The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-12-20

found Rhoda buried in profound slumber,
with her golden head still resting against
the wall.
"Wake up, girl he said, shaking hel
smartly, "you're wanted
She started and looked wildly around.
The fiddle had ceased, but loud hum oil
voices had filed the kitchen. :. It'll be d
bad morning for the hanging" some one
near her was saying, g Well have to start
betimes TO see it. II the storm keeps on
| much longer the snow will be up to q
mans armpit."
Her dazed senses returned. She remem-
berel where she was and what had befallen
her. A Dutch clock in the corner of the
room pointed to the hour of ten. Rhoda
snatched up her bundle and drew around
her the old canlet cloak
81 must 90 4" she cried, wildly. "
have still six miles to trayel-I must go at
once !"
/ go |" echoed the waiter In this storm
Not so fast There's gentleman waiting
to see you in the parlor.
And before she could offer any resistance
he seized her arm and whisked her across a
passage into the presence of Coral Sutton
and the Judge. :,
The latter had pushed his chair back
from the table The tallow candles shone
full upon his proud grave facs and elegant
| figure. Sutton was still slipping wine. He
| leaned forward on the board like great
gray bat, and looked very hard at Rhoda
Wyman.
sLord love us, gentlemen !" cried the
waiter. "She wants IT, go to Boston
| through all this storm, and ten o'clock just
struck, too |"
| Sutton put down his wine glass.
"My pretty child, what can be the busl-
ness that urges you forth in such weather."
he said, sand how is it that one SO young
and beautiful is found travelling the high
roads alone and by night =
She had recognized him at once as the
| horseman who had struck her, out IN the
snow.
ssThat is no affair of yours, sir" she
answered. 81 have nothing to say to you,
| sir"
He laughed.
"Ah, you have spirit BY my soul, if
| had known that your face was SO fair I
would have taken care how incurred your
displeasure. Come now, do not bear malice
let us kiss and be friends"
| Judge Landreth started up in hot dis
! pleasure.
s.Sutton, / am ashamed of you !" he cried;
ssyou forget that you are gentleman J"
Then turning to Rhoda with an air both
winning and deferential, he said: NJ
| child. is it possible that you are travelling
on the same errand which has brought this
crowd of county Doors to the Betsey Baker
to-night-I mean, to witness the execution
of the murder Slade?'
She looked am steadily in his handsome
| face.
"Joshua Slade is no murderer, sir He
| never killed the woman Grant. 1t was not
in his kind, brave old heart to hurt or harm
any living thing! Are you the judge that
sentenced him ?"
ssThat Was my unhappy duty" answered
Landreth, in amazement.
She drew back from him with strangely
| tragic air.
"Then tell you that you have doomed
an innocent man to death that you have
sent him to the gallows for the crime of
another person, and his blood will be on
your head Do you want to know who it
| is that dares to speak thus in his defense?
I'm neither afraid nor ash FAMED to tell you, "
her young voice swelling out strong and
firm. my name is Rhoda Wyman, and
I'm Joshua SHADES granddaughter, his only
| living relative, and I'm travelling to Boston
Jail to see his fhce for the last time and to
bid him goodbye"
Sutton's wine glass crashed suddenly
down on the floor. He started up from
the table with a smothered exclamation.
Judge Landreth stood dumbfounded.
s'You Joshua SHADES granddaughter ?"
| he said Eyes, ut the trial l remember
that mention was made of such person,
living in some remote district How could
your guardians permit you"
Sha ntarrunted him sharnlv.
"They tried to stop me, but could not !!
have no one in the world but my grand
| father, I love him, and he loves me- 1
| stole away before daybreak. have been
on the road ever since. Six miles more
must 60, and then I shall stand at the
| jail door, and plead and pray to them until
they let me in to him -
"My poor child," said the Judge, deeply
moved by her beauty and heroism, SIT is
| impossible for you to push on to Boston
| through this storm. Be cont ent to remain
here till dawn, and swear to you. On my
honor as gentleman, that you shall be
| conducted to the Jail in time to see your
| grandfather, and to bid him goodbye"
| He led her to q window and flung up the
sash. The wind and snow rushed in with
terrific force. Outside the night seemed
but whlrling, freezing chaos,
| /" Do you not see that you cannot go 2"
he continued. gently. "You are SO frail
and delicate, and so exhausted already,
that you would perish before you were out
| of sight OF the inn lights Moreover, you
need rest for the trial of tomorrow. My
| poor child, my poor noble child, your
| grandfather was tried according to law,
convicted according to law, and yet it is
not strange that you should feel hard and
/ bitter toward me"
Sutton still stood by the table, with his
| yellowish eyes fastened upon Rhoda Wy
man. His Jean hands clutched the cover
10 an unpleasant way. He had not spoken
| word since Rhoda' ass ertion of her grand
fathers ianaceacs.
Judge Landfeth went to the door and
called maid-servant.
"Show this young person to comfort
able room," he said, ssand attend to all her
wants, and will settle the score"
Then the door of the inn parlor closed,
and Rhoda stood with the maid in the pas
sage outside.
Comfortable rooms can't be made out
of nothing" muttered the servant; seven
to please judges and fine gentlemen. There
isn't 2 bed left for anybody, all because of
that nasty hanging. You'll haye to be con-
tent with the loft over the kitchen, Miss"
| oA0 leu Jus way up; u u'Sut VI pdlutou
stairs, to dark, bare place. scarcely larger
than closet, and containing nothing but a
bed and rush-bottomed chair, On the
latter the maia deposited the remnant of a
candle, and then went out, and left Rhoda
alone.
She threw herself on her knees, and
prayed loIg and fervently; then she extin-
gnished the dip, and with all her garments
on-for she meant to be up and away again
| hefore daysdaYn-lay down to rest on the
low, coarse bed Of the loft.
i The sleep which had visited her in the
kitchen refused to return to her in the
chamber. With wide-opan eyes staring
into darkness, she lay. and counted the
moments as they few by. God alone knew
the thoughts that passed through her heart,
there, under the bare rafters of the Betsey
Baker, on this teEEihls phristmas night
For o while the noise about the hastelry
continued then came silence. The guests
1 4 ~ L 4 n