Produced by Al Haines. [Illustration: Cover art] [Illustration: Title page] *SHAMELESS WAYNE* _A Romance_ of the last Feud of WAYNE and RATCLIFFE _By_ HALLIWELL SUTCLIFFE _Author of_ "Ricroft of Withens," "A Man of the Moors," _etc._ NEW YORK DODD, MEAD & COMPANY 1899 Copyright 1899 by DODD, MEAD & COMPANY *Contents* CHAPTER I. Once for a Death II. And Twice for the Slayer’s Shrift III. The Lean Man of Wildwater IV. On Bog-Hole Brink V. A Love-tryst VI. The Brown Dog’s Step VII. The Lean Man’s Token VIII. A Stormy Burial IX. A Moorside Courtship X. What Crossed the Garden-Path XI. How the Ratcliffes Rode Out by Stealth XII. How They Fared Back to Wildwater XIII. April Snow XIV. How Wayne and Ratcliffe Met at Hazel Brigg XV. Mother-wit XVI. How Wayne of Marsh Rode up to Bents XVII. The Dog-dread XVIII. The Feud-wind Freshens XIX. How Wayne Kept the Pinfold XX. How They Waited at the Boundary-Stone XXI. What Chanced at Wildwater XXII. And What Chanced at Marsh XXIII. How Wayne Kept Faith XXIV. How the Lean Man Fought With Shameless Wayne XXV. And How He Drank With Him XXVI. Mistress Wayne Fares up to Wildwater XXVII. How the Lean Man Forgot the Feud *Shameless Wayne* *CHAPTER I* *ONCE FOR A DEATH* The little old woman sat up in the belfry tower, knitting a woollen stocking and tolling the death bell with her foot. She took two and seventy stitches between each stroke of the bell, and not the church-clock itself could reckon a minute more truly. Sharp of face she was, the Sexton’s wife, and her lips were forever moving in time to the click of her knitting-needles. "By th’ Heart, ’tis little care his wife hed for him," she muttered presently. "Nobbut a poor half-hour o’ th’ bell, an’ him wi’ a long, cold journey afore him. Does she think a man’s soul can racket up to Heaven at that speed? Mebbe ’tis her pocket she cares for—two-an’-sixpence, an’ him a Wayne! One o’ th’ proud Waynes o’ Marsh, an’ all, th’ best-born folk i’ th’ moorside. Well, there’s men an’ there’s men, mostly wastrils, but we mud weel hev spared another better nor Anthony Wayne, that we could."