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About Dakota County herald. (Dakota City, Neb.) 1891-1965 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1921)
vM .-i 1 DAKOTA' dOUNTV HERALD ' I; ? J NO DEFENSE ' r3X Gilbert Pabkei i ThU SEX I r-o '-wj?. COPYRIGHT T3tf SIRAG 1 L.BER.T PA'RKER (CHAPTER XIX Continued.) 13 Sheila smiled painfully. "Yes, mad and hopeless, for bo suro of this: We cannot kill In ono day the growth of years. I could not cure myself of lov ing him by marrying you. There had to be some other cure for that I never knew and never loved my fa ther. Hut he was my father, and If Mr. Calhoun killed him I could not marry him. But at last I came to know that your lovo and affection could not make me forget him no, never. I realize that now. He and I can never come together, but I owe him so much I owe him my life, for he saved It; he must ever have a place In my heart, be to me more than any one else can be. I want you to do something for him." "What do you wish?" "I want you to have removed from him tho sentence of the British gov ernment I want him to be free to come and go anywhere In tho world to return to England It' he wishes It, to be a free man and not a victim of outlawry. I want that, and you ought to give It to him." Lord Mallow was angry nnd discon certed, but ho did not show It. "I can do no more than I have done. I have not confined him to his plantation as the government commanded ;'I cannot go beyond that" "You can put his case from the standpoint of a patriot." Por a moment tho governor hesi tated, then he said: "Because you ask me " "I want It done for his sake, not for mine," she returned with decision. "You owe it to yourself to see that It Is done. Gratitude Is not dead In you, in itr Lord Mallow (lushed. "You press his case too hard. You forgot what he Is a mutineer and n murderer, and no one should remember that as you should." "He has atoned for both and you know It well. Besides, ho was not a murderer. Even tho courts did not eay he was. They only said he was guilty of manslaughter. Oh, your hon or, bo as gallant as your name nnd plnco warrant." He looked nt her for n moment with Dtrange feelings In his heart Then ho salt: "I will give you an answer , In twenty-four hours. Will that do, sweet persuader?" "It might do," sho murmured, nnd, straago to say, she had a sure feeling that ho would sny yes, In splto .of her kuowleilgo that In his heart of hearts he hated Calhoun, As ihe left tho room, Lord Mallow stood for a moment looking after her. "Sho loves the roguo In splto of all 1" he said bitterly. "But sho must come with me. Thoy are apart us tho poles. Yet I shall do as sho wishes If I am to win her." CHAPTER XX. , . The Coming of Noreen. Tho next day came a new clement (n the situation: A ship arrived from England. On It was ono who had come to Jamaica to act us governess to two children of the ofllccr com manding tho regular troops In the 'Island. She had been 111 for a week before nearlng Kingston, and wheu tho Itegent reached tho harbor she was In n bad. way. Tho ship's doctor wns despondent over her; but he was a socond-rulo iiuin, nnd felt that per haps an Island doctor might give her some hope. When sho was carried ashore she was ut once removed to tho luune of the general commanding at Spunlhh Town, and there a local doctor saw her. She was thin and worn und her eyes only told of tho struggle going on between Ufo and denth. "What Is her name?" asked the resi dent doctor. "Noreen Ilulfe," was the reply of the ship's doctor. "A good old Irish name, though you can see she comes of tho lower ranks of life. I leave her In your hands. I'm a ship's medico, and she's now ashore." As they left the room together they met Sheila and one of the daughters of the house. "I've come to see the ck woman froin tle ship If I may," Sheila said. "I've Just heard about her ami I'd like to be of use." The resident doctor looked at her with admiration. She was tho most conspicuous f-guro In the Island, nnd her beauty was a fine Hiipport to her wealth nnd reputntloii. It wan like her to be kind In this frank way, "You can ho of great use If you wUI," he paid. "The fever Is not In fectious. I'm glnd to nay. So you m-cd hnve no fcor of being' wltli her on account of other." "I have no fear," responded Sheila with a friendly mulle, "nnd I will co to her nnvno If you don't -mind. IV, fnrtt uto iilmii'," si,e lidded nr .! nn -'nr wnn wnu'iii: .with !. J ! s.rl: "uiir'tl ; "till! S3 JSmiGHW' SM-jiSnxsV . ur kjvt and looked at Sheila. There shot Into them a look of horror nnd relief in one, If such a thing might be. A sud den energy inspired her and sho drew herself up in bed, her face gone ghastly. "You are Sheila Boyno, aren't you?" she asked In a low, half-guttural note. "I urn Sheila Llyn," was tho aston ished reply. "It's the samo thing," came tho re sponse. "You are tho daughter of Errls Uoyne." Shclln turned pale. Who was this woman that knew her nnd her history? "Whnt Is your name?" she asked "your real name what Is It?" "My name is Noreen Balfe; It vo3 Noreen Boyne." For n moment Sheila could not get her bearings. The heavy scent of the flowers coming In nt tho window al most suffocated her. She seemed to lose n grip of herself. Presently she made an effort at composure. "No reen Boyne 1 You were, then, the sec ond wife of Erris Boyne?" "I wns his second wife, nis first wife was your mother you are like your mother I" Noreen said In agita tion. Tho mennlng wns clear. Sheila laid a sharp hand on herself. "Don't get excited," she urged with kindly feel ing. "He Is dead nnd gone." "Yes, ho Is dead and gone." For n moment Noreen seemed to fight for mastery of her stark emotion, nnd Shelln said, "Llo still. It Is all over. Ho cannot hurt us now." Tho other shook her head In protest. "I came here to forget and I find, you his dnughtcr." "You And more thnn his daughter; you find his first wlfo nnd you And the ono that killed him." "Tho ono that killed him 1" said the woman greatly troYroled. ,"IIow did you know that?" "All the world knows It. He wns In prison four years and since then ho has been a mutineer, n, treasure hunter, a planter and n savior of these Islands!" Tho sick woman fell back In exhaus tion, it that moment tho servant en tered with a pitcher of llmo Juice. Shelln held n glass of the liquid to the stnrk lips. "Drink," sho said In a low, kind voice, nnd sho poured slowly Into the patient's mouth tho cooling draught. A moment later Noreen raised herac-If np ngnln. i "All nro hero that matter," she said. "And I enmo to forgot 1" "Whnt do you remember?" asked Sheila. "I remember nil how he died I" Suddenly Shelln had n desire to shriek aloud. This woman did this woman then see Errls Boyno dle7 Was she present when tho deed wns done? "How did ho die?" sho asked In a whisper. "Ono stroke did It only one, nnd ho fell like a log." She made n mo tion as of striking, and shuddered, covered hor eyos with trembling hands. "You toll me you baw Dyck Calhoun "I Killed Hlml I Killed Hlml" do this to an undefended man you tell me this!" Sheila's anger was Justified In her mind. Thnt Dyck Calhoun should , "I did not see Dyck Calhoun strllto' him," gr.hped tho woman. "I did uot sny thai. Dyck Calhoun did not itlll Errls Boyne I" "My God oh, my God 1" suld Shelln with adieu lips, but a great light orenklng In iter eyes. "Dyck Calhoun did not kill Errls Boyne l Then, who killed Mm?" There was a moment's police, then, "I killed him," Mild the woman In ag ony. "I kilted Mm," ' t 'Willi tvpngmmce bcc-.cd Sluiln After a moment sho said In ngltatlon: "You killed him you struck him down! Yet you let an Innocent man go to prison, and be kept there for years, and his father go to his grave with shume, with estates ruined and homo lost nnd you wero tho guilty one you I all the time." "It wns part of, my madness. I was a coward and I thought then there were reasons why I should feel no pity for Dyck Calhoun. His father Injured mine oh, badly I But I was a coward, and I've paid the prlco." A kinder feeling now took hold of Sheila. After nil, what the woman hnd dono gave happiness Into her Sholla's hands. It relieved Dyck Cal houn of shame nnd disgrace. A Jail bird ho was still, but an Innocent Jail bird. Ho had not killed Errls Boyne. Besides, It wiped out forever tho bar rier between them. All her blind de votion to the man was now Justified. Ills nnme and fame were clear. Her repugnance of tho woman was as noth ing besldo her splendid feeling of re lief. It wns as though the gates of hell had been closed and the curtains of heaven drawn for the eyes to see. Six years of horrible shame wiped out, and a new world wns before her eyes. This woman who. had killed Errls Boyno must now suffer. She must bear the Ignominy which had been heaped upon Dyck Calhoun's hend. Yet nil at once there come to her mind n softening feeling. Errls Boyne had been rightly killed by u woman ho hnd wronged, for ho was a traitor ns well ns an adulterer- one who could uso no woman well, who broke faith with all civilized tradition, and re verted to the savage. Surely the wom an's crime was not a durk one ; It was Injured innocence smiting depravity, tyranny and lust Suddenly, as sho looked at tho wom an who had done this thing, she, whose hnnd had rid the world of a traitor and a beast, fell back on the pillow In a fulnt With an exclnmntlon Sheila lifted up the hend. If the woman was dead, then there wns no hope for Dyck Calhoun; any story that she Sheila might tell would be of no use. Yet she was no longer agitated In her body. Hands nnd fingers were steady, and she felt for the heart with firm fin gers. Yes, the heart wns still beat ing, arid the pulse was slightly drum ming. Thank God, the woman was alive I She rang a bell nnd lifted up the head of the sick woman. A moment later the servant wns In the room. Sheila gave her orders quickly, nnd snatched up a pencil from the table. Then, on a piece of paper, she wrote the words: "I, not Dyck Calhoun, killed Errls Boyne." A few moment later, Noreen's eyes opened, nnd Shelln spoke to her. "I have written these words. Here they are see them. Sign them." She rend the words, and put a pen cll In tho trembling fingers, and, on the cover of a book Noreen's fingers traced her name slowly but clenrly. Then Shelln thrust the paper lit her hosdm, nnd an Instant Inter n nurse, sent by the resident doctor, entcied. "They ennnot hang me or banish me, for my end hus come," whispered No reen before Shellu left In the street of Spanish Town al most the first person Shelln saw was Dyck Calhoun. With pnle, radlnnt look sho went to htm. Ho gazed nt her strangely, for thero wns thnt In hor face he could not understand. "Come with me," she said, and she moved toward King's house. He obeyed. For somo moments they wulked In silence, then nil at once under a maguolla tree she stopped, "I want you to rcud what a woman wroto who has Just arrived In the Is land from England. Sho Is 111 at the house of the general commanding." Taking from her breast tho slip of paper, she handed It to him. He read It with eyes and senses that nt first could hardly understand. "God In heaven oh, merciful God I" he suld In great emotion, yet with a 8trnngo physical quiet "This woman wus his wife," Shclln said. He handed tho paper back. Ho con quered his agitation. Tho years of suf fering rolled nwny. "They'll put her In jail," he said with a strange re gret He had a great heart "No, I think not," was the reply. Yet she was touched by his compns slon and thoughtfuliiess. "Why?" "Because she Is going to die nnd there Is no time to lose. Come, we will go to Lord Mallow." "Mallow I" A look of bitter tri umph came Into Dyck's face. "Mullow at lust l" he said. CHAPTER XXI. With the Governor. Lord Mallow frowned on his secre tary. "Mr. Calhoun to see me! What's his business?" "One can guess, your honor. He's been fighting for the iBlnnd." "Why should ha see me? There Is (he general commanding." The secretary did not reply ; he knew ills chief. And, bftor. a moment, Lord Mallow bald: "Show him In." When Dyck Calhoun entered, the gc.vernor gave him a wintry sinllo of wetromc, out did not offer to rthake hands. "Will you sit down?" he snld, with h slow gesture. Calhoun made a dissenting motion. "I prefer to stand, your hpnor." This was the first tlmo th two men had met nlone since Dyck had arilved In Junmlrr., or since his trial. Cal houn was dressed In planter's costume nnd the governor was In an officer's uniform. They were in striking eon trust In face nnd figure the governor long, lanky, ascetic in nppejrant-d. very Intellectunl save for th rlotocs mouth, nnd very spick nsd fpnn-His ihfush l e had Just stepped ut of Al- mack's; while Calhoun was tough and I virile and with the nlr of n thorough outdoor man. There was In his face the firm fighting look of ono who had done things and could tackle big af fairs nnd something more; there was In It quiet exultation. "You havo done the island and Eng Innd great service, Mr. Calhoun," said the governor at Inst "It Is tho least I could do for the land where I havo made my home, where I have reaped more than I have sown." "Wo know your merit sir." A sharp, satirical look- camo Into Calhoun's face and his voice rang out with vigor. "And because you knew my merit you advised the crown to confine me to my estate, and you would have had me shot if you could. I am what I am because there was a Justcr mnn than yourself In Jamaica. Through him I got away and found treasure, and I bought land and havo helped to save tills Island and your place. What do I owe you, your hon or? Nothing that I can sec nothing at nil." "Xou are n mutineer, and but thnt you showed your courage would have been hung at the yard arm, as many of your comrades in England were." A cold smile plnyed at Calhoun's lips. "My luck wns as great as my "It Wasn't the Luck of Ennlscorthy That Sent Errls Boyne to His Doom." courage, I know. I havo the luck of Ennlscorthy I" At the last words the governor winced, for It wns by that touch Cal houn had defeated him In the duel long ngo. It galled him that this man whom he detested could say suck things to him with truth. "It was not the luck of Ennlscorthy that sent Errls Boyne to his doom," he said with anger In his mind, for Dyck's calm boldness stirred tho worst In him. He thought he saw in him nn exultnncy which could only come from his late experiences In tho field. It vns as though he had come to trl umpli over the governor. Mallow said what he had suld with malice. He looked to see rage In the face of Dyck Calhoun and was nonplussed to find thnt it had only a stern sort of pleas ure. The eyes of Calhoun met his with no trace of gloom, but with a vnjor worthy of a high cause their clear blue facing his own with a con stant penetration. Their intense sin cerity gnve him n feeling which did not belong to nuthorlty. It was not tho look of n criminal, whatever the mnn might be mutineer and murder er. As for mutineer, all that Calhoun had fought for had been at last ad mitted by the British government. Calhoun spoke slowly. "Your hon or, you have said whnt you have a right to say to n man who killed Erris Boyne. But this man you nccuso did not do It" The governor smiled, for tho ns sumption wns ridiculous. Ho shrugged n shoulder nnd n snrdonilc curl came to his Up. "Who did It then?" "If you will come to the house of tho general commanding you will sec." The governor was In a great quan dary. He gasped. "The general com manding did he kill Errls Boyne then?" "Not he, yet the person thnt did It Is In his house. Listen, your honor. I have borne the nnme of killing Errls Boyne, nnd I ought to have killed him, for he was n traitor. I had proofs of It; but I did not kill him and I did not betray htm, for he had allvo a wife and daughter, and something wns ;due to them. Ho wns a traitor and was In lengue with the French. It does not mntter thnt I tell you now, for his dnughter knows the truth. I ought to hnvo told It long ngo, nnd If I hnd I should not have been Im prisoned.'1 "You were a bravo man, but a fool always n fool," said tho governor sharply. "Not bo great n fool that I can't re cover from It," was the calm reply. "Perhaps It was the best thing that ever happened to me, for now I can look the world in the face. It's mndo a man of me. It was a woman killed Mm," wns Calhoun's added comment "Will yoar honor come with me und bee her?" The governor wns thunderstruck. "Where Is she?" "An I have told you In the house of the general commanding." The governor rose abashed. "Well, I can go there now. Come." "Perhnps you would prefer I should not go with you In the street. The world knows uoui mutineer, thluUs i, TIE S3 if HHSy wM of mo ns n murderer I Is it fntr to your honor?" Something In Cnlhoun's voice roused the rage of Lord Mallow, but ho, con trolled It, and said calmly: "Don't talk nonsense, sir; we shall walk to gether, If you will." At the entrance to the houso of the general commanding, the man to whom this visit meant so much stopped nnd took a piece of paper from his pocket. "Your honor, here Is the name of the slayer of Errls Boyne. I give it to you now to see, so you mny not be astonished when you see her." The governor stared at tho paper. "Boyne's wife, eh?" ho said in a strange mood. "Boyne's wife what Is she doing here?" Calhoun told him briefly as he took tho paper back, and added: "It was nccldcnt that brought us all together here, your honor, but the hand of God Is In It" "Is she very 111?" , "She will not live, I think." "To whom did she tell her story?" "To Miss Shelln Llyn." The governor was nettled. "Oh, to Miss Llyn I When did you see her?" "Just before I came to you." "What did the woman look like this Noreen Boyne?" "I do not know; I have not seen her." "Then how came you by the paper with her signature?" "Miss Llyn gavo it to me." Anger filled Lord Mallow's mind. Sheila why now the way would be open to Calhoun to win to marry her! It nngered him but he held himself steadily. "Where is Miss Llyn?" "Sho Is here, I think. She came back when she left me at your door." "Oh, she left you at my door did she? . . . But let me see the wom an that's come so far to put tho world right" A few moments later they stood In the bedroom of Noreen Boyne, they two and Sheila Llyn, the nurse hav ing been sent out. Lord Mallow looked down on the haggard, dying woman with no emo tion. Only a sense of duty moved him. "What Is It you wished to say to me?," he asked the patient "Who nre you?" come the response In a frayed tone. "I am the governor of the Island Lord Mallow." "Then I want to tell you that I killed Errls Boyne with this hand I killed him." She raised her skinny hand up, and her eyes became glazed. "He had used me vilely and I struck him down. He was a bad man." "You let an Innocent man bear pun Mshment, you struck at one who did you no harm, and you spoiled his life for him. You can see that, can't you?" The woman's eyes sought the face of Dyck Calhoun, and Culhoun said: "No, you did not spoil my life, Noreen Boyne. You have made it. Not that I should have chosen the way of mak ing it but there it is. As God's In heuven I forgive you." Noreen's face lost some of Its gloom. "That makes it easier," she said brok enly. "I can't atone by any word or net, but I'm sorry. I've kept you from being happy, nnd you were born to be happy. Your father had hurt mine, hud turned him out of our house for debt, and I tried to pay It all back. When they suspected you I held my peace. I was a coward; I could not say you were Innocent without tell ing the truth, and 'thnt I could not do then. But now I'll tell It I think I'd have told it whether I wns dying or not though. Yes, If I'd seen you here I'd have told It, I'm sure. I'm not all bad." "There's no good going on with that," said the governor sharply. "We must take down her statement In writ ing, and then " "Look, she is sinking 1" said Calhoun sharply. The woman's head had dropped for ward, her chin was on her breast, and her hand became clenched. "The doctor at once bring In the nurse," said Culhoun. "She's dying." An Instant later the nurse entered with Sheila and In a short time the doctor came. When luter the doctor snw Lord Mai low alone he said : "She can't live more than two days." "That's good for her In a way," mi bwcred the governor, nnd In reply to the doctor's question why, he snld: "Because she'd he In prison." "What was her crime, your honor?" "She killed a man." "What man?" "Him for whom Dyck Culhoun wns sent to prison Errls Boyne." "Mr. Culhoun wns not gullty.then?" "No. As soon as the woman Is dead, I mean to announce the truth." "Not till then, your honor?" "Not till then." "It's hard on Callioun." "Is It? It'a years since he wns tried and condemned. Two days cannot matter now." "Perhnps not. Last night the wom an said to me: Tjy glnd I'm going to die.'" Then he added: "CalhoLn will be more popular than ever now." The governor winced. CHAPTER XXII. Then What Happened. An hour after Noreen Boyne had been laid In her grave, thero was a special Issue of the principal paper telling all the true facts of the death of Errls Boyne. It vexed Lord Mallow; but he steeled himself to urbanity, and he played his part well. He was clever enough to see It would pay him to be outwardly gracious to Calhoun. So Ir wiu 3e muda a speech In the capital on tho :turi. of the general command ing anJ h. 'ip fiv.w tutulalrv l!" Maroons, in which he snld: "No ona In nil the king's dominions. had showed greater patriotism nnd mllitnry skill thnn their friend Mr. Calhoun, who had been harshly treated by a mis taken government" A few hours later, In the sweet gar- den of the house where Sheila and her mother lodged, Calhoun camo up on the girl whose gentle dignity and benuty seemed to glow. At first all she said to him was, "Welcome, old friend," and nt last sho said: "Now you can come to the United States, Dyck, and make a new , life there." Presently he said: "I ought to go where you wish mo to go, for you camo to me hero when I was rejected of men. Your faith kept me nllvo in my darkest days even when I thought I had wronged you." "Then you will como to Virginia with me as ray husband, Dyck?" She blushed and laughed. "You see I have to propose to you, for you'vo never asked me to marry you. I'm throwing myself at your head, sir, you observe!" Ho gave an honest smllo of adora tion. "I came today to ask you to be my wife for that reason only. I could not do It till the governor had declared my innocence. The earth Is sweeter today than it has been slnco time began." He held out his arms, nnd an instant later tho flowers she carried wero crushed to her breast, with her lips given to his. A little later she drew from her pocket a letter. "You must read thnt," she said. "It 13 from the great Alex- , under Hamilton yes, he will be great ; he will play a wondrous part In the life of my new country. Read It, Dyck." After he had read It, he said: "He was born n British subject here In these Islands, and he goes to help Americans live nccordlng to British principles. With nil my sane fellow countrymen I am glad the Americans succeeded. Do you go to your Virginia nnd I will come ns soon as I have put my affairs In order." "I will not go without you no,. I will not go," she persisted. "Then we shnll be married at once," he declared. ' And so It wns, and all the Island was en fete, and when Sheila camo to Dyck's plnntatlon the very earth seemed to rejoice. And sweetly solitary the two lived their lives, till one day, three months Inter, there came to the plantation the governor nnd his suite. When they had dismounted, Lord Mallow said: "I bring you the pay of the British government for some thing of whnt you have suffered, sir, f and what will give your lady pay, too, I hope. I come with a baronetcy -. given by the king. News of It came ' to me only this morning." Calhoun smiled. "Your honor, I can take no title, I can receive no honor. The Flowers Were Crushed to Her Breast, With Her Lips Given to His. I hnve ended my life under the Brit ish flag. I go to live under tho Stnrs and Stripes." The governor wus astounded. "Your lady, sir; do you forget your lndy?" But Sheila answered: "The life of the new world has honors which hnve naught to do with titles, and I will remain ns I am." "I snll. for Virginia by the first ship thnt goes," said Calhoun. "It Is good here, but I shull go to a place where things nre better and where I shnl! have work to do. I must decline the bnronetcy, your honor. I go to a land where the life Is larger, where Britain shall remake herself." "It will take some time," said the governor tartly. "They'll be long apart." "But they will come toother at last for the world's sake." THE END. Browning's Poetry. The truth U that many renders 01 verse resent nny demand upon their Intellects; poetry to them being only i pleasing Indulgence nu occaslonnl substitute for n sherbet not to be tnkin aeriously. Certainly Browning's poettr Is not for such. No one to day Wta knows "Sordello" derides It, for, difficult as It Is to the beginner, It contains many veins of the pure gold of poetry and Its plcturea of the passionate, tumultuous life of the lute Twelfth and curly Thirteenth cen turies In Itnly, with the Her? con flicts of Guelf and Ghlhelline by which It wuh torn, tire unequaled In xlvlil nex.s ind truth by anj Msloiluu. Philip StufJurtl Movuu. TJ- mi i A V ' .uua.. h-V