Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-09-10

from his masters wardrobe. His elbow
went busily to and fro as he piled the
needle, while sprawling on the sod
about him half a dozen gossoons
watched him inquisitively.
Perhaps 1t was the suggestive con-
trast between his diligence and their
idleness which irritated Flavia; but
she sat down her annoyance to another
cause. The man was an Englishman,
and therefore az enemy. And what did
he there? Had the Colonel left him on
guard?
Flavia's heart swelled at the thought.
Here, at least, she and hers were mas
tsrs. Colonel John mad awakened
mixed feelings in her. At times she adj
mixed feelings in her. At times she adj
should rue his insolence If he had 1t in
his mind to push his authority or in
~terfere with her plans.
In the meantime she stood watching
William Bale, and a desire to know
more OF the man, and through him of
the master, rose within her. The house
was quiet. The McMurrough and his
following had gone to a cooking match
and race meeting at Joyce's Corner. She
went down the stairs, took her hood,
and crossed the courtyard. Bale did
not look up at her approach, but he
saw her out of the corner Of his eye,
and when she paused before him he
laid down his work and made as If he
would rise.
She looked ct him with a supercil-
~liousness not natural to her. Are all
the men tailors where you come from?''
she asked. There, you need not rise"
Where i came from last" he replied,
were all trades, my lady"
Have you been a soldier long?" she
asked, feeling herself rebuffed.
"Twenty-one years, my lady"
And now you have lone with it?"
1T is as his honor pleases."
She frowned. He had a way of
speaking that sounded unciyil to ears
attuned TO the soft Irish accent and the
wheedilng tone. Yet the man interested
her, and after a moments silence she
fixed her eyes more intently on his
work. Did you lose your fingers In
battle?" she asked. His right hand
was MANNED.
mo" he answered, ~grudgingly, as he
seemed to answer all her questions, ''in
prison"
lin ~prison!" she replied. "Where?"
He cast an upward look at his ques-
toner.
In the Grand Turks land" he said.
Nearer than that / can't say. I'm no
scholar, my lady"
But why?" she asked, puzzled. II
don't understand"
'Cut Oft" he said, STOPPING over his
work.
Flavia turned a shade paler. "'why?"
she repeated.
lone God. and Mohammed His
prophet'-couldn't swallow il. One
hnger!" the man answered jerkily.
Next week-same. Third Week.
Third week." she murmured, shud-
dering.
Exchanged"
She lifted her eyes with an effort
from his manned hand. How many
were your" she inquired.
Thirty four He laughed dryly.
I'VE know one another when we meet
he said. He drew his waxed thread
between his finger and thumb, held ii
up to the light, then looking askance
at the gossoons about him, to whom
what he said a. gibberish. They
knew only Erse.
The day was still, the mist lay ON the
lake. and under IL the water cleaned.
a smooth, pale mirror. Fiavia had
seen Ii so a hundred time and thought
naught Of II. But today, moved by
what she had heard, the prospect spoke
of a reEloteness from the moving world
which depressed her Hitherto. the
quick pulse and the energy of youth
had left her no time for melancholy
and not much for thought. If at rare
intervals she had felt herself lonely,
III she had been tempted to think that
the brother in whom were centered her
hopes, her affections and her family
pride was hard and selfish. rude and
overbearing, she had told herself that
all men were so, that all men rode
roughshgd over their women. And that
being so, who had a better right to
hector ia than the last of the McMur-
roughs,. heir of the Wicklow kings, whe
I'm days far past had dealt on equal
terms with Richard P~lantagenet, and tc
whom. by virtue of hat forgotten king
ship, tine Sullivans and Mahonies, some
OF the McCarthys and all the O'Beirness
paid rude homage. With such feelings
Sir Michaers strange within OF disin-
hersting the heir OF his race had but
drawn her closer to her brother. To
her loyalty the act was abhorrent, one
that could have only sprung, she was
certain, from second childhood. the
dotage OF a man close on 90, whose
early years had been stepped in trouble
and who loved her so much that he was
ready TO do wrong for her sake.
OFTEN she differed from her brother.
But he was a man she told herself. and
he must be right-a mans life could
not be ruled by h avs which a
woman observed. For the rest, for
herself, IL her life seemed solitary she
had the free air and the mountains;
she had her dear land; above all, she
Idu net uLCdtiiC. AiAdnS WifEh LltSt
were realized-and the time seemed
very near now--and a new Ireland was
created, 10 her, too. a brighter world
would open.
She had forgotten Bales presence,
and was only recalled to everyday life
by the sound OF voices. -Four men were
approaching the house. Uncle Ulick,
Colonel John and the French skipper
were three of these; al the sight OF the
fourth Flavia's face fell. Luke Asgill.
OF Batterstown, was the nearest jus
tice, and OF necessity he was a Profess
tant. But /. was not this fact, nor the
certainty that Augustin vas pouring
his wrongs into his ears, that affected
Flavia. Asgill was distastcful TO her.
because her brother affected him. For
why should her brother have relations
with a Protestant Why should ne. a
man of the oldest blood. stoop TO in
timacy with the % OF a "middleman,"
me of those who, taking q long lease
OF a great estate and undertaking at
rack rents, made at this period huge
fortunes Finally, If he must have re-
I~lations with him. why did he not keep
him at a distance from his home-and
his sister?
1t was too late or she would have
slipped away. Not that Asgili-he was
a stout, dark. civil spoken man OF 80
or S4-wcre a threatening face. He