Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-09-25
CHAPTER III.
THE PRISON INTERVIEW.

THE PRISON INTERVIEW.
Mary Carroll reached the garden gate of
a neighbours house: and then she turned and
looked towards her own cot. She saw Casper
Bagroon just stepping into the street, and
she could see through the dim twilight that
his hands were clcnched together, and she
thought she heard bitter culses fall from his
lips. He came not after her, however, but
walked off in the opposite direction, and was
soon lost to sight in the gathering gloom.
The resolute girl stepped again into the
street, and hastily wcnded her way towards
the jail She asked to see Coney Drake,
but the jailor refused her. He said the
young man was condemned to die, end none
but the priest could be admitted to his cell.
She begged and prayed, but the iailor was
inexorable. He told her, however, that she
might apply to the Sheriff, and that pass
FROM him would admit her.
Why the feetness of the wind Mary dar-
ted off for the house of the Sheriff, whom
she had the good fortune to find at BONE
She made known her request, and he at first
refused.
ooh, must see him. she cried. TIe
was all the world to me. If he must die,
@, let me sec him.
'Not tonight said the Sheriff, but it was
spoken in wavering tone.
yes, yes-for the love of God, sir, do !.
Tomorrow may be too late. Coney never
committed that murder; 1 know that. I
was his-his-I should have been his wife,
sir, had he lived ; and o, who knows but
that he may live yet. Do, do-Oh, do,
sir!'
Mary Carroll sank upon her knees and
claspcd her hands. Big tears rolled down her
cheeks, and as the stern officer gazcd upon
her thus, he could not find it in his heart to
refuse her further. lie wrote an order for
her rimmediate admittance to the Jail, and
when he handed it to her, said:
There, 60 and see him; but you must
make up your mind that this will be your
last visit | shall feel miserable when l
hang the poor youth, for / have always
thought him noble -"
so he is, SO he is. You shall not hang
him-by heavens-you shall not He nev-
er did it,
The Sheriff pitied the poor girl, for he
thought the thing had turned her BRAIN
He knew not that the brain was ten times
more strong than ever before.
Mary sought the Jail once more, and she
found no difficulty in gaining admittancc.
Cornelius Drake sat in his cell. He was
not more than one and twenty-a noble look
ing youth, with auburn hair and large blue
eyes, and a couuteDance full of goodness and
truth. His very appearance gave the lie di-
rect to the idea that he could commit delib-
crate murder, and yet all knew that no one
could have killed the pedler except in cold
blood, for old Magduhl could have no enc.
mics
Mary Carroll entered the cell. She stood
an instant upon the threshold, and sprang
forward and threw her arms about the young
prisoners neck.
Mary, Mary he cried, 'the holy saints
bless you for this. can't embrace you, dar-
ling, for see my hands are chained
Hush, Concy, dear I can embrace you,
and for even that we may be thankful
They told me you were to be hung, but l
swore that you shouldn't
sAh, Mary, my fate is sealed, and no earth
ly power can help me now"
'But you did not do that wicked murder,
Coney"
you know T did not, darling
Indeed, know it,
Then there's some satisfaction in that
'But there would be more satisfaction in
finding out who did it, said Mary.
That is past hope, returned Coney.
but do you not suspect any? Have you
not the least idea who did it p she eagerly
asked.
eNot in the least But why do you ask
that p
First tell me all the circumstances attend
ing the finding of the body
Coney went on and told the circumstances
just as they had transpired. How that he
was returning from the Londonderry side of
the great bog just at night-fall, and when he
had nearly reached the Tyrone side, he saw
dark object against the bushes near the
solid path. He went up to it, and found it
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