The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1921-10-13
CHAPTER |.

I
Of the sessions or before that at the
assizes"
II was only the lmpnlslye, CHEEKY,
| warning exclamation of Wild young
! Irish spirit to hts freud Dyck Cal
/ houn. but II had behind IL the humor
| and incongrulty of Irish life.
The man. Dyck Calhoun. after whom
were sent the daring words about the
sessions and the assizes. was year
or two older than his friend. and. as
| Miehael Clones. his servant and
friend, said, "the worst and best
scamp OF them nll"-jmst up to any
harmless deyiltry.
Influenced by no traditions or Gus.
toms. under control of no stern rec.
orls of society, Calhoun Ind caused
sumo trouble In his time by the harm.
less deeds of a scapegraee, but NOR
nHy-that Is, In all relations OF life
affected by the Ten Commandments
| he was above reproach. There never
Wns IN Ireland a cheerier, Drawer,
| hnndsomer fellow, nor one with such
variety of mind and complexlty OF
purpose.
He was the only child of high
placed gentleman; he spent all the
money that came his way, aud occf-
slonaly loaded himself with debt,
which his angry father paid. Yet
there never WASH gayer heart, n more
generous spirit, nor an easler-tempered
/ nj 10
! twenty-five when the words with
| which the tale opens were said to him.
lie was a figure of note among
| those who spent their time In critl-
| cillng the government and damnlng
| tie Irish parliament. He even be-
! c0me n friend of some young hare
Drained rebels of the time; yet no
one suspected him of anything except
! responsibility. His record was
clean, Dublin Castle WAS not after
him,
! When his young friend mnde the re-
mark about the session aud asslzes,
| Calhoun was making his way up the
rocky hillside to take the homeward
| Path TO his fathers place. Playmore.
| lie raised his head. looking up into
I the sky at some larks singing above
him in the heavens
God love you, little dears." he
spoke aloud. ~ wish | might die with
| Your singing In my ears. but de you
! know what makes Ireland what II Is?
Look Mt 1t now. Years ago, Just when
|
we're doing WELL they cnme over with
/ their English legislation, and made 1t
| hard going. When We begin to get
something, over the English come and
! tnke the something nway. What have
we done, we Irish people. That we
| couldn't have a chance in our own
| Couniry2 Lord knows, we deserve n
! chance, for IT'S hard paying the du-
| lies these days. What with France in
/ revolution and reachlng out her hand
10 Ireland TO coax her into rebellion;
| what with defeat In America and
drink In Scotland; what with poverty
| and the COW and children and father
md mother living all In one room.
with the chickens roosting In the raft
ers; what with pointing the potato at
the fried fish and gulplng 1t down as
II II was fish itself; what with the
smell and the dirt and the poverty of
Dublin and Derry. Limerick and
Gork-ah. WE'LL" He threw his eyes
MP again. "Ah, well, my little love.
sing on! You're a blessing among n
lot of curses; but never mind. It's n
fine world and Ireland's the best part
Of II. Heaven knows itAand on this
HILL how beautiful 1t isw
lie was now on the top of a hill
where he could look out toward the
bog and in toward the mellow, way
ing hills. He could drink In the yell
lowish green. with here and there In
the distance a little house; and about
two miles away smoke stealing up
from the midst of the planta ton
where Playmore was-Playmore. his
fathers house-to be his own one day.
Dyck Calhoun had a soul of char
gcter, originality and hayward dis
tinction. He had all the impulses and
enthusiasms of poet all the thirst
for excitement of the adventurer, al.
the latent patriotism OF the true Celt
but his life was undiscip1lned. and he
had not ordered his spirits into com
partments of faith and hope. He had
gifts. They were gifts only to be
borne by those who had ambitions.
Now, as he looked out upon the
scene where nature was showing her
self at her best, some glimmer of a
great future came to him. He did not
know which way his feet were des-
tined to travel in the business of life.
II was too late to join the navy; but
there was still time enough to be a
soldier, or to learn to be lawyer.
Suddenly. as he listened to the lark
singing overhead, with his face lifted
70 the sky. he heard human voice
singing; and presently there ran up a
little declivity to his left a girI-an
Irish girl Of about seventeen. years of
age.
Her hat was hanging on her arm
by green ribbon. Her head was COW
cred with the most yyondorful hrovvr