.. i ikA i DAKOTA' COUNTY HERALD !f I& " NO DEFENSE I GlLBERT yv THE SEA V Trrrr i i- COPYRIGHT (CHAPTER XIX Continued.) 13 Sheila smiled painfully. "Yes, rand and hopeless, for be sure of this: We cannot kill In one 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. But he was my father, and If Mr. Calhoun killed him I could not marry him. Dut at last I came to know that your lovo and affection could not make me forget him no, never. I realize that now. Ho and I can never come together, but I owe hlra so much I owe him my life, for ie saved It; he must ever have a place In my heart, be to mo 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 the sentence of the British gov ernment I want him to be frco to come and go anywhere In the world to return to England If ho 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 Bhow It. "I can do no more than I have done. I have not confined him to bis plantation as the government commanded;'! ennnot go beyond that." "You can put his case from the standpoint of a patriot." For 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. Ton owe It to yourself to see that It Is done. Gratitude Is not dead In you, Is itr Lord Mallow flushed. "You press his case too hard. You forget what ho Is a mutineer and n murderer, and no one should remember that as you should." "He bus atoned for both and you know It well. Besides, ho was not a murderer. Even tho courts did not say he was. They only said he was guilty of manslaughter. Oh, your hon or, be as gallant as your namo and Claco warrant." He looked at her for a moment with trnnge feelings In his heart Then ho said: "I will glvo you an answer , In twenty-four hours. Will that do, nwcot persuador?" "It might do," she 'murmured, nnd, Btraage to say, she hud a sure feeling thnt ho would sny yes, In spite ,of her knowledge that In his henrt of hearts he hated Calhoun. As the left the room, Lord Mallow stood for a moment looking after her. f"She loves tho roguo In spite of all 1" he said bitterly. "But she must come with mo, Thoy are npnrt ns tho poles. Yet I shull do as she wishes If I am to win her." CHAPTER XX. , -The Coming of Noreen. " The next day came a now element In tho situation: U ship arrived from ; England. On '.f was one who had como to Jamaica to uct as governess to two children of the officer com manding the regular troops In the Island. She had been 111 for a week before nearlng Kingston, and when tho llegcut reached the harbor she waB In a bad. way. Tho ship's doctor was despondent over her; but ho wot? a second-rate man, nnd fclr. that per haps uu Island doctor might give her some hope. When sho was carried ashore she was ut onco removed to the houie of tho gencml commanding at Spanish Town, nnd there a local doctor saw her, Sho ivns thin and ;worn and her eyes only told of the struggle going on between life and death. "What Is her unmet" naked the resi dent doctor. "Noreen Balfe," was the reply of the ship's doctor. "A good old Irish name, though you" can see sho comes of the lower runks of life. I leave her In your hands. I'm a ship's medico, and BwikS. iS fflHH! uvuw i irtjwV I'll1 ll' I'll jHlt T&kQrsm rbrkiar T ! wW 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 nt her with admiration. She was tho most conspicuous fgura In the Islnnd, nnd her beauty was n fine support to her wealth and Yeputntlon. It wns like her to bo kind In this frank way. "You enn ho of great use If you will," he ald. "Tho fever Is not In fectious, I'm glad to sny. So you need have no fear of being wim tier n account of other." "I linyp 1(0 fear," responded Sheila twith it friendly smile, "and l will go to her novvt-io If yntj don't mind. Pi prnr to ijn nl'Mii','' she iwldi'd v. k'- nun ii'-nr wax wiiii'iis wl'ii iiii ; h..i s il "iimmi "; 'U'" PAEKE MIGHiy s-r- riSnis' . ur kivt V GILBERT PARKER nnd looked nt 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 nnd sho drew herself up In bed, her face gone ghastly. "You arc Sheila Boyne, aren't you?" she asked In a low, half-guttural note. "I am Sheila Llyn," was tho aston ished reply. "It's the same thing," came tho re sponse. "You nro tho daughter of Errls Boyne." Sheila turned pale. Who was this womnn that knew her and her history? "What is your name?" she asked "your real name what Is It?" "My name Is Noreen Balfe; it was Noreen Boyne." For a 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 mnde an effort nt composure "No reen Boyne I You were, then, the sec ond wlfo of Errls Boyne?" "I wns his second wife, nis first wife was your mother you are like your mother 1" Noreen said In agita tion. The meaning wns elenr. Sheila laid a shnrp hand on herself. "Don't get excited," sho urged with kindly feel ing. "He Is dead and gone." "Yes, he Is dead and gone." For n moment Noreen seemed to fight for mnBtery of her stnrk emotion, nnd Sheila said, "Lie still. It Is all over. He cannot hurt us now." The other shook her head In protest. "I came here to forget and I find, you his daughter." "You find more thnn his daughter: you find his first wife and you find tho one that killed him." "Tho ono that killed him I" said the wbmnn greatly tro'tlbled. ,"How did you know that?" "All the world knows It. He wns in prison four years and since then bo has been a mutineer, a treasure hunter, n plnntcr nnd a savior of these Islands 1" Tho sick woman fell back In exhaus tion, it thnt moment the servnnt en tered with a pitcher of llmo Juice. Shelln held n glass of tho liquid to the stark lips. "Drink," sho snld In a low, kind voice, nnd sho poured slowly into the patient's mouth tho cooling draught. A moment Inter Noreen raised henclf np again. i "All nre horo that mntter," sho said. "And I camo to forget I" "What do you remember?" nsked Sheila. "I remember all how ho died!" Suddenly Sheila had a deslro to shriek aloud. This womnn did this woman then see Errls Boyno die? Wns she present when the deed was done? "How did ho dlo?" sho asked In a whisper. "Ono stroke did it only one, nnd ho fell llko a vg" Sho made a mo tion as of striking, and shuddered, covered her eyes with trembling hnnds. "You toll me you saw Dyck Calhoun "I Killed Him! I Killed Hlml" do this to nn undefended man you tell mo this!" Sheila's anger was Justified In her mind. Thnt Dyck" Calhoun should , "I did not sco Dyck Calhoun strllto htm," griped the woman. "I did not say that. Dyck Calhoun did not kill Errls Boyne!" "My God oh, my God I" said .Shelln with uMiun lips, but a great light nrenklng In her eyes. "Dyck Calhoun did not kill Errls Boyne 1 Then, who killed lilinV' There was n moment's pause, then, "1 killed htm." Mild the woman In ag ony. "I kllli-i) him." 1 't'f,.lli ivpngniiaee seized Shelln IF " J dMSmm' IKS! After a moment sho snld in ugitntlon: "You killed him you struck him down! Yet you let nn innocent man go to prison, and be kept there for years, nnd his father go to his grave with shame, with estates ruined and homo lost and you wero tho guilty one you I all tho time." "It was 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 price." A kinder feeling now took hold of Sheila. After all, what the woman had dono gave happiness Into her Sheila'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 the bar rier between them. All her blind de votion to the man was now Justified. Ills namo and fame were clear. Her repugnnncc of tho woman was as noth ing besido her splendid feeling of re lief. It was 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 was before her eye3. This woman who. had killed Errls Boyno must now suffer. She must bear the Ignominy which had been heaped upon Dyck Calhoun's head. Yet all at once there came to her mind n softening feeling. Errls Boyno had been rightly killed by a woman ho had wronged, for he was a traitor as well ns nn adulterer one who could uso no womnn well, who broke faith with all civilized tradition, and re verted to the savage. Surely the wom nn's crime was not a dark one ; it was injured innocence smiting depravity, tyranny and lust Suddenly, as she looked at tho wom nn who had done this thing, she, whose hand hnd rid the world of a trnltor nod a benst, fell back on the pillow In a faint With nn exclamation Sheila lifted up the head. If the woman was dead, then there was no hope for Dyck Calhoun; any story that she Sheila might tell would be of no use. Yet she wns no longer agitated In her body. Hands nnd fingers were steady, and she felt for tho heart with firm fin gers. Yes, the heart was still beat ing, nnd the pulse was slightly drum ming. Thank God, the woman was allvdl She rang a bell and lifted up the head of the sick woman. A moment later the servant was in the room. Shelln gave her orders quickly, and 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, and Sheila spoke to her. "I have written these words. Here they are seq them. Sign them." She read the words, and put a pen 'ell in tho trembling fingers, and, on the cover of a book Noreen's lingers traced her name slowly but clearly. Then Shelln thrust the paper In her bosom, nnd nn Instant later a nurse, sent by the resident doctor, ontcied. "They cannot hang me or banish me, for my end hns come," whispered No reen before Sheila left. In the street of Spnnlsh Town al most the first person Sheila saw wns Dyck Calhoun. With pale, radiant look she went to him. He gazed at her strangely, for thero was that In her face he could not understand. "Come with me," she said, und she moved toward King's house. He obeyed. For some moments they walked in silence, then all nt once under a magnolia tree she stopped. "I wnnt you to read what n woman wrote who hns Just arrived In tho Is land from England. Sho is Hi at the house of the general commanding." Taking from her breast the slip of paper, she handed it to him. He read It with eyes and senses that nt first could hnrdly understand. "God in heaven oh, merciful God!" ho said in great emotlop, yet with a strange physlcnl quiet "This womau wus his wife," Sheila snld. He hnnded the paper bnck. no con quered his agitation. Tho years of suf fering rolled away. "They'll put her In Jail," he said with a strange re gret Ho hnd a great heart "No, I think not," was the reply. Yet sho was touched by his compas sion nnd thoughtfulncss. "Why?" "Becnuie she Is going to die and thero Is no time to lose. Come, wo will go to Lord Mallow." "Mallow!" A look of bitter tri umph entne Into Dyck's face. "Mallow nt last!" ho said. CHAPTER XXI. With the Governor. Lord Mallow frowned on his secre tary. "Mr. Calhoun to sec me! What's his business?" "Ono can guess, your honor. He's been fighting for tho Island." "Why should ha see me? There Is the general commanding." The secretary did not reply ; he knew ills chief. And, hftor n moment, Lord Mallow said: ''Show him In." When Dyck Calhoun entered, the g-evcruor gavo him n wintry smile of welcome, hut did not offer to nhnke hnnds. "Will you sit down?" he snld, with h slow gesture. Calhoun made n dissenting motion. "I prefor to stand, your h?nor." This wus the first time tin two men bad met nlone since Dyck had arrived In JamnlCK, or slnco his trial. Cal houn was dressed In planter's costume and the governor was In nn olllccr's uniform. Thoy were in striking con trast In face und figure the governor long, lanky, ascetic In uppejrnmv, very Intellectual save for (lift rlotocs i 'iuiuiii, mm very pick h.ii ppnu tia I '.hi.iigh t c had Just stepped rut of AN miutb, nnd very spick aid span us mack's; while Calhoun wns tough nnd 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 nnd could tackle big af fairs and something more; there was In It quiet exultation. "You hnvo done the Island nnd Eng Innd grent service. Mr. Cnlhoun," snld the governor at last "It Is the least I could do for the land where I havo made my home, whero 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 becnuso 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 ttiere was a Juster man than yourself in Jamaica. Through him I got away and found treasure, nnd I bought lnnd nnd have helped to save this Island and your place. What do I owe you, your hon or? Nothing that I can see nothing at nil." "You are a mutineer, and but that you showed your courage would have been hung at the yard arm, as many of your comrades In England were." A cold smile played at Calhoun's lips. "My luck was ns grent ns my "It Wasn't the Luck of Ennlscorthy That Sent Errla Boyne to His Doom." courage, I know, I have the luck of Ennlscorthy 1" At the last words the governor winced, for it was by that touch Cal houn had defeated him in the duel long ago. It gulled him thnt this mnn whom he detested could say suck things to him with truth. "It wns not tho luck of Ennlscorthy thnt sent Errls Boyno to his doom," he said with anger in his mind, for Dyck's calm boldness stirred tho worst In him. no thought he saw In him nn exultnncy which could only como from his Into experiences In the field. It wns ns though he had come to trl- umpn oyer the governor. Mallow said what 1)0 hnd snld with malice. He looked to see rago in the face of Dyck Calhoun and was nonplussed to Hnd that it hnd only n stern sort of pleas ure. The eyes of Calhoun met his with no trnco of gloom, but with a vnor worthy of a high cause their clear blue facing his own with a con stant penetration. Their intense sin cerity gavo him n feeling which did not belong to authority. It was not tho look of n criminal, whntever the mnn might be mutineer nnd murder er. As for mutineer, nil thnt Cnlhoun hnd fought for hnd been nt Inst nd mltted by the British government. Calhoun spoke slowly. "Your hon or, you havo said what you have a right to say to a man who killed Errls Boyne. But this man you nccuse did not do It." The governor smiled, for tho as sumption wns ridiculous. Ho shrugged n shoulder nnd n sardonic curl came to his lip. "Who did It. then?" "If you will come to the house of the general commanding you will see." The governor was In n grent quan dary. He gasped. "Tho general com manding did ho kill Errls Boyne then?" "Not he, yet the person that did it Is In his house. Listen, your honor. I have home the nnmo of killing Errls Boyne, am) I ought to have killed him, for he was a traitor. I had proofs of it; but I did not kill him and I did not betray him, for he had alive n wife and dnughtcr, and something wns due to them. Ho wns a traitor and wns In league with the French. It does not mntter thnt I tell you now, for his daughter knows the truth. I ought to hnve told It long ngo, nnd If I had I should not have been im prisoned.'' "You were a brave mnn, but n fool ahvnys a fool," said the governor sharply. "Not bo great a 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 con look the world In the face. It's made a man of me. It wns a woman killed him," was Cnlhoun's ndded comment "Will yoar honor come with mo und see her?" The governor wns thunderstruck. "Where Is slut" "As I have told you in the house of the general commanding." The governor roee abashed. "Well, I can go there now. Come." "Perhaps you would prefer I ahonld not go with you In the street. The I "" " "' "- - " "-- l,i kuows mM mutineer, thlu!i3 ii? lis of mo ns n murderer I Is It fair to your honor?" Something in Calhoun's voice roused the rage of Lord Mallow, but ho con trolled It, nnd snld calmly: "Don't tnlk nonsense, sir; we shall walk to gether, if you will." At tho entrance to the houso of the general commanding, the man to whom this visit meant so much stopped nnd took n picco of pnper from his pocket. "Your honor, hero is tho nnmo of the slnyer of Errls Boyne. I give it to you now to see, so you mny not be nstonlshcd when you see her." The governor stared at tho paper. "Boyne's wife, eh?" ho said In n strnngo mood. "Boyno's wife what Is she doing hero?" Calhoun told him briefly as he took tho paper back, nnd added: "It was accident that brought us nil together here, your honor, but the hnnd of God is In it" "Is she very III?" "She will not live, I think." "To whom did she tell her story?" "To Miss Shelln Llyn." The governor wns nettled. "Oh, to Miss Llyn I When did you seo her?" "Just before I came to you." "What did tho woman look like this Noreen Boyne?" "I do not know; I hnve 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. Shelln why now the wny would be open to Calhoun to win to marry her 1 It angered him but he held himself steadily. "Where Is Miss Llyn?" "Sho Is here, I think. She came back when she left mo at your door." "Oh, she left you at my door did she? . . . But let mo see the wom nn thnt's come so fnr 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 hnggard, dying womnn 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 are you?" came the response In a frayed tone. "I am the governor of the island Lord Mallow." "Then I want to tell you thnt I killed Errls Boyne with this hand I killed him." She raised her skinny hand up, nnd her eyes beenme glnzed. "He hnd used me vilely nnd I struck him down. He wns a bad man." "You let nn 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?" Tho woman's eyes sought the face of Dyck Calhoun, and Calhoun 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 thero It is. As God's In heaven 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 act, but I'm sorry. I've kept you from being happy, and you were born to be happy. Your father had hurt mine, had turned him out of our house for debt, and I tried to puy 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, nnd' that I could not do then. But now I'll tell It I think I'd have told It whether I was dying or not though. Yes, if I'd seen you here I'd have told it, I'm sure. I'm not nil bad." "There's no good going on with that," said the governor sharply. "We must take down her statement In writ ing, nnd then " "Look, she is sinking!" said Calhoun sharply. The woman's hend had dropped for ward, her chin wns on her brenst, and her hand became clenched. "The doctor at once bring In the nurse," said Calhoun. "She's dying." Au Instant later the nurse entered with Sheila and In a short time the doctor came. When later tho doctor saw Lord Mal low alone he said: "She can't live more than two days." "That's good for her in a way," an swered the governor, nnd in reply to the doctor's question why, he snld: "Because she'd bo In prison." "What wus her crime, your honor?" "She killed a mun." "What man?" "Him for whom Dyck Calhoun wns sent to prison Errls Boyne." "Mr. Cnlhoun was 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 Cnlhoun." "Is It? It'a years since he was tried nnd condemned. Two days cannot matter now." "Perhaps not. Last night the wom an said to me: Poi glad I'm gcJng to die.'" Then he added: "Calhofui will be more popular than ever now." The governor winced'. CHAPTER XXII. Then What Happened. An hour after Noreen Boyno had been laid In her grave, there was a special Issue of the principal paper telling nil the true facts of the death of Errls Boyne. It vexed Lord Mallow ; but he bteeled himself to urbanity, and lie played his part well. He was clever enough to see It would pay him to be outwardly gracious to Calhoun. So it was he muds a speech in the capital on tho mure of the general commqud inc anJ tN Jp fiv.r.i jt'Malrv t'.ii Mnroons, In which ho snld: "No on In all the king's domlnions.had showed greater patriotism nnd military skill thnn their friend Mr. Cnlhoun, who had been harshly trented by a mis taken government" A few hours Inter, in the sweet gar den of the house whero Sheila and her mother lodged, Calhoun camo up on the girl whose gentle dignity and beauty seemed to glow. At first nil sho said to him was, "Welcome, old friend," nnd at last sho said: "Now you can come to tha United States, Dyck, and make a new life there." Presently he said: "I ought to go where you wish mo to go, for you came to me here when I wns rejected of men. Your faith kept me ailvo in my darkest days even when I thought I had wronged you." "Then you will como to Virginia with me as my husband, Dyck?" She blushed and laughed. "You seo I have to propose to you, for you'vo never nsked me to mnrry you. I'm throwing myself nt your head, sir, you observe!" He gave an honest smllo of ndora tlon. "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 Blnce time began." Ho held out his arms, and an Instant later the flowers sho carried were crushed to her breast, with her lips given to his. A little later she drew from her pocket a letter. "You must read that," she said. "It Is from the great Alex ander Hamilton yes, he will be grent ; he will play a wondrous part In tho life of my new country. Read It, Dyck." After he hnd rend it, he said : "He was born a British subject here In these islands, nnd he goes to help Americans live according to British principles. With nil my sane fellow countrymen I nm glad the Americans succeeded. Do you go to your Virginia and I will come as soon as I have put my affairs In order." "I will not go without you will not go," she persisted. -no,, I "Then we shall be married at once," he declared. ' And so It was, and all the Island was en fete, and when Sheila camo to Dyck's plantation the very enrth seemed to rejoice. And sweetly solltnry the two lived their lives, till one dny, three months Inter, there enme 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 hnve suffered, sir, nnd whnt will give your Indy pny, too, I hope. I como with n bnronetcy given by the king. News of It came to me only this morning." Cnlhoun 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 have ended my llfo under the Brit ish flag. I go to live under the Stars and Stripes." The governor was astounded. "Your lady, sir; do you forget your lady?" But Sheila nnswered: "The life of the new world has honors which have naught to do with titles, und I will remnln as I am." "I sail, for Virginia by the first ship that goes," said Calhoun. "It Is good here, but I shall go to a place where things nro better nnd where I shall have work to do. I must decline the baronetcy, 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'U be long apart" "But they will come together nt Insr for the world's snke." THE END.J Browning's Poetry. The truth l that mauy renders ot verse resent nny demand upon their hitellects; poetry to them being only k plenslng Indulgence an occasional sulatltute for a sherbet not to be tokin curiously. Certnlnly Browning's poettr Is not for such. No one to day vio knows "Sordello" derides It, for, difficult as It Is to the beginner, It contains many veins of the pure gold of poetry and Its pictures of the passionate, tumultuous life of the luto Twelfth and early Thirteenth cen turies In Itnly, with the fierce con flicts of Guelf and (ihlbvillne by which It was torn, nre uuequaled In vivid neM itid truth by ani liUioituu.- 1'lilllp Stafford Movuu. y .A