Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 141: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE PROGRESS Heaven appointed him to accomplish this. CromweH and the two colonels listened, at first with a half-bored tolerance, then with a growing, puzzled interest and a mildly impatient amusement, while John briefly—for him—told of his ‘“‘ Angel ” and the pots and pans and his frequent deliver- ances by Providence when he did not in the least deserve Heaven’s consideration and compassion, save, as he pointed out, “ that mercy had some great purpose in’t.”’ “The meaning was made clear to me,” said he, his face all radiant with simple faith in his own behalf; “ the answer to all my doubting and questioning. This is no dream, no trick of stray imagining, my masters. Out of that self-conscience which is the voice of God in us poor humans, out of that reasoning which differs man from the beasts of the field, came the whispered truth. ‘““T was not elect; yet was I nominate. Providence had saved me from the adder, from the buHet, from death by drownmg and from the snares of Satan for some purpose. What that purpose is, I see only as in a glass, darkly, my masters, save that tis to serve the right as I hold right, and as opportunity appears, the doing rightly myself; also to right others and do battle against wrong!”’ The colonels moved uneasily, but Crom- well stared from under drawn brows at this strange tinker-trooper-evangelist. _ “ And in the guardhouse,”’ Bunyan went on, “where I stood watch over this un- happy youth and we did speak together, suddenly fram this and that, things he said or did not say—aye, more than he did not say—a ray of the All-Seeing came to me and I knew the inwardness of this vexed matter, even as it had been clearly writ down on tablets and placed if»my hands. “ And now—!” He paused as if before some great climax. But he did not say at once that my warn- ing against Slythey as a probable eaves-— dropper and his own memory of Slythey’s spying upon the manor garden had sug- gested a possible explanation of my un- authorized absence. He did not-even re- veal then that the manor garden was the scene of his own encounter with “ Richard Google 647 Eveleigh,” or that he now knew that person to have been the king. : No! He broke off just as Ruth and Slythey began to show symptoms of an uneasiness I shared, if for different reasons. John Bunyan grabbed the maid by the wrist. T-o the amazement of all, even the stony Cromwell, he shouted in her face: ‘* Maid—wilt thou wed me?” That was the most astounding time, place and manner of wedding proposal of which I have any knowledge, personally or by hearsay. Ruth, as you and I have been aware for some time, was at least half in love with Hobgoblin Jack. And now, perhaps fear- ing that not to humor him might precipi- tate a revelation by John of his recently- acquired knowledge of who it was harbored the king, and where, and perhaps com- pletely dominated for the moment by Bun- yan’s thunderous manner, the Puritan maid tremulously faltered: «ss Y-yes, John.” \ _ At her answer even Cromwell sat back and came as near to downright laughing as I ever knew the man do. Then, still holding the maid firmly by the wrist, and even giving it a little shake to keep her in mind of his masterfulness, Bunyan said: “Very well! Under that affirmative, maid, th’ art my betrothed wife—before witnesses—and within the hour the bond shall be confirmed by clergy. “Very well!” he went on triumphantly. ‘Now, as thy husband, / command thee, wife, to speak!” She was Puritan maid, brought up in the idea of unquestioning obedience to the ac- cepted lord and master; but nevertheless OF J. BUNYAN. she protested. “Oh, John, I cannot! Thou knowest I cannot! Think of my dear mistress!” ‘Then thou art no wife of mine!” cried Bunyan, who, having hardly a grain of humor in his whole body, was quite una- ware of the absurdity of his attitude, which appealed most ludicrously to all present, except Ruth and John himself. p The maid, completely dominated by the idea of wifely obedience, never thought in that moment to remind Bunyan that she Origin SHG STE Wee 1EOOO