Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-12-17

n threShOld-Oh, daStardiy audaClty,
oh, insolence incredible, that In the
hour of his triumph he should soil that
threshold!-she lunged with all the
force Of her strong young arm at his
heart with SUE violence that the hilt
struck the breast and hurled him bodily
against the doorIost, while the blade
broke of, ~shivering by contact with the
hard wood.
Uncle Ulick uttered a cry of horror.
have killed hint"
His blood
She stopped on the word. for instead
OF falling Colonel John was r~egaining
his balance. "F1avia!" he cried-the
blade had passed through his coat,
missing his breast by a bare half
inch-"Flavia! Hold: Listen! Listen a
momenti"
But in a frenzy of rage as soon as
she saw that her blow had failed, she
struck at him with the hilt and the
ragged blade that remained-struck at
his face, struck at his breast, with
cries OF fury almost animal. Wretch!
wretch" she cried. Die! If they are
towards / am not! Die!"
The scene was atrocious and Uncle
Ulick, staring open mouthed, gave no
help. But Colonel Sullivan mastered
her wrists, though not until he had
sustained a long bleeding cut on the
LNGH THEN, I1OuRH IBlIeTGu, ana
though he had forced her to drop the
weapon, she struggled desperately
with him-as h had struggled when
he carried her through the mist. Kill
him! Kill him!" she shrieked. Help!
Help!"
The men would have killed him twice
and thrice If The McMurrough. with
voice and blade and frantic impreca-
lions and the interposition OF his own
had 40 lrAAk 49, ~ 49,
the others at bay-explaining, depre-
eating, praying, cursing, all in a breath.
a blow was struck at the colonel
through the doorway, but one fell short
and the other James McMurrough par
ried. For a moment the peril was of
the greatest. The girls cries, the sight
OF her struggling in Colonel Johns
grip wrought the men almost beyond
James holding. Then the strength
went out OF her suddenly, she ceased to
fight, and but for Colonel Sullivan's
grasp h would nav fallen her length
on the floor.
He knew that she was harmless then
and he thrust her into the nearest
chair. He kicked the broken sword
under the table, stanched the blood
that trickled fast from his cheek: last
Of ali he locke ed at the men who were
c~ontending with James in the door
way.
Gentlemen" he said, breathing a lit
tie quickly, but in no other way be-
the strait through which he
had passed. Il shall not run away. I
5hall be here to answer you tomorrow
as fully as today. In the meantime
beg to suggest"-again he raised the
erchief to his cheek and stanched
the blood-"that you retire now n
what The McMurrough has to say
N UOI--fha moro a q tho acno onI fhn
/ see in the courtyard lie obnox-
Gus to discovery and expose all to risk
while they remain So"
His surprising GOODNESS did more to
check them than The McMurrough's
They gaped at him in wonder.
n uttered an imprecation.
The McMurrough will explain. if
you Will go with him." Colonel John
patiently. Il say again, gen.
/ shall not run away"
IF you mean her any HARM
Il mean her no harm"
Are o alone?"
Il am alone"
So far Morty. But Phelim O'Beirne
vas not quite satisfied. IF a hair of
Ter head be hurt"-he growled, push
ng himself forward, IT tell you, sir
And / tell you!" James McMur-
retorted, repeIling him. What
the hairs of her head to you,
ohelim O'Beirne? Am / not him that's
Ter brother? A truce to your prating,
'urse you, and be coming with me. I
him, and that is enough!"
But his reverence'-
His reverence is as safe as you or
mel" James retorted. IF ii were not
20, are you thinking I'd be here? Fie
IN you!" he vent on, pushing Phelim
through the door: you are good at the
aiking now, hen it's little good it
will be doing. But where were you this
morning when a good blow might have
ail?"
Gould he be helping it when"--
The voice passed away still
vrangling across the court yard. Uncle
lick stepped to the door and closed
t. Then he turned and spoke his
You were wrong to come back.
Sullivan he said, the hardness
# his o bearing witness to his nor
or of what had happened. TT Is no
hanks to o that your blood is not
IN the girls hands, and the floor of
four grandfather's housed! You're a
,old man, / allow. But the fox made
90 free with the window at last, and,
AXE my word for 1t, there are a score
" men, whose hands are surer than
his child's, who will not rest till they
your life! Be bid, and go, then.
bid, and go while the breath is firm
n youi'
Colonel John did not speak for a
moment. and when he did answer 1t
vas with a severity that ovsTnore
Jlick's anger. IF the breath be firm
n those whom you, Ulick Sullivan"
he said. "and your fellows would have
1t is enough for me. For N.Y.
self, whom should / fear? The plot
whose childish plans were not
)roof against the simplest stratagem?
rhe conspirators'-his one grew more
in it's scorn-"and took il In
land to pull down a throne and were
by a ~sergeant's guard? The
poor puppets who played at a game
high for them and danced to others
.pipings? Shall I fear them?" he con-
.inued, the tail of his eye on the girl,
who, sitting low in her chair, writhed
under his words-"poor
devils, poor creatures, only a little less
Ignorant. only q little more guilty than
The clods they would have led to the
crows or the hangman? 1t is these I
am to flee from? Ulick Sullivan? I
not the man to fee from shadows!"
His tone, his manner, which We're in
to open the girls eyes, but did
in fact increase her resentment-hurt
even Uncle TIlick'S prida nWhfsht