Show till AH intercepted ICE i y A story of joseph Churn OrIlin JI ry cy JOSEPH KEA KEATING TINd copyright by joseph joaeph 13 bowles when denis deals cavanagh the honorable member for rathkeale Rath keale ireland left the house that night lie he felt tired and lonely when he put his latchkey latch key into the door he be felt as it if ho he wore letting him aalf into a dungeon lie ile struck a match and found on the hall table the brown envelope of a telegram cable from army headquarters central africa this morning to ocal haghans lag hans lians their poor son tim court marti aled and sentenced to death tor for mutiny old people heartbroken heart broken save their boy bey biddy this was a message to try a man for denis ample affection and admiration tor for the loving lotan wife who signed herself giddy biddy save give everything she evier r said aid or did extraordinary importance in ills his eyes and he took it that she meant him to save the life of the unfortunate private tim ghan of the seventeenth wicklow rangers even it if lie he had bad to fig lit all the laws of the british empire and one little thins thing could stop him from savins saving his VIllis misfortunate fortunate towny tim might already have been slit shot the thought of this gave dents denis a twist begor it he Is Did diddell Biddy dyll 11 never speak to we me agin that evening at ten saw the honorable member for before a vigilant constable on guard outside an ominously closed door the poll policeman ceman cast a wary eye upon denis as he erme cime ci me up but all the same he touched his helmet respectfully to the honorable member 1 Is alther chamberlain Chamber lala inside ins lda said a d denis casually as it were throwing a side tied nod at the closed door lle he la 13 in his room sir would ye tell him that listher denis cavanagh Cava nagi member for rath keale would like a word with him 1 I dare dare not sir orders must not disturb on any account I 1 important orders affairs im fm going in anyway said denis deals the policeman dared not lay hands hand upon a member of 0 parliament without the sergeant at arms beside besles him but his body shrank in agony under his uniform as denis himself in a quiver put his knuckles to the oak with the whisper of a knock A low but penetrating penetrated come in intensified the horror of the situation denis took off his hat twisted the doorknob door knob and accepted the invitation ile he saw a green shaded electric light shining mildly upon a litter of papers blue white and yellow and the tall grave statesman sitting at the table mr chamberlain looked pale and tired well cavanagh before I 1 say a forrd sir I 1 must ask you to put no blame on that po ileman outside your doore dents denis made a straight point at the shrinking uniform at the open door lie ile did all a 1 l he could to keep me out taint lies hes to blame tor for disturbing you im to blame entirely mr chamberlain smiled at the earnestness of this well cavanagh Caran agh ril ill forgive him for opening the door it if close it denis went to the door winked magnificently at the policeman and closed the door now what can I 1 do for you cavanagh mr chamberlain said this in the tone of a man who can do nothing at all for the suppliant ye can do private a good turn sir denis stood at the opposite edge of 0 the table looking down over the green shaded lamp anxiously at the severe expression of the great minister 1 I will spare you five minutes cavanagh but no more frankly my time Is mortgaged to the hilt bilt sos poor tims too sir but what can I 1 do the court in martial artial sentence must be carried out mr chamberlain pulled out a paper from a bundle on his left look at that and perhaps ou will see then the helplessness of case denis took look the paper but the ministers tone chilled lit his heart and almost tork took the sight from his eyes 1 I cant lead it said lie he putting the paper down by the lamp mr chamberlain gazed steadily at denis ire he saw how keenly the irishman felt about this solmer lie he took up the paper and said davoly ira ra voly the information here is precise OCalla OCal hans labans officer gave an order which was openly Ills disobeyed obeyed when they got into camp the officer was bound to report the I 1 insubordination nation hut but as fighting tigh ting record wa was good the punishment inflicted wa na slight guardroom guard room and pack drill then in ills his first hour of freedom got drunk and went looking tor for the officer with ills his gun As a matter of fact he fired at the officer but his condition interfered with ins his marksmanship usually excellent the court martial found the crime punishable with death tle the quiet force with these facts were stated completely destroyed denis idea ot of debating the question but it did not destroy his natural hopefulness ali ah sir said no ile yere looking only at the facts in heavens name cavanagh what else can I 1 look at sure ye know very well theres there 11 th tha human 1 side to ut ye niver know tim sure I 1 kic kac v tim when he be was as big a aj the little green lamp y have there briore ye sure never was any anny harm in tim that nay may be so but you know cavanagh you cant alter the facts and the actual circumstances do they want altering sir it yo ye ice look at the circumstances circum as ye call thim sure what will ye find more to pity than blame tim only one av about twenty left ot of all the liti hundreds needs the seventeenth rangers hangers were when the fighting started Is it because they fought so well that yo ye want to shoot thim wan by wan because the jaimy inley do it and it if wan makes a poor tool fool of himself in a mad minute must all that he and ills his dead comrades fought tor for and fell for be forgot Is there no charity due to their memory and made him disobey ord bers it a notorious thing that the handful of the seventeenth wicklow rangers that day turned a biting bating into a dian didn t the little littlee officer want to save what was left of his brave company and thim off on the field and tin tim let thim him go back and si sure I 1 ro the himself must have had no notion of hurting tim lie put him in the guard room thin tim got a mere ay av tho the canteen he was wake with all the haard figh fighting fightlin tin and the divil tule abhold av him and in fl I 1 T a 4 I 1 I 1 I 1 4 e I 1 IV L 1 I cant read it said he the way of no batem he wint waltzing round roand shooting at the oscer that put hindin the guardroom guard room for winning a great battle the great minister had bad kept his eye upon denis and denis look had bad never once went away from his mr chamberlain said gravely you plead as it if the beof this tim were a sacred cause cavanagh like me own flesh blood he Is to me sir so you knew tim know him la Is it sure dunt I 1 know red tim OCalla ghin before lie ho was boarn and dont I 1 know his poor mother and ills his father over in Rath rathkeale keale and if hes shot now the news of 0 it will surely kill his mother and the poor man his father will be ruined in III body and mind for ivor iver mr chamberlain looked tn in silence at the green lamp shade denis felt his heart leaping within him as the great man pulled out his watch 1 I spared you five minutes anva nigh and I 1 find I 1 have given you nearly an hour all I 1 can do is to use what little influence I 1 have on the favorable side tor for your friend ali ah but the people 1 pc adeil denis breaking their li hearts over in rathkeale Rath keale this night waiting for me to send the blessed forrd and all rathkeale Rath keale at this minute r sir Is gasping with wild excitement excite excitement meni over tim 1 I will do my iny best I 1 can promise nothing more but you are arc well aware cavahagh Cava Cavat agh that you have made a 0 point sure itis yr own good heart sir to denis utter amazement the great man stood up and took his hand in a most friendly grip this act of 0 good will nearly brought tears to the eyes of the big irishman and he returned the hand band shako shake with the most fervent cordiality begor yve made a fighting frind of dents denis cavanagh sir and ill bo be delighted to support anny measure y ivor iver bring in unless he be added in a I 1 hurry itis inimical to the welfare of ireland mr chamberlain laughed heartily cavanagh I 1 hope said bald lie yo i will have a little of the feeling tor for mf me I 1 that hat you have for tim 1 lal L s al ill be glad of such eloquent r and tho the honorable member tor for rathkeale Rath keale and the right honorable gentleman the secretary tor for the colonies sworn political enemies departed sworn personal friends |