Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-12-25
AFTER THE SENTENCE.

AFTER TIE SENIfNtt.
Sarcany was taken back To the cell he
occupied at the bottom of an elliptic
corridor on the second floor of the don
ION. Sandorf and his two friends, dur
ing the l,st hours of life that remained
TO them, were quartercd ma LARGE cell
on the same level, exactly ut the end of
the major axis of the cllipsc which this
corridor made. The secret was now
known. The condemned were 10 I've left
together until their execution.
This was consolation, even pleasure
for them. when they found themselves
alone and allowed to give way TO feel
ings which they could not II first
restrain.
my friends, said Sandorf, | am
the cause of your deaths But have
nothing 10 ask your pardon fos We
worked for the independence o., HIM
gary Our cause was Just VI Is our
duty to defend her 1t Is an honor to
die for her
Matthias, said Bathory, "Te thank
YOU for having associated rs with you in
the patriotic work which would have
been The work Of all your life
As we are associated with you IL
death !" added Zathmar.
Then during momentary silence the
three gazed round the gloomy cell in
which they We're to spend their last
hours \ narrow window some four or
FIVE feet high, cut through the thick wall
of the donion, let in certain amount Of
light There were three iron bedsteads.
a few chairs, n table and shelf or two,
on which were a few articles of crockery.
Zathmar and Bathory were soon lost
in thought
Sandorf began TO walk up and down
the cell.
Zathmor was alone in the'world, had
no family ties ana no near relations.
There was only his old servant, Borik,
to mourn for him.
1t was not so with Bathory. His
death would not only prove blow to
himself He had wife and son whom
it would reach That wife and child
might even diel And If they survived
him, how We're they TO live? What was
to be the future of penniless woman
and her eight year old child? Had
Bathory possessed any property, how
much of it would remain after judg-
ment which directed it to be confiscated
and sentenced him to death
As for Sandorf, all his past life re-
turned to him His wife came To him |!
His little daughter came-a child of two
years old, now left to the care of the
steward And there were his friends
whom he had led TO ruin He asked
himself if he had done well, if he had
not gone farther than his duty towards
his country required? Woul that the
punishment had fallen on him alone
and not upon those that were ilnocent
mo! no have only done my duty :"
he said to himself. Ny country before
all, and above ALL"
At five o'clock varder entered the
cell, placed the dinner on the table, and
went out again without saying word
Sandorf would have liked to know in
what fortress he was kept a prisoner,
but as the President of the court-martial
had not thought fit to answer the ques-
ton 1t was quite certain that the warder
would not give the information.
The prisoners hardly touched the din
ner which had been prepared for them.
They passed the rest of the day talking
on various matters in the hope that
their abortiyc movement would one day
be resumed. Very often they returned
to the Incidents of the trial.
1--WE now know, said Zathmar, "why
we have been arrested and how the
police discovered us from that letter
which they came across"
Yes, Ladisas. said Sandorf, "but
into whose hands did that message,
which was one of the last we received.
OF first fall and who copied it z
"And when it was copied. added
Bathory, "how did they read it without
the grating :"
1.-The grating must have been stolen, "
said Sandorf
"Stolen! and and 10y whom 2" asked
Zathmar. "The day we were arrested
it was still in the drawer on my desk,
whence the police took it. -
This was indeed incxplicable. Tha,
the letter had been found on the pigeon
that it had been copied before being
sent to its destination that the house
where the person TO whom it WAS al.
dressed had been discovered that
could be explained. But that the crypt.
ogrnphc despatch could have beer
deciphered without the grating by which
il had been formed was Incompetent.
sible.
And besides" continued Sandorf
"we know that the letter was read, and
IL could not have been read without
the grating 1t was this letter which
put the police on our traces, and il wa:
on it that the whole charge was based. ;
1T matters very little, after all. f." an.
swered Bathory.
"On the contrary, 1T does matter.