The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-03-23
CHAPTER 1.
The Two Meet.

at the sessions, or before that at the
asSiZes."
1t vas only the lmpulslve, CHEEKY.
warning exclamation OF a wild young
Irish spirit to his friend Dyck Cal
houn, but II had behind 1t the humor
and incongruity of Irish life.
The man, Dyck Calhoun, after whom
were sent the daring words about the
sessions and the a~ssizes. was a year
or two older than his friend, and, as
Michael Clones. his servant and
friend, said. "the worst and best
scamp OF them ADJUST up to any
harmless deviltry.
Influenced by no traditions or GUS
toms, under control of no stern rec
ords of society, Calhoun had caused
some trouble In his time by the harm
less deeds Of a scapegrace, but NOR
flly-that Is, In all relations Of life
affected by the Ten Commandments
he was above reproach. There never
was In Ireland a cheerier, drawer,
handsomer fellow, nor one with such
variety of mind and complexity of
purpose.
He was the only child OF a high
placed gentleman; he spent all the
money that came his way, and occs-
sionally loaded himself with debt,
which his angry father paid. Yet
there never was a gayer heart, a more
generous spirit, o an ea~slertempered
man though, after all, he was only
twenty-five when the words with
winch the tale opens were said to him.
He was q figure Of note among
those who spent their time In criti-
cizlng the government and damning
the Irish parliament. He even be-
came n friend of some young hare
Drained rebels Of the time; yet no
one suspected him Of anything except
frresponsibility. His record was
clean; Dublin Castle was not after
him.
When his young friend made the re-
mark about the session and assizes,
Calhoun was making his way up the
rocky hillside to take the homeward
path TO his fathers place, Playmore.
He raised his head. looking up into
the sky at some larks singing above
him In the heavens.
God love you, little dears," he
spoke aloud. II wish I might die with
your singing In my ears, but do you
know what makes Ireland what Il Is?
Look at 1t now. Years ago, Just when
the cotton mills and the linen mills
were doing well. they came over with
their English legislation, and made 1t
hard going. When We begin TO get
something, over the English come and
take the something away. What have
we done. we Irish people. that we
couldn't have a chance In our own
country? Lord knows, we deserve n
chance. for It's hard paying the du-
ties these days. What with France I'm
revolution and reaching out her hand
to 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
INT mother living all In one room.
with the chickens roosting In the raft.
ers; what with pointing the potato at
the fried fish and gulping 1t down as
II 1t was f1sh itself; what with the
smell n the dirt and the poverty OF
Dublin and Derry. Limerick and
Cork-ah. WE'LL" He threw his ewes
up again. "Ah, well. my little love.
sing on! You're a blessing among n
lot OF curses; but never mind. IT'S n
line world, and Ireland's the best part
OF 1t. Heaven knows it-and on this
hill, how beautiful II isl"
He was now on the top of a hin
where he could look out toward the
bog and In toward the mellow. wav-
Ing hills. He could drink In the vel
low!sh green, with here and there in
the distance a little house; and about
two miles away smoke stealing nm
from the midst of the plantation
where Playmore was-Playmore. his
fathers house-to be his own one day.
Dyck Calhoun had a soul of char
acter. originality and hayward dis.
.tinction. He had all the impulses and
enthusiasms of a poet. all the thirst
for excitement Of the a~dventurer, all
the latent patriotism of the true Celt
but his life was undisclplined, and he
had not ordered his spirits into COM
partmeIts 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 ia the business Of life.
It was too late to Join the navy; but
there was still time enough to be a
soldier. or to learn to be q lawyer.
Suddenly. Al he listened to the lark
singing overhead. with his face lifted
u the sky. he heard . human voice
anging: ana presently there ran ~