Middletown transcript., 1891-03-12

the Governor sat at his writing.table.
A document lay before him on the
table; he held a pen in his hand.
His face was very white great drops
of sweat stood on his brow, but with
q hand which never trembled, he
signed his name at the bottom of the
document, the deatb-warrant of the
man known as james Carson.
One month had passed away. The
Governors wife lay on lounge be-
side the open window on a sunny
morning In June. The Governor
| was sitting beside her. She looked
pale and rather frail. She had not
been we'll for some weeks, and the
PHYSICIAN warned her husband there
was a slight affection of the heart,
nothing very serious SO long as she
was kept free of excitement and
worry.
"You are feeling better today,
Alice, are you not" the Governor
asked, taking her thin hand in his !;
you will be strong enough to under
take a journey in week or so ?"
"Oh yes" she replied, aI shall
soon be all right The air is very
sweet to day." turning her face toward
the window; the next moment she
exclaimed, Where are all the people
| going2 There is such crowd hurry
ing in the same direction"
!" Excuse me ma'am,' said her
maid, who was in the room, but the
people are going to see that man,
Carson, hung"
Mrs. Waring drew back with
shudder; the Governor turned sharp.
ly around.
1t is not so," be cried, so harshly
that the girl stared, :" he is not to be
hanged until this afternoon" :.
81 beg your pardon, sir, but it's
this morning. For some reason they
changed the time"
The Governor made quick move.
ment as though to rise, then fell back.
Mrs. Waring grew suddenly silent.
She turned her face away from the
window her hand still lay in her
husbands. The maid had gone to the
window, which looked toward the
courthouse and Jail. The crowd had
disappeared from the street below.
The minutes passed by; there was
silence in the room broken. only by
the ticking of the little French clock
on the mantel. Suddenly the maids
voice broke it:
i" There, ma'am, it's all over, the
people are coming out.
/" All overt the Governor repeat
ed, mechanically, then, for the first
time, he looked at his wife. The
tears were slowly falling down her
pale cheeks.
Why do you weep: ?" he asked, in
voice which sounded strange and
hoarse.
She raised her sad, tear filled eyes
to his face. :" / was weeping for the
poor mother" she replied.
Some hours later the servant came
to Mrs. Waring, and informed her
that Mr.. Holton desired very partic-
ularly to see her.
'sShow him up here" she said,
and in few moments he was ushered
into her presence. She looked at him
in some surprise. He was evidently
| Just off a journey and looked dusty
| and travel-stained. There was pale,
determined look on his face as he
came up to the couch where she lay.
/" Pardon me for coming to you in
this condition." he said, but have
just returned from q journey and my
business with you admits Of not q
moments delay. Mrs. Waring, do
you remember that night about q
month ago, you were holding a re-
ception, when you came to the library
where your husband and myself were
and | asked you to add your entreaties
to mine to induce the Governor to
pardon James Carson who had that
very day been condemned" ?"
"Oh! yes, quite well, she replied.
81 never expected to tell you what
I am about to tell you now," he went
on, but it is a last and desperate re-
sort. / have been away eyer since
that night trying to hunt up proof Of
that mans innocence (for I believe
him to be innocent), but quite in vain.
He dies this afternoon unless your
husband saves him, or if he will only
reprieve him I may still be able to
prove him inpocent. l want you to
90 to your husband and plead for this
man. All madam, plead as only a
| mother can, for he is your son"
He paused. She had risen on her
4 elbow and was staring at him. The
awful look in the poor eyes, gazing
out of the marble pallor Of the face,
was destined to haunt him during the
remainder of his life and rob it Of all
rest or peace. She never spoke,
something like long. deep sigh left
her lips she fell back, and lay still.
The lawyer sprang to her side. The
eyes still gazed up at him, the awful
look of agony and horror frozen in
them, but they were sightless, and, as
he stood gazing down upon her, the
voices of the newsboys in the street
below came clearly through the open
window:
Evening news, full account of the
execution of the murderer, james
Carson" they cried.
"My God | I have killed her"
muttered the lawyer, with whitening
lips.
Night had come. Over the Cover
nor's mansion hung the silence and
gloom Of death. In her chamber
law the dead mistress. The sweet
| white face was very peaceful, the
heavy lids hiding the horror and
agony in the eyes, a faint smile touch
ing the lips. Beside her knelt the
husband, but in a few short hours the
whole weight of his years seemed to
have descended upon him, bowling