The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-09-09

2 Irowned. The mar sorted III with
her dream.
1t was Bale, Colonel Johns servant.
He was mending some article taken
from his masters wardrobe. His elbow
went busily to and fro as he piled the
needle, while sprawnng on the sod
about him half q dozen gossoons
watched him inquisitiyely.
Perhaps 1t vas the suggestive con-
trast between his diligence and their
idleness which Initiated Flavfa; but
she sat down her annoyance TO another
cause. The man was an Englishman,
n therefore an 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
tiers. Colonel John had awakened
mixed feelings In her. At times she adj
mixed feelings In her. At times she .ad.
should rue his insolence II 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, Ind 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,
n crossed h 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 q as II he
would rise.
She looked at him with a supercil-
housness not natural to her. Are all
the men tailers where you come from r.
she asked. There, you need not RISE"
Where I came from last he replied,
we 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 done with tit"
1T Is as his honor pleases."
She frowned. He had q way OF
speaking that sounded unciviI to ears
attuned to the soft Irish accent and the
w~heedling tone. Yet the man interested
her, and after a moments silence she
hxed 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, lin
prison."
"In prison!" she replied. "where?"
He cast an upward look at his ques-
toner.
I'm the Grand Turks land" h said.
Nearer han that l can't say. I'm no
scholar, my lady"
but why2" h asked, puzzled. IL
don't understand"
"Cut OFT" he said, STOPPING over his
work.
Fiavia turned a shade paler. 'why2"
she repeated.
lone God, and Mohammed His
prophet-couldn't swallow II. One
finger!" the man answered jerlily.
Next week-same. Third Week.
Third week?" she murmured. shud-
dering.
Unchanged"
from his NAMED hand. How many
were your" she inquired.
"Thirty-four." He laughed dryly.
1--WE 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 was gibberish. They
The day was still. the mist lay on the
lake, and under 1t the water cleaned,
a smooth, pale mirror. Flavia had
seen II so q hundred time and thought
naught Of 1t. But today. moved by
what she had heard, the prospect spoke
OF q remoteness from h 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. II at rare
intervals she had felt herself lonely,
IL 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 30, that all men rode
roughshod over their women And that
being SO, who had q better right to
hector 1t than the last OF the McMur-
roughs, hair OF the Wicklow kings, who
in days far past had dealt on equal
terms with Richard Plantagenet, and tc
whom, by virtue of that forgotten king
ship, the Suiliyans and Mahonies. some
OF the McCarthys and all the O'Beirnes,
paid rude homage. With such feelings
Sir Michaels strange whim OF disin-
heriting 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 80. 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 q man she told herself, and
he must be right-a mans life could
not be ruled by the laws which a
woman observed. For the rest, for
IcTSclI, IL u6E lllG Sccu1cu SOtlldTy SUe
had the free air and the mountains;
she had her e land; above all, she
had her dreams. Perhaps when these
were realized-and the time seemed
very near now-and a new Ireland was
created, TO her, TOO, q 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; at the sight of the
fourth Fiavia's face fell. Luke Asgill,
cf Batterstown. was the nearest Jus
tlce, and of necessity he was a Profess
tant. But II was not this fact, nor the
certainty that Augustin was pouring
his wrongs n his ears, that affected
Flavia- Asgtll was distasteful to her,
because her brother affected him. For
why should her brother have relations
with a Protestant? Why should he, a
man OF the oldest blood, stoop to In
timacy with the o OF a "middleman,"
n Of those who, taking a long lease
of a great estate and undertaking at
rack rents, made at this period huge