The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1922-01-28

After q moment she said In agitation:
"You killed him-you struck him
down! Yet you let an innocent man
60 to prison. and be kept there 1or
years, and his father go to his grave
with shame, with estates ruined ana
home lost-and you were the guilty
oneyou! all the time
1T was part of my madness. / was
q coward and l thought then there
were reasons why should feel no pity
for Dyck Calhoun. His father injured
mine-oh, badly! But l was coward,
and I've paid the price"
A kinder feeling now took hold of
Sheila. After all, what the woman
had done gave happiness into her
Sheila's-hands. 1t relieved Dyck Cal
houn Of shame and disgrace. A jail
bird he was still. but an innocent jail
bird. He had not killed Erris Boyne.
Besides, 1t wiped out forever the bar
rier between them. All her blind de-
votion to the man was now JUSTIFIED.
His name and fame were clear. Her
repugnance Of the woman was as MOTH
ing beside her splendid feeling Of re-
lief. 1t was as though the gates of
hell had been closed and the curtains
Of heaven drawn for the eyes to see.
Six years of horrible shame wiped
out. and q new world was before her
eyes.
This woman who had killed Erris
BOyne must now suffer. She must
bear the ignominy which had been
heaped upon Dyck CalhOun's head. Yet
all at once there came to her mind
seftening feeling. Erris Boyne had
been rightly killed by woman he
had wronged, for he was traitor as
well as an adulterer-One- who could
use no woman well, who broke faith
with all civilized tradition, and re-
verted to the savage. Surely the wom-
ans crime was not dark one; 1t was
injured innocence shifting depravity,
tyranny and lust.
Suddenly as she looked at the wOm-
an who had done this thing, she, whose
hand had rid the world of traitor
in faint. With an exclamation Sheila
lifted up the head. If the woman was
dead, then there was no hope for Dyck
Calhoun; any story that she-Sheila
might tell would be Of no use. Yet
she was no longer agitated In her body.
Hands and fingers were steady, and
she felt for the heart with firm fin
gers. Yes, the heart was still beat
ing, and the pulse was slightly drum
ming. Thank God, the woman was
alive! She rang a bell and lifted up
the head of the sick woman.
A moment later the servant was
In the room. Sheila gave her orders
quickly and snatched up pencil from
the table. Then, on a piece Of paper,
she wrote the words: II. not Dyck
Calhoun, killed Erris Boyne."
A few moment later, Noreen's eyes
opened, and Sheila spoke to her. Il
have written these words. Here they
are-see them. Sign them"
She read the words, and put pen
Gil in the trembling fingers, and. on
the cover of a book Noreen's fingers
traced her name slowly but clearly.
Then Sheila thrust the paper in her
bosom, and an instant later nurse,
sent by the resident doctor, entered.
"They cannot hang me or Danish me,
for my end has come" whispered No
reen before Sheila left.
In the street of Spanish Town 81
most the first person Sheila saw was
Dyck Calhoun. With pale, radiant
look she went to him. He gazed at
her strangely. for there was that in
her face he could not understand.
Come with me-" she said, and she
moved toward Kings house. He
obeyed. For some moments they
walked In silence, then all at once
under a magnolia tree she stopped.
81 want you to read what woman
wrote who has just arrived in the is
land from England. She is Ill at the
house of the general commanding"
Taking from her breast the slip of
paper, she handed it to him. He read
it with eyes and senses that at first
could hardly understand.
God in heaven-oh, merciful God.
he said in great emotion, yet with a
strange physical quiet.
This woman was his wife" Sheila
said.
He handed the paper back. He con-
quered his agitation. The years of suf-
| fering rolled away. "They'll put her
in jail" he said with strange re-
greet He had a great heart.
mo, l think not" was the reply.
Yet she was touched by his compass
sion and thoughtfulness.
"Why?'
Because she is going to die-and
] there is no time TO lose Come, we
will go to Lord Mallow."
"Mallow!' A look Of bitter tri-
umph came into Dyck's face. "Mallow
at Iast" he said.
rLApTER XXl