The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-08-18
(CHAPTER Ill-continued.)

One day Erris Boyne said TO Dyck:
.rhere's supper tonight at the
Breakneck club. Come along and have
skinful. You'll meet people worth
knowing"
1.-The Breakneck club isn't good
name for first-class institution" re-
marked Dyck, with pause and Il
laugh; but I'll come if you'll fetch
me-"
Erris Boyne, who was eighteen years
older than Dyck. laughed, flicked
little pinch OF snuff at his nose with
his finger.
Dear lad, of course I'll come and
fetch YOU" he said. There's many
man has done worse than lead gay
stripping like you into pleasant ways.
Bring along any loose change you have,
for II may be a 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 n little touch of malice. 81
mean, are they loyal and trueF
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 Emmett and Wolfe Tone won't
be there, nor any of that lot; but
there'l be some men of the right
stamp" lie watched Dyck carefully
out of the corner of his eye. ITS
funny" he added that in Ireland the
word loyal means being true 10 the
Union Jack, standing by King George
and his crowd"
"Well, what would you have?' said
Dyck. For this is day and age when
being loyal to the king is more than
aught else In all Tie 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, vt each 9TH
er's threats. 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 dr,ns."
Erris Boyne laughed. well, there1l
be an end to that. The Irish parlla-
ment is slipping into disrepute. IT
wouldn't surprise me IL the astute Eng
fish bride them into union, TO the
ruin IN Irish independence. Yet may
be, before that comes, the French will
have try for power here" He came
a step nearer, his voice lowered little.
"Have you heard the latest news from
France? They're coming with 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 IL 1t was
prayer-meeting. Anything may happen
here; Ireland's woman-very uncer-
tain"
Dyck licked some dust from his
waistcoat, and dropped his eyes, be-
cause he was thinking of two women
he had known; one of them an angel
now In company of her sister angels
his mother; the other girl he had met
on the hills of Connemara, wonder
fully pretty girl of seventeen. How
should he know that the girl was Erris
were times when some gesture OF
Boyne, some quick look, some lifting
of the eyebrows, brought back the
memory of Sheila Llyn, as 1t did now
Since Dyck left his old home he had
seen her twice; once at loyland tow
ers, and once at her home In Limerick.
The time he had spent with her had
been very brief, but full of life, inter-
est and character. Whether at 10y
land towers, or at her mothers house
In Limerick, there was no touch OF FOR
wardness in her, or in anything she
said or did She was the most natural
being, the freest from affectatlon, he
had ever known.
AS Erris Boyne talked to him, the
memory OF Sheila flooded his mind, ana
on the flood his senses swan like
swans. He had not her careful com
posture. He was just ms real, but he
had the wilfulness Of man. She infiu-
enced him as no woman had ever yet
done; but he saw no happy ending to
the dream. He was too poor to marry ;
he had no trade or profession his
fathers affairs were in bad way.
lie did not know that Erris Boyne
was set to capture him for the rebel
cause. How could he know that Boyne
was an agent Of the most evil forces In
Ireiand-an agent of skill and address,
prepossesslng. with the face of Celtic
poet and the eye Of an assassin?
Boynes object was to bring about