The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-12-02
CHAPTER. xvI-{continucd..

I fall upon my knees with a passion
ate cry of terror and pain. Hundreds
and hundreds of people will tell each
other how they saw Hyacinth Va1,e
hung. / remember having read with
wonder and amazement in the news
papers that to see a fellow. creature
die men and women will walk for
hours, will stand for hours, shouting,
singing, jesting, giving no thought to
the pain OF the doomed ones last mo-
ments. oh. heaven, under the bright
blue beautiful sky, can such things
be?
Then another sound freezes the blood
In my veins. What can it be, this muf-
fed hammering? Oh, / know! At
night, with the help of torches, they
are erecting the scaffold. on which l
Elm to die. / hear the sound plainly,
md I cry out with passionate terror
and pain-loud, bitter cries; / cannot
.yestrain them. This brings my fate
hQme to me. Who will save me? Who
WI help me? Oh, ~heaven-oh, mother
6Iyum SC young, and l must die!
I fling myself upon the ground. l
In half mad with fear; and the cruel
sound Of the hammering, the shout
Ing OF the crowd, Of a vast multitude,
seem to grow clearer. How they will
rejoice when I stand before them to-
morrow to die! For it vas a cruel muir
der, and they oil believe me guilty.
I could make no defense, except that
] had not done 1t.
Ny passionate wocful cries ring
through the vaulted passages. Some
one must have fetched the governor,
Capt. Longmore, and the head ma
frpp, Mrs. Martyr. l hear tho key turn
fk The lock; my sad, longing eyes gaze
out into the corridor, and then the door
closes. I an shut up in the condemned
cell, and the outer world has gone
from me.
1t Is Mrs. Martyr who raises my
head from the cod stone floor, and,
looking into the governors face, says
quietly:
1T is very sad for her to hear that
noise; it Is bad enough without that"
The governors face darkens.
Fit Is bad enough altogether he re-
niles: and I wonder in my W mind
whether he thinks me innocent or
guilty.
/ may mention that this tragedy
of mine took place thirty years ago,
when it was the custom to hang men
and women alike before the soothing
gaze Of thousands. ,,
NV passion Of terror has exhausted
me-. I feel that my face il white p
still NJ that of Il dead woman. | can
not unlock my lips to speak; my eyes
nre closed.
II will lay her on the bed" says the
matron. 'She ought to sleep until the
bell tolls"
The governor shudders, strong man
though he is. I feel him tremble rs
he raises me In his arms.
Hanging men IL bad enough ne
says; hut q woman, q fair delicate girl
IKE this-I would as soon be hung
myself as help in IT." o,
.Do ron really think she did itT'
asks the matron in a whisper.
.aThe law has pronounced her guilty.
Surely the judge and the jury must
have had pretty good evidence, or she
would not be here. / am bound. as gov
error OF this prison, to believe her
guilty. aud to see that she is punished;
Ont, if yau ask my opinion rs 4 man
with q Judgment Of his own in the
matter, / should say that she Is inno-
cent-that a white dove Is far mofe
likely to slay an eagle than she to muir
der q gii young as herself. l believe
another thing, Airs. Martyr, and 1t Is
that. IL she docs not have either wine
or brandy, she will be. dead before
tomorrow comes" The kindly marion
says: ~
sI4et her die, Capt. I.ongmorc. Only
think what 1t would save her, II shc
could die here, and now!' -.
II dare not" he answers slowly. L
must do my best to keep her awe.
I shall order some Wine"
lt II brought to him.; ana they Try
to pour II down my throat. /! endeavor
TO open my lips, put ! an quite power
less.
.She is DYING" cried the mattTroln.
s.yyhat shall we dO?"
they send for the prison doctor, aRd
ne comes In haste.
sDyinx2 is she, poor child?' he says.
Z ~ wish that i dare let her die"
mt he dares not. He does all he q
.Srs,stng me back from the shadow
~. to keep me alive, that Tomorrow
.0usauds may look on In the bfisnt
Sunlight and see me Gle.
Slowly under his skill and care my
cves open and the blood stirs in my
as;eins. / read the very yearning OF
nit,. In the doctors eyes. The sound
*. u S.1,a hsmamer with its mighty muf-
90 iIows IL more clear and distinct.
! a.4as. his arm
sncn.a1n = o,v .sand me where r.
DocloI, 100, 70 hear that noisev'
IN; 4 scanaI t.esn mo With a croan:
Iie Iulns a n,oa ~ save
anG lns sosa, 49, soaws ,,ts cell. Try
1ou ear y uroo;ntb VansS
I ngs l0 lsa. - - ~. Tho s,ln has long
80 n0u.s us,ls axa surely resting,
slnce ~, ~ Asu fast as,een: the great