The Clio messenger., 1921-10-06

open sword lay on the table beside me
while was asleep, and that Ii had
let out his life-bloOd."
"Why was he killed." she asked,
horror-stricken and with pale lips.
IL 90 not know, but If I killed him,
II was because / revolted from the
proposals he made to me. L"
He paused, for the look on her face
was painful to see, and her body was
as that of one who had been struck
by lightning. His heart smote him,
and he pulled himself together to tell
her all.
"Go on" she said. II want to hear.
l want-to know all. ought to have
known-long ago; but that can't be
helped now. Continue-please."
Her words had come slowly, In gasps
almost, and her voice was so frayed
he could scarcely recognize 1t. All the
pride of her nature seemed shattered.
"If / killed him," he said presently,
"it was because he tried to tempt me
from my allegiance to the crown, TO
become servant Of France, to"
He stopped short, for cry came
from her lips which appalled, him.
"My God-my God ~ she said with
bloodless lips, her eyes fastened on
his face, her every look and motion
the infection of despair. "Go on-tell
ALL" she added presently with more
composure.
Swiftly he described what hap
pened in the little room at the trail
tors tavern, of the momentary recon-
ciliation and the wine that he drank,
drugged wine poured out but not
drunk by Erris Boyne, and of his later
Inconsistencies. At last he paused.
"Why did these things not come out
at the trial?" she asked in hushed
tones.
He made n helpless gesture. II did
not speak of them because l thought
of you. / hid it-I did not want you
to know what your father was"
Something like smile gathered at
her pale lips You saved me for the
moment, and condemned yourself for
ever" she said in a voice of torture.
'If you had told what he was-if you
had told that, the jury would not have
condemned you, they would not have
sent you to prison"
II believe did the right thing" he
said. IF l killed your father, prison
was my proper punishment. But / can't
remember. There was no other clue,
no other guide to judgment. So the
law said / killed him, and-he had
evidently not drawn his sword. 1t
was clear he was killed defenseless."
you killed defenseless man y
Her voice was sharp with agony.
"That was mentioned at the trial
but / did not believe 1t then-in that
long 0go." She trembled to her feet
from the bench where she was sitting.
"And / do not believe Ii now-no, on
my soul. do not"
"But 1t makes no difference, you
see. / was condemned for killing
| your father, and the world knows that
Erris Boyne was your father, and
here Lord Mallow, the governor, knows
it; and there is no chance Of friend
ship between you and me. You dare
| not he friends with me-"
| Her face suddenly suffused and she
held herself upright with an effort
She was about to say, II dare, Dyck-
do dare !" but he stopped her with a
reproving gesture.
"No, no, you dare not, and would
not let you II you would. / am an ex-
convict. They say l killed your ia
ther, and the way to understanding
between us is closed"
She made protesting gesture.
CLOSED Closed but is IL closed ?
No, no, some one else killed him, not
you. You couldn't have done It. You
would have fought him-fought him
as you did Lord Mallow, and In fight
ing you might have killed him, but
your sword never let out his life
when he was defenseless-never."
A look of intense relief. almost of