Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1921-09-08

respects to your mother now
So saying he went forward and
bowed low to Mrs. Llyn. Unlike her
daughter, Mrs. Llyn did, not offer her
hand. She was pale, distraught, trou-
bled-and vexed. She, however, MUIR
INJURED his name and bowed.
"You did not expect to see me here
in jamaica" he said boldly.
Frankly, 1 did not, Mr.. Calhoun"
she said.
"You resent my coming here to see
you? You think it bold, at least"
She looked at him closely and firm
ly. "You know why cannot welcome
YOU"
"Yet I have paid the account de-
manded by the law. And you had no
regard for him. You divorced him.
Sheila had drawn near, and Dyck
made gesture in her direction. "She
does not know" he said, land she
should not hear what we say now"
Mrs. Llyn nodded, and in low tone
told SheiIa that she wished to be alone
with Dyck for q little while. In
Dyck's eyes, as he watched Sheila go,
was q thing deeper than he had ever
known or shown before. In her white
gown and with her light step Sheila
seemed to float away-a picture grace
full stately, buoyant, "keen and small"
AS she was about to pass beyond a
clump Of pimento bushes, she turned
her head toward the two, and there
was that in her eyes which few ever
see and seeing are afterward the
same. 1t was a look Of inquiry, of
revelation, of emotion which went to
Dyck's heart.
mo, she does not know the TRUTH"
Mrs Llyn said. "But it has been hard
hiding II from her. One never knew
whether some chance remark, some
alluslon in the papers would tell her
you had killed her father"
"Did I kill her father?" asked Dyck
helplessly. "Did I? was found gull
ty Of it, but on my honor, Mrs. Llyn,
| do not know and l do not think
did. 1 have no memory Of 1t. We
quarreled l drew my sword on him,
then he made an explanation and l
madly, stupidity drank drugged wine
In reconciliation with him, and then
| remember nothing more-nOthng at
ALL"
"What was the cause of your quar-
rel?"
Dyck looked at her long before an
swering. II hid that from my father
even, and hid it from the world-did
not even mention 1t in court at the
trial. If I had, perhaps l should not
have gone to jail. If l had, perhaps
1 should not be here in Jamaica. If
I had" He paused, flood Of re-
Election drowning his face, making his
eyes shine with black sorrow.
"Well, If you had! :. . Why did
YOU not? Wasn't 1t your duty to save
yourself and save your friends, If you
could? Wasn't that your plain duty?"
"Yes, and that was why l did not
tell what the quarrel was. If had,
even had 1 killed Erris Boyne, the
Jury would not have convicted me. OF
that / am sure. 1t was a loyalist
jury"
"Then why did you not?"
isn't it strange that now, after all
these years, when l have settled the
account with judge and jury, with
state and law-that now I feel must
tell you the truth? Madam, your ex-
husband, Erris BOyne, was traitor.
He was an officer in the French army
and he offered to make me an officer
| also and pay me we'll in French gov
ernment money, If would break al
legiance and serve the French cause
All, don't start! He knew 1 was on
my last legs financially. He knew
had acquaintance with young rebel
! leaders like Emmett, and he felt l
could be won. So he made his pro-
posal. Because of your daughter ]
held my peace, for she could bear 1t
less than you. did not tell the cause
of the quarrel. If | had, there would
have been for her the double shame.
That was why l held my peace-a
| fool. but so it was"
The woman seemed almost robbed
| of understanding. His story over
whelmed her. Yet what the man had
done was so quixotic, so Celtic, that
her senses were almost paralyZed.
80 mad--So mad and bad and wild
you were," she said. Gould you not
see it was your duty to tell all, no
matter what the consequences? The
man was villain. But what madness
YOU were guilty of, what cruel mad
ness. Only you could have done a
thing like that. Erris Boyne deserved
death-I care not who killed him-you
or another. He deserved death, and
| it was right he should die. But that
you should kill him, apart from all
else-why, indeed, oh, indeed, it is Il
tragedy, for you loved my daughter,
and the killing made gulf between
you. There could be no marriage in
such Il case. She could not bear II,
nor could you. But please know this,
Mr. Calhoun, that she never believed
you killed ErriS Boyne. She has said
so again and again. You are the only
man who has ever touched her mind
or her senses, though many have
sought her. Wherever she goes men
try to win her, but she has no thought
for any. Her mind goes back To you.