The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-12-15

deemed full pardon lmpOlltiC then.
Thereprieve granted him three months
though, and by that time popular
sentiment was likely to cool down
sufficiently to make q pard feasible,
On my way home l was fairly happy,
and tried to picture to myself Dukes
face when he knew he was safe. This
made me so comfortable that / fell
asleep. Nothing disturbed my slun1.
bers until the conductor called out
the name Of the junction where had
to change cars for the branch road
which ran through my town. &
And there, to my CONSERVATION, j
found myself unable to move. Men
tally | was awake. Physically was
asleep. | was fully conscious OF the
stir and hustle made by those who
were getting on and of she train; but
y could not move a muscle.
With all my might endeavored to
throw off the trance spell which held
me, but oil to1no purpose. The train
moved on and took ME with it. Cold
perspiratlon oozed out through every
pore, and should have gone mad
then and there had not utter unconsc.
BUSINESS mercifully come to my rescue.
1t was more than an hour before l
regained possession OF nv senses.
By that time it was impossible to get
back to the junction in time to
catch the home-bound train on the
branch line. Springing up the mo.
ment | was conscious, | explained
things to the conductor, Offering him
any price he chose to demand If he
would run his train back to the juno
ton and take me home. That was
out OF the question. He could only
do such a thing in order OF the general
superintendent, and that parsonage
could not be reached, because a torm,
the day before, shad blown so MANY
wires down that all telegraphic com.
munlcation was cut off.
All l could do, then, was to remain
on board the train seven hours
more, when tramping twelve or fifteen
miles over q craggy, roadless noun
tain, l could probably get home by
noon. Though the ''probably" dis
couraged me, thanked the conductor
for his advise, shut my teeth on my
misery and tried o make the best Of
1t. That was the longest night of NV
life. 1t seemed to me that it would
never end. >
Day was just breaking when we
reached the station where I was to
leave the train and begin my foot
Journey over the mountain. Hard as
was the ascent OF that trackless, pre-
cipltous mountainside, it was a vast
Improvement on the train. I was in
motion myself now-doing something,
whether it would avail me anything
or,not. -
Soon the sun was up. Altogether
too soon it had accomplished half it's
journey from horizon to zenith. 1t
was then that reached the noun
taln-top, with a good seven miles OF
rough walking still before me. Duke
was to be hanged at noon, unless I
was there IN time.
( At 10 O'Clock Twas but two miles
away from him; and with all the hor-
.rors OF my journey presumably be-
hind me, | smiled self-gratulativelv at
the thought of how easy the rest
would be, and of how I would disap.
point those who were even then gath
erlns to see my client hanged. Sud-
denly vine caught my foot and
threw me. Failing, I sprained nv
ankle, and the pain was so intense
that had to exert every atom OF
my vii! to keep from going into n
dead faint. Breaking forked stick
from a sapling presently, / extempor.
ICED 1t into a crutch, and hobbled on
as best I could.
At the end OF an hour I had made
half mile, and was SO exhausted
That knew another fifteen minutes
would bring my locomotive powers to
q full stop. Poor old Duke must die,
alter all. There was no help for it,
and with an cutlery Of utter despair, I
settled on the ground in a heap. The
mental anguish suffered in the half
hour which followed was enough to
unseat q mans reason.
Watch i'll hand, counted the feet
ing seconds. In twenty-five minutes
more my client would hang, for want
OF the reprleve in my pocket. And
then, joyful sound, heard approach
ing feet! A moment later a negro ap-
peared. He WAS old, dirty, aud stupid
entirely unable to understand me
until | mentioned money. When |
said: II will give you $1OO If YOU get
this paper in the hands Of the sheriff
before twelve O'Clock, = with ayell like
q hend he snatched the reprieye out Of
my hand and darted away.
Again.I sought my watch. NV mes
senaer had twenty-five minutes in
which to cover u mile and a half, a
portion OF his route being through
thick underbrus.,. IT was doubtful II
he would do it. The hour which pas
sed before he returned. with help,
seemed a hundred years to me.
lsdone got dar, lie gasped, nearly
out OF breath, con de genlnlall am all
SAFE" - Is 81
Probably it WAS unmanly, but /
Wept for JOY. They tried to make q
hero OF me for that exploit, but L am
too commonplace and stolid for that.
! had saved my client. That was all.
However, | was rewarded more
sgorious]y yet. Before Dukes re-
prleve expired. his butler was taken
seriously III. Just before lie died lie
made a>startling confession.
1t was he who killed Mrs. Duke
She caught him in the act Of stealing
her '.' Jewels, and he killed her to escape, 1,
punishment. RETURNING a ,nn,,,a,,t