Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-03-11
Mlisrellaneous.
THE OATH OF OFFICE.
A ROMANTIC STORY,

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James Lynch Filzstephen, an opulent mer-
chant, was elected mayor of Galway in 1893; at
which period regular and friendly intercourse
subssted between the town and several parts Of
Spain. For the purpose of extending the con-
nection, so useful to both Spain and Ireland, he
made visit to Cadiz, was Hospitality received
in the house ofa rich and noble merchant named
Gomez, and, on his return to Ireland, took with
him son Of this mere hants youth of nineteen.
he became the bosom companion of the Mayors
son, young man about two years older than
himself. Both were beautiful and accomplished;
of frank and open manners, and generous and
lively dispositions, they became as warmly at
tached TO one another as they we're fayofitss,
universally, in the hospitabe and then auuse
ment-loving town of Galway.
But the young Irishman had contracted habits
of libertnism from which the young Spaniard
was free and The father hoped that his son would
benefit by the companionship of young Gomez
the more that he was about to be united in mar
riage to beautiful and accomplished girl, the
daughter Of one of his most respectable towns
men. The young men lived in the most cordial
friendship, but at one of these festival entertain
ments, frequent at the Mayors house, Walter
saw, or fancied he saw, the eyes of his beautiful
and beloved Agnes bent on the young Spaniard
in manner to indicate that her affections had
been transferred to him.
Walter, maddened with rage, took the first
opportunity-not Of calmly inquiring whether it
were so or not-but of angrily upbraiding her
with tickle unfaithfulness and she, astonished
and indignant at the foul suspicion, refused to
give him the satisfaction of denying it. They
parted-he to brood over thoughts of revenge,
and she 10 weep in bitter disappointment.
1t happened that young Gomez spent the very
next evening at the house of the father of Agnes,
where he was a frequent guest; and Walter,
happening to sec him leave it, became infuriated,
and pursued him, determined on vengeance. Go
mez, finding one following him, whom, in the
darkness, he did not know, fled, and, mistakiDg
his way, was overtaken in a solitary part of the
town-close on the waters edge, and ponlard
plunged into his heart, and himself heaved into
the sea.
The body was thrown upon the beach next
tide, but the murderer had fled into neighbor-
ing wood. Remorse and despair prompted him
to return and give himself up to justice, and, on
his way, he met crowd of persons, his father
at their head, who were out in quest of the as
sassin. He at once acknowledged the crime to
which his mad passion had prompted him, sur.
rendered himself, and was conducted to prison,
bareheaded, pale, and surrounded with spears.
The prison happened to be adjoining the Mayors
house, and the sight Of his mother and sisters,
in the agones of sorrow on Witnessing his ap-
proach, and their shrieks and faintings, height
ened the sorrow OF the crowd which, by this
time, filled all the streets. By the laws of the
time, the authority of the Mayor was absolute
the youth was a universal favore--a tear, or the
slightest emotion of the father, would have been
the signal for the interpositlon of the popuIace
for the deliverance of the son. But he was In
flexible. Not even the wild exclamations Of
Agnes, who, with hair disheveled' and frantic
with grief ran to meet them, shouting that the
fault was more hers than Walters, and imporing
the crowd to save him, could move him. Walter
was committed to dungeon.
The legal inquiry which followed was brief
sentence of death was pronounced by the miser'
able father,-presiding at the trial in virtue o
his ofice-and, like another Brutus, he was com
pelled to order his execution. But the whole
population rose, in determination to rescue the
wretched culprt, the more so, as it was made
public that himself nOw desired it, his love aaV
ing returned after madness had left him ano
they threatened, in defiance of the military tf
\ pull down the prison, and fire the house OF hi
father adjoining it, if he Persevered in refusing
to set him free. They we're quieted for mo-
q ment by the hope that the intercesslon OF th'
Is most influential persons in the town and neigh
borhood, tho entreaties Of relatives, and the sup