The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-10

left the house that night he felt
tired and lonely. No notion of doing any
hing but going TO bed came into his brain
-drowsy and heavy after the excitement
Of many scenes in the house" which his
alert intelligence had enlivened. But
though as the Hon Member for Rathkeale
he might control the destiny of the Brit
lsh empire by ingenious phrases in the
house of common, as plain Denis Cav
anagh-"Dinny," his colleagues called him
he could not control destiny even so far
as it concerned his going to bed when he
felt tired
His party had given the government
trouble for the last thirty-six hours. In
the little war" then going on in Africa
some Irish egiments-particularly the
Seventeenth Wicklow Rangers-had been
dazzling the Sassenach with their fight
ing qualities But while secretly admiring
their successes. the Irishmen deplored the
Injustice thus inflicted upon the Virtuous
natives. The war was fine whip for
flashing the government 1t was always
handy; and Denis and his colleagues were
just the boys to crack it.
Den's share of the work would have
wrecked a man of lesser build. But this
was the first night he had felt so done up
as to have to lean upon the parapet of the
Thames embankment for a little rest. lie
looked like giant in repose.
He was so big that his frock coat looked
suitable-not as with most men. like a
mournful Authorization of dressing gown
His tall silk hat helped to make him
look bigger He had a large black beard
a fierce dark look and manner as mid
as a maiden's, while his voice rolled out
like full rich music.
Looking down at the dark running
water Denis thought with a sigh and Il
smile of the little place far away IN Rath-
keae where the family were always
wanting to know when he was coming
home, and the "chlder' expecting him
back every day bringing with him an
Irish parliament in his coat tail pocket.
When he put his latch key into the
door he felt as if he were letting himself
into a dungeon. He found on the hall
table the brown envelope of a telegram.
Poor old people!'
His voice expressed profound sympa-
thy.
.'Sure-it can't be true at all!'' he pro-
tested, and the dark passage echoed his
protest
He read the message again:
''Cable from army headquarters Central
Africa this morning to O'Callaghans.
Their poor son Tim court-martialed and
sentenced to death for mutiny. Old people
heart broken. Save their boy BIDDf.'
This was a message to try Il man. For
Denis ample affection and admiration
for the loving wife who signed herself
'Biddy'' gave everything she ever said
or did extraordinary Importance in his
eyes. and he took it that she meant him
to save the life of the unfortunate Pri-
vate Tim O'Callaghan of the Seventeenth
Wicklow Rangers, even If he had to fight
all the laws of the British empire. all the
regulations of the imperial army-all its
cavalry guns. rifles and bayonets; and,
worse than ALL both houses of the i'm
perial parliament.
"Biddy wouldn't send me such terrible
word as that without rason." said Den
Is Poor Tim, And how the divil am
l going to save him?'
He knew Tim intimately, as "townies'
In Ireland alone know one another. Well
he remembered the red-haired and red
tempered too 'bla guard" the one de-
spair of. his decent father. old O'Calla-
CHAN. and the one hope of his mother.
'erim was always in some divilmnt.'
moaned Denis. And now, begor! he's
ruind entirely"
No sleep came to Denis that night.
The sun rose upon definite programme.
And when Denis rose. dripping from the
bath. he rose like Neptune and his trident
from the sea-wth three points to his one
hope First he would learn something
about the matter. Second, he would use
that knowledge to ask Il question in the
house and force a postponement of the
execution. Third, God was good and the
dvil not half bad; and some way of es-
cape for Tim O'Callaghan he would surely
ind.
Only one little thing could stop him
from saving his "misfortunate towny''-
Tim might already have been shot.
The thought of this gave Denis a twist.
'.Begorl if he is, Biddyll never speak to
me agin."
Under pressure of this awful possibility
Denis made haste to the war office for
details. Breakfastless and still unfold
dered, Denis galloped to his seat below
the gang way.
The one valuable time-saver he had I'M
-olled from it's mysterious wrapping of red
tame during the morning was that. for
some state reason or another, the proper
official target for his firing practice was
not the secretary of war, as he had sup
posed. but the Right Hon. Mr.. Chamber
lain. the secretary for the colonies. And
for this gentleman the honorable member
for Rathlxeale lay in ambush.
Denis of course. sat OH the opposition
side of the house
ter; and Denis-now transformed into the
Hon. Member for Rathleale-tightened
his grip upon bundle of papers i'm his
hand, as there came from behind the
speakers chair a tall grave, faultlessly
dressed parsonage. who ambled as care
lesslv to his official seat as If there were
never Private Tim OCalaghan under
sentence of death and his poor old mother
breaking her heart over it.
Almost before the tall parsonage had
time tc drop in his place Denis leaped
to his feet.
He requested leave. with great defer
ence, Mr. Speaker. to put question
somewhat, said he out of order, hut Of
definite and urgent importance-tt the
right honorable gentleman whom he now
observed on the Treasury Front Bench
The right honorable gentleman indicated
looked up with smile.
II desire, Mr.. Speaker" said he, to
tao. the right honorable gentleman
whether his attention has been called to
the proceedings of the court martial held
on the 18th inst, at the headquarters of
the army now operating against the rebels
In Central Africa when private soldier
named Timothy OCallaghan of the Sew
enteenth Wicklow Rangers was tried, and
whether any information has reached
the right honorable gentleman as to the
nature of the charge against Private
OCallaghan and the result of the trial?'
Denis sat down, and the right honorable
gentleman stood up. He read his answer
from an official paper in his hand, in a
cool, matter-of-fact tone:
Private O'Callaghan was tried by
courtmartial charged with mutiny in face
of the enemy. and sentenced to be shot
He sat down and forgot about it all
IL. 4f..,, .f,I. I.;.,