The independent-reporter., 1921-10-27
Continued from Last Week.
CHAPTER Ill.
The Duel.

NIUE. arrived tnere, Miles talhOun
gave himself to examination by gov
eminent officials and to assisting the
designs of the Peep-o.Day Boys; and
indeed he was present at the forma-
ton of the first Orange lodge.
His narrow nature, his petty craft
and malevolence, were useful In a
time of anxiety for the state. Yet he
mad not enough ability to develop his
position by the chances offered him
He had not touch of genius; he had
only bursts of Celtic passion, which he
had not mind enough to control.
Indeed, as days, weeks and months
went on, his position became less
valuable to himself, and his tinan-
cial affairs suffered from his own
and his agents bad management
In his particular district he was
power; in Dublin he soon
showed the weaker side Of his nature.
He had bad habit of making foes
where he could easily have made
friends. In his personal habits he was
sober but erratic.
Dyck had not his fathers abstention
from the luXurieS of life. He drank
he gained, he went where temptation
was, and fell into it. He steadily di-
mnished his powers of resistance to
self-lndugence until one day, at tav-
ern, he met man who made u great
impression upon him.
This, man ,yac hri1lfant ah,,fi;ont full
of humor, character and life, knowing
apparently all the lower world of Dub
lin. and moving with an assured step.
1t was Erris Boyne, the divorced hus-
band of Mrs. Llyn and the father of
Sheila Llyn; but this fact was not
known to Dyck. There was also u
chance of its not becoming known. be-
cause so many years had passed since
IIrris Boyne was divorced.
One day Erris Boyne said to Dyck ::
"There's supper tonight at the
Breakneck club. Come along and have
u skinful. You'll meet people worth
knowing"
The Breakneck club isn't good
name for first class institution" re-
marked Dyck, with a pause and a
laugh but I'll come If you'll fetch
me-"
Erris Boyne, who was eighteen years
older than Dyck, laughed, tlicked II
little pinch of snuff at his nose with
his finger.
Dear lad, of course I'll come and
fetch you" he said. '"rhere's many IL
man has done worse than lead gay
stripping like you into pleasant Ways.
Bring along any loose change you have,
for 1t may be night of nights. It's
the best place to come to ever an hon
est man had"
Are they all the right sort?" asked
Dyck, with Il little touch of malice. 81
mean. are they loyal and true?'
ErriS Boyne laid a hand on Dyck's
arm.
"Come and find out. Do you think
I'd lead you into bad company? OF
course Emmet and Wolfe Tone won't
he there nor any of that lot but
there'll be some men of the right
stamp" He watched Dyck carefully
out of the corner of his eye. Its
funny" he added, that in Ireland the
word loyal means being true to the
Union Jack, standing by King George
and his crowd"
"Well, what would you have?' snid
Dyck. For this is day and age when
being loyal to the king is more than
aught else in all the Irish world. We're
never two days alike, we Irish. There
are the United Irishmen and the De-
tenders on one side. and the Peep-o-
Day Boys. or Orangemen. on the other
Catholic and Protestant, at each 9TH
er's throats. Then there's hand thrust
in. and up goes the sword and the
rifles, pixies and bayonets; and those
that were ready to mutilate or kill
each other fall into each others arms"
Erris Boyne laughed. "Well, there'n
be an end to that. The Irish parlia-
ment is slipping into disrepute. II
wouldn't surprise me If the astute Eng
lish bribe them into a union, to the
ruin of Irish independence. Yet may
he, before that comes, the French will
have try for power here" He came
a step nearer, his voice lowered a little.
Have you heard the latest news from
FranceS They're coming with a good
sized fleet down to the south coast.
Have you heard it?"
"Oh. there's plenty one hears one
doesn't believe is gospel" answered
Dyck, his eyes half closing I'm not
believing all / hear, as If it was a
prayer-meeting. Anything may happen
here; lreland's woman--very uncer-
tain"
Dyck fiicked some dust from his
waistcoat, and dropped his eyes, be-
cause he was thinking Of two women
he mad known; one Of them an anger
now In company of her sister angels
his mother; the other girl he bad met
on the hills Of Connemara, wohuer'
fuily pretty girl of seventeen no"
should he know that the girl was Errls
Boynes daughterf - although there
We're times when some gesture VI
Boyne. some quick look some in.ihs
Of the eyebrows, brought oacn 'ae