The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-11-19
A WRESTLING.

u IN
but of late, said the folk. the man had
turned queer. In that melancholy, stately
cou airy by the sea madness-especialiy OF
the quiet, melancholic kinds a thing
very common A year ago a wrestling
maLsh between him and Jack Tierney
had gathered two counties TO see it. No
man could say which was the champion.
Now one was the victor, again the other.
They kept steady pace in their victories.
Jack, too, was the captain of the kilsal-
lagh team o. hurlers, Mike of the Clone
gala. Thas would be a great day for the
men and women Of his following when
either champion should decisively lead
The country people scarcely guessed at
the time their TWO champions became en-
cmies. Indeed it was a secret locked in
their own breasts, scarcely Acknowledged
even when in his most hidden moments
each man looked at the desires of his
heart. 1t only showed itself in a new fierce
ness and determination in their encoun-
tiers Each bad sworn to himself to con
quer the OIker. The soreness between
them came about when, by some sad mis-
chance, they fell in love with the same
girl. Worse luck, she wanted neither Of
them, for she was vowed to the convent.
In the long run one or the other might
have tempted her 10 an earthly bridal, but
she made no choice between them and
each man chance seemed equal when she
slipped from them both into KiIbride
churchyard. When she lay there, neither
man could say she had distinguished him
by special kindness from the other and
their rivalry waxcd more furious with the
woman in her grave.
But six months later, and their battles
still undecided, Jack Iierney fell sick and
followed Ellen to kilbride Then Nike
Sheehan was without an equal for many
miles. But little comfort IL was to him,
with the girl of his heart dead and the
one man lie had desired to overthrow dead
and uncOnQUered. He secluded himself
from the sports and pastines and lived
lonely in his cabin among the gulls, cat
ing out his unsatisfled heart. Mono other
would satisfy him to Wrcstlo with but his
dead rival, ana indeed he, in common
with the country people, thought that no
other might be found lit for him to meet.
kilbride churchya ard is high on the main
land and lies dark within its four stone
walls. The road to it is by a tunnel Of
trees that make q shade yelvety black even
when the moon is turning all the sea sill
yer The churchyard is very old and las
no monuments OF Importance, only green
hcadstOnes bent sideways and sunk to
their neck and shoulders in tie Garth
postern gate, with a fight of stone steps,
opens from kilbride lane. Here every
night you may see the ghost of TCbin, the
murderer, climbing those steps with rig
id burden hanging from his shoulder.
But as Mike ShecLan ascendCd the steps
out Of the midnight dark he felt no fear.
he changed inc gate OF the SaCrG4 QulGI
place in way that set the silence CchOlng-
Some mad passion was on Mike Sheehan
surely, or be would not so have desecFated
the quiet resting place of the dead. There,
by the ruined gable of the old abbey, was
a fresh mound unusually great in size.
Mike Sheehan paused by it.
ssJackl'' he cried in a thunderous voice
hoarse with its passion, come, let US once
for all see which is the better man. Come
and fight me, Jack, and if you throw me
let Ellen be yours now and forever
The blood was in his eyes and the sea
mist curling in from sea. His challenge
spoken, he sWayed dizzily a moment.
Then his eyes saw The place seemed full
of the sea mist sjlvercd through with the
moon AS he looked to right and left sub
stantial things had vanished, but he saw
on either hand long rows Of shadowy faces
watching him.
Many Of them he knew. They were the
boys and girls, the men and women Of his
own village who had died in many years
Others were strange, but he guessed them
ghosts from kiIsallagh, beyond Roscar-
berry, the village where Jack used to live.
He looked eagerly among the folk he re-
mem bered for Ellen 5 face. There was one
who might be she, the ghost Of a woman
yelled in her shadowy hair, whose eyes he
could not see. And then Jack was upon
him.
That was a great wrestling in Kilbride
the living with his clay cold limbs, caught
him in icy grips that fr0ze the terrified
blood from his heart and breathed upon
him sonndlessly q chill breath of the grave
that seemed to Wither him, yet Nike
fought furiOusIy as one who fights not
only to satisfy a hate. but as one who
tights to win bride. He had dim kuowl-
edge of the fight he was making, dim
premOnition that the dead man was moro
than his match The ghostly spectators
pressed forward more eagerly; their shad-
owy faces peercd; their shadOwy forms
swayed in the mist. The ghost had Nike
Sheehan in a death grip His arms were
imprisoned, his breath failed, his flesh
crept, and his hair stood up He felt him
self dying of the horror OF this unnatural
com bat, when there was a whisper at his
ear Dimly he seemed to hear Ellen's
voice; dinlIy turning his falling eyes, he
seemed to recognize her eyes under the
veil of ashen fair hair. Draw him to the
left on the grass, said the voice and
trip him. His old love and his old jeal-
ousy seemed to surge up in Mike Sheehan
With a tremendous effort he threw OF
those paralyzing arms Forgetting his
horror, he fLriousiy embraced the dead
drew him TO the left on the grass slippery
as glass after the summer heats for . sec
ond or two swayed with him to and fro;
then the two went down together with
great violence but Nike Sheehan was up
permost, his knee on the dead mans
breast.
When he came to himself in the moon
light, all was calm and peaceful. It was
close upon dawn. and the moon was very
low He looked about him at the quiet
ness Another man might have thought
he had but dreamed it; not so like Shee-
han He re1neIn bered with a fierce joy
how he had flung the ghost and how Ellen
had been on his side You re mine now
Asthoreen, - he said in a passionate apos-
t-ophe to her. and It's I could find IT in
my heart to pity him that's lying there