Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-05-20

Cape Town. You zee, he seemed o
expect, when the reprieve came, that
he would be set at liberty, and 60 did
she, but, as you know, the death SEN
tence has only been committed to one
Of imprisonment for life; and how on
earth they managed to persuade the
governor to do that I can't tell. Well,
SINCE that has been made plain to
Dirk, he has been a changed man. He
talks hopelessly of the future-and
God knows, poor fellow, it's dark
enough!-he seems to be pining for
freedom, he says the convict dress
clings to him like cerecloth, and the
other day, just after his wife had Wis:
tied him, / saw such a queer look in
his eyes that I quietly turned over
his things. At the bottom of the
basket of comforts she had brought
him found this"
He opened the packet, and poured
out before my eyes q whitish powder.
"Well?" said, interrogatively.
"Poison" he briefly replied, as he
swept the powder back into the pack
ct. "And now" he added, ssdon't
think me hard if 1 send Dirk to Cape
Town."
+ T.
There was an unusual stir and ex.
element in Kimberley; the streets
were crowded with men and women.
whose faces bespoke every kind OF
emotion, from despairing rage to re:
joicing malice; while hither and thith.
er among the throng in the market
square rode officials in the dark blue
uniform of the Cape Civil Service.
At length there was a cloud of whirl.
ing dust in the Transvaal road; the
crowd swayed and parted, and at a
hand gallop two heavily laden mule
wagons passed through the surpine
ranks and halted for the escort to CLOSE
round.
A woful freight those wagons bore;
a load of human misery; company OF
wretched convicts, into whose souls
the iron of captivity had already en-.
tered; a consignment of bamed,
trapped, and f0rsaken seekers after
illicit wealth. Youth and age were
there, and the CALLING letters bound all
together in the links of common de-
spair. Chained as they were, like wild
beasts, some stood up and in agonized
voice called uponfriend, wife and child,
who answered not; while others,
COUGHING piteously in a corner of the
rude conveyance, bowed their heads
between their trembling hands and
sought to keep out the light of a sun
which had become hateful to them.
Suddenly I caught sight of Dirk Syl-
vester. He was sitting on the side OF
the foremost wagon, his arms folded
across his chest, and a look of eager
expectation on his finely nodded face,
thin and pale with confinement and
suffering. called to him, but he heard
not; his gaze seemed fixed on some far.
away object, and a smile played upon
his wan lips.
I hurried ON in advance of the calva.
cade toward 1.-THE Oasis,'' which
knew it must pass on it's way to the
open veldt. l remembered that the
governor of the Jail had told me the
night before that he had allowed alast
interview before the fearful Journey to
Cape Town between man and wife, and
that they spoke some words in French,
which he did not understand, but which
seemed to have a wonderful effect on
Dirk.
AS neared the gate of "The Oasis, -
over which the blue gums cast their
shade, and where the sweet trailing flow
ers were in their full autumnal beauty,
l saw Sylvester's wife standingmotion-
less. She was attired in the plain
white dress she wore on the day OF the
trial, and also when shecrowned Dirk
hopes and rendered him the envy OF
the bachelors OF the Fields by becom-
ing his own. Her golden hair foated
unheeded on the lazy breath from the
distant plain; her eyes were turned up
ward to the deep blue sky above, and
her lips seemed to be moving as if in
silent prayer. There was no need to
tell her of the approach of the convict
party; their coming was heralded by
the wild refrain of a dismal songchant-
ed by the prisoners; and adown the
startled air came the sound of creak-
ing wheels, the cracking of whips, the
shouting of orders, and the responsive
curses of the mob. [ was unwilling to
obtrude myself on her notice, and
therefore l did not speak to her, but
merely took up a position close by the
gate.
Nearer and nearer came the rolling
wagons, and the crowd rushed on
through the eddying dust, till sudden
ly they caught a glimpse of the lonely
watcher at the gateway. There was
not man there who did not know
that the slight, pale woman standing
with her hands clasped convulsive-
ly together, and her whole soul con-
centrated as it were in one long gaze,
was Sylvester's wife. Even the Off
cials knew his history; they knew he
was no midnight purchaser of stolen
gems, but only q passionate, hapless
man; and as if by instinct, the melan-
choly procession slowed and steadied
and paused before what was once the
home of a pure and holy love.
Dirk was standing now; the smile on
his lips lit up his whole countenance;
he looked like the careless, happy
Dirk of former days; the lines of care
and deep dull agony seemed to soften
and disappear from his face.
He made a motion with his left hand
to his breast; with his right hepointed
to the awful blue of the cloudless heav-
en-, and then-a thin streak of flame
leaped from the midst of the creepers
and the quivering leaves, a. sharp re-
port rang upon the morning air, a puff
of smoke curled upward from the gate.
way, and Dirk Sylvester, with that
strange, glad smile upon his lips, fell
heavily forward, shot right through
the heart by his wife!
4,
She never lived to take her trial, in
deed she was unconscious from the
time when by one supreme act she
broke the letters which were wearing
nS~1> \ A.