Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-05-31

saw NCu, chyS - eh"'
your 1T is,' says be, and bis very
voice sounded different from what it
used. Well, I was glad to see him
anyhow; so | took his hand in mine,
and says |, Ned, what has happened,
for yon' re not the same as you were z
sHow could | says be, when you
told me you wouldn't see me any
more? Ned says |, don't deceive
me; that's not it-there is worse
than that come over you Nothing
could be worse than that says he.
| Ned, you must tell me | know you
well, and | know there is worse than
the loss of me upon you now well,
Alice, says he, and if there is,it was
the loss of you that drove me to it.
Il don't deny but that might be true
too, says | but, Ned, you must tell
me what is the matter now. Are
you sworn in Il am says Ned,
though the bloody villains would
murder me if they knew | told you
You have done nothing yet, Ned 2
says /. No, Ahce,' says be 'but
I'm on for the neat job, after Trench.
Well, sir, what came over me then l
don't know but | LOST my sight and
my senses, and never knew where
| was or what had happened till |
found myself down at the well below
the house, and Ned pouring water
on my face with his two hands. lie
looked 50 terrible when | first open
ed my eyes that he brought mo 10
my senses quick enough, and in a
minute all that had happened was
before me. Ned says |, break off
with them villains, and III go Nth
you aehere you please My God 7
cried Ned, why didn't you say that
before Pm sworn in now, and |
must be true to my country ; though
it's little of their country that them
bloody villains thinks. But I'm
sworn in now, and I'm bound to
| obey
Ned says /, you shall do no
such thing-I'll go with you where
you go, I'll leave father and mother
now. You know, Ned, | always
loved you; and what's the use of
love if it wouldn't stick by friend
in trouble ? You must leave the
country, Ned, and that at once; and
I'll go with you, and they'll never
know where we are. Let US go off
at once to America Well, sir, Ned
was silent for a minute, and then he
says, Alice, dear, don't ask me to
peach, or tell on one of them, tor I'll
never do it--no, not even to win you
IN never ask you, Ned, says L only
come away and leave them there, be-
fore any job turns up that wi ruin
you soul and body There is war
rant out against me, said Ned, for
stroke | hit another boy few
days ago it's in the Police Barrack
this minute, and they will be out
searching for me soon. And if they
arrest me on this warrant, III be
kept to see if they can get anything
else against me, and maybe some
thing bad will happen before it's
all over.
''Will you come away if get the
warrant stopped!' says |. Alice,
says he, 4 Il have to break solemn
oath if do; bat it is better to be
damned for breaking an oath to those
bloody villains than for killing some
one so IF I'm not taken this week,
I'll go, if you will come with me !? :
She stopped and looked at me.
'Well,' said |, and what do you
want me to do ?
Il want you to stop the warrant just
for one week, said she: che has done
nothing yet the warrant is only for
cutting another boys head which did
him no great harm and moreover
that same boy deserved it well. But
if Ned stays in the country, he'll
surely do what the bloody Williams
he's joined with bid him. Keep back
the warrant for one week, and you'll
save his soul and body
The poor girl could hold out no
longer, but dropping on her knees
before me again, she put her hands
to her eyes, and as the tears streamed
through her fingers, she sobbed out,
almost choking with agitation, ooh,
sir, save him if you can save poor
Ned, who never would hurt the hair
of child's head if he was not sworn
to it by them terrible men,
| have seldom felt in q greater diff.
| iculty. Here was man who it was
now acknowledged was sworn
Ribbonman, and [ was asked to hold
back the warrant for his arrest, so as
to enable him to leave the country
and thus escape the law. True, but
then | reflected, he had done nothing
yet as a Ribbonman that the law
could lay hold of, except taking the
oath. [ fully believed the weeping
girl before me, that they were deep
ly attached to one another, and |
also believed her statement that in a
moment OF anger at her fathers re,
jecting his suit be bad joined the
Ri5bonmen, and was sworn iuto
their bloody code. She saw in q
moment that | hesitated between
what at first sight appeared to be my
duty as magistrate and my desire
to save her lover from crime and
death. | have said she was educat
ed above her class, and she perceiv-
ed my difficulty in a moment. Oh,
sir said she, rising gently from her
knees and calming down her coun,
tenance again, you'll do no wrong in
holding back the warrant for week
though Ned is sworn in, he has done
no bad act yet; and surely it is bet
ter to save him now than to hang
him after be has committed some
terrible crime. 1 know him well: he
is as daring when his blood is up as
he is gentle and kind in heart be
would not hurt little child. But
they have told him it is for the good
of Ireland; and when he gets warm
ed with that, he'd kill hundred
men,