any moral satisfaction satisfaction satis satis- faction b by these sacrifices At first I thought I had hind But nut when I looked closer I 1 found foun that I hind had done nothing for m my country For the Stuarts yes But nut for m my country nothing This made me think the harder Master Juggins At the be beginning I I. I had tal taken en zest In the plots and plans which were aimed to ing b-ing about his re restoration to lo power But the longer I studied them the themore themore themore more Insincere the they became r i I found my leader a of foreigners ners I used to undermine England's prestige I His Ills aims alms were not the good of England England Eng Eng- land but his own wn aggrandizement the furthering of Frances France's ambitions I Hast Host learned learnell that In lad Wh Why then theres there's no more loyal Englishman In London So you ou think I answered So I think But nut hear me out I told my feelings to a certain great gentleman who handles affairs at St. St Germain He TIe cursed me for a turncoat would have ha ordered his lackeys to flog me hie from the palace I left him him In In dis dis- grace grac The doors of my friends were closed to me I thought I would make my wa way to England and begin a new i life me lue So I applied to the English ambassador ambassador ambas ambas- for a n passport He Lie laughed at me Did I think he lie was so innocent as ns to be blinded by such transparent trickery Nn Nay the Stuarts must seek I for means to plant a fresh spy in England Iii Irr des desperation then i iI I bought passage from froma ea a smuggler of ot Dieppe who landed me me three weeks II since In Sussex I made my way to I Dorset hoping hopin to find old friends who j would help me to gain a pardon butI but i iI I was reco recognized b by one of my cousins Iwho I who now hold Foxcroft house and he I raised a hue and cry after me fearing no doubt that I sought to regain the estate I Since then I have been hunted like a n beast My last shilling was spent this morning mornin Tomorrow had hul I escaped so 1 long I planned to sell my I sword and If all else failed to seek seel seeka a press gang I ILet I Let us thank God you you heard beard m my Y crl cries s Tu earnestly I II I do I r said and with no lack of ot reverence m my friend I T also thank you ou Jt He lie gave gate me a n keen look 1001 You call me friend Do you mean the word Why not I was your jour fathers father's servant he heal said al and he said it so o that the words were at once proud and humble I I caught au ht hl his bis hand In n mine You were his friend too and who am I I. I nn an outlaw without name or fortune fortune fortune for for- I tune to set m myself sel t above a n man who has prospered like you ou through h the i diligence ence o of his own hands and brains Master Ju Juggins ns drew a n deep breath and TUn wrung my hand hard do 10 lad he said My I help would hn have ha been yours ours on an any terms But nut you ou have made nande It a glad privilege e for me to help hell you Doubt not we shall fin find find-a n way 1 Now get Jet you ou to bed hed I shall have somewhat to say to you Cu on the morro morrow mor mor- ro row II The part pl played by the inex inex- inexhaustible inexhaustible riches of the American colonies In the machin machinations of of European politics comes as a revelation to Ormerod TO BE CONTINUED I Iv v X Y Y Y Y Y Y T T T 1 |