New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-06
THE REACHING HAND.

and ann WpTI lWarr
memory become defective in that length OF tinc
but he was so different from the promise 81 nis
early manhood that at once iclt the chalec 20 ~
much more than a warplng OF my leco lcctIon'
When we had parted just alter grnduatihs rom
the same college-he to study law and 10 take
promising business post in AuStra!la-hc WIS "
healthy stalwart young man, lndomltaDlr, nuoN
antly aggressive. uncompronlislngly AMBITIOUS '!l"
blessed with talents inSuring his success nIi"-
al his Office found shrunkcn man, OLD peioie lS
time his hair and beard streakcd WIN sI'3 "'''
doom lines ruTrlv cut across "A waNcn forehead.
The first glance told me that l behcld tragedy oi
noble gifts and aspirations.
Not until had answered his questions rs e. my
prosperity and lie had told Inc that his parents
were dead, and that, not having married. ne LNcu
almost alone in the old homestead, did speak OF
his appearance. and bescech him, In the name OF
our friendship to tell me what calamity had come
to him lie looked AZ ne a few moments unaol9
10 reply the pupils Of his sunken eyes dintih9, az"
pallor forcing It's way through the yellow bAl,,'
Al last he replied, with shaking voice. and conceal
ing the trembling of his hands by tightly pre- s'ns
them upon the chair arms
Yes john, will tell you. But you VIII be TIE
ONLY mortal except myself who knows what mas
snapped the strings of my energy and purposes.
cannot tell Nou here, though.
Greatly wondering. | asked
"Wher, can you tell ne .
Come 10 tie old home tonight at oc'ock.
Punctuallv 10 the appointed tame, sent solemn
ccho,r, Of The 81 fashiGn.d tras>-kEo kcr through
,Ln widc hall ne house dating from colonial
days, unable 10 keep pace WIN modern IMPROVE
ment. and secluded from the street. "Hrh hI~"
but clouds had brought tie oclotr h.n'
earlier. ard the rattle and rustic Of The witt
cred leaves, rs the wind tore them rom me
boughs and scurrcd then across TIE d''u
grass seemed 10 deepen tie dismal quiet ol
the place or. IN my fancy. cNcilcd ~ appieAeh
sion. t. be tie Whispering 81 The demons 81 laic ana
voice - ! rcmenh cred IL, h1d been lo"cic' 10
pitch Of melancholy, opened tho door ana pace me
20 upstairs.
Philip welcomed me in the study with an mir Of
relief As he turned up &c light, the evident pam
I'm his eyes and the chair icloIc th gf1ic-hre
showed me hc had been broollnC IN re dark: IN
easy rocker. drawn close to his CHOIR, heh'!y
revealed his wish that wc oft there. accordingly
asked him 10 turn down the light, which lie ALLY
did, and we sat down before the hre-pacc ,,.,...
fell naturally 10 analyzIng IL rs reflected 10y the
expression of his face, and now saw, even in TIE
dim hcarth-light, a spark Of hope tat tbs hEsl
reyealment might lessen his grief
+. nov rho same stub nihcr used lie. you Re-
member preferred the room at the top OF tie house
which looked out over The Slanling room of the
back building. and commanding tie view We have
often, as young men. admired IN thoSe happy
days. Men Of stuious habits seem TO take Ia
stinciycly 10 the house tops as II rearrc,a 20 tie
ground makes the mind earthly. !, too. liked III
solitude, and, after father died kept IT until
He stopped suddenly. and the spark in his eyes
was quenchcd by despair. ] suiI nothing, and he
went on
But | will start at the bcgnning, and if YOU can
-
how ! suffer You know what prospects had
| wrote YOU how | was elected Prosecuting At
jOrncy. / WAS winning legal trlumphS such a.
might have turned any ones head, hut yon behold
Yes, ! trirnphed until the Of the State
versus Joel Ilarl;ton came to M II my first
capital case. lIarlton was we.l-Ilnown man Of
the city, and acquaintnce Of mine HIS wife
died suddenly, under clcumstancc' 6u1ici1ntiy
suspicious warrant his arrest. They we're only
circumstances, but very, very strong against him.
and | saw that a conviction would be laurel
worthy trying for especially as knew that success
meant my certain nomination for State senator
Briefly and horribly. John, my ambition rose -
madness. Il trampled down my scruplcs against
conviction ciTcumstantia evidence, AMI even
the sympathy had Tor llarkton a. close nc
quaintancc. You will not, you cannot, understand
me when ! tell You that my ambition became
hloodthirsty. II Set q mark-llarkt0n's life. lou
shrink. my friend. and il Il right YOU should
but before high heaven. swear IL 20 lc true that
that it vas the external inpnlsc--a dcterrination
est heart of Lucilcr himself
Through day. and night after night not stop
ping 10 sleep. | studied the circumstances until
had weighed. and pared and shaped, and GrtcI
them into mosaic Of conviction II Thought
OF Narkton AZ all, il was only as The old high priest
regarded tie sacricia lambaS necessary 10 Salva-
ton Triumph became my cl.ion and my God
One ni2ht"-acutc recollection silenccd the
trembling voice for a few minutes" sat up in
the old study, stnnelng the iacts Tor the hun
dredth time, upon thread 81 prosecution. WAS
in a fever OF citation No possible defence could
break down my theory Of Tie wifc-mur icrcr
already cutchcd victory 70 my soul. was
obivious to everything but the case the hours.
tollcd from the stccplc yondcr struck upon my eat.
but did not reach my brain | revealed in real
ization of victory, Of the attainment Of my cher
shcd heights. and Of triumph over the counsel for
the defendant. who was my bitlcrest political OPP
ponent Suddenly ] was disturbed in my ccStacy
by slight noise and looking around. there,
within reach Of my hand quietly stood Joel lark-
For moment was chilled by the fear that
was the victim of an hallucination, but the mans
voice assured me OF his material presence
You are working TO convict me, was what he
~'Hou did YOU come here p demanded.
al escaped from Jail. and crawed mp over the
roof there, fooshly perhaps, to ask you to aid me
doing. We have been friends, Moreland, and as
surely as | talk 10 you now | am innocent
Innocent" ! repeated In scorn. lOu killed
your wife in cold blood. The proof is incontro-
ycrtiblc'
IIc shrank from me- holding mp his hands in
dcspairng realization Of my bitterness, and Of his
mistake in putting himself into my power. was
furious at the mere prospect Of defeat and he must
have seen il in my face Harkton had rcvcr been
a strong man but he was now further weakened
by Imprisonment could easily dctain him, and
! argued that, as public officer sworn 10 that
So far the act now tell you Of was justified but
he paused turning TO me in violent seli-condem-
ration" in so far rs my aspirations sought p make
| stcpping-stone OF this mans life, the act was
diabolical
But you will surely let me go now, and give
me the chance to escape IIarkton said weakly.
NO. Kissed, rising; i will return you 10
prison
=" grasped him. lie simply said. God help me-
weakly, submissivey, and the sound Of those words
have never ceased He did not resist, and threw
linn to the floor and tied his hands with a towel.
Heaven pity me those words his piteous suppl
catons-they cry in the wind tonight. and his
eyes. in hopeless entreaty, glow yonder in the
Goals.
=" | will not detail how lie was carried back 10
jail nor how tried his case nor the praise ]
received; all need say is that | won. and joel
Harkton was-was hanged for the murder Of his
wife"
The fire had sunk low, but il still shed light
enough TO show the terror reflected in his face by
the point yet 10 be told His head had fallen upon
his breast, so that his last words had been muf1ed
and he grpped the knobbed ends of the chair-arms