Connecticut western news., 1893-08-31
A POINT OF HONOR.

from one to four cards too many and conoealing them in his coat sleeve.
 "Sich proceedings are entirely foreign to the customs of this yer camp" finally remarked Langworthy, and at the same time sent pistol shot into the tender foots" head. The ball passed diagonally through the head from the base of the left ear, and ranging downward made a final entrance into the side of whisky barrel which stood in one corner of the room.
 You'll lose some of yer whisky if you don't regulate the hole I've just made in that ere barrel" quietly remarked Jack to the proprietor of the place, adding parenthetically, "and it's good liquor too"
 AS for the "tenderfoot"- he was dead.
 The rude law of Scratch Gravel took cognizance of this fact and also of the manner of his death, and Jack was ar rested. A few weeks later he was ar raigned for the murder and pleaded guilty. The judge sentenced him to be hanged. Then Jack made 8 speech Among other things he said:
 ''I killed the man, I know, and perhaps it's fair enough that I should die too. Leastwise I don't set up my judgment agin that of the court. The laws of Scratch Gravel should be enforced, but just now Pm sort O sorry the enforce ment Is necessary. The deal is hard one, and the worst of it all is that the roughness Is not agin me alone-oh, no, not agin me, but Sally and the twins. don't care for myself-just as soon go as not-but when think of the twins I think-I think, by mightyl I'll have to tell you I can't standsit. You see, the twins are boys-both boys-and they are a rattl1n pair an no mistake. I alters reckoned on the twins mounting to something in the world, but if their fa- ther is to be hanged-that settles 1t. What would the twins ever amount to thenp Now, if I could go some other way, 1t wouldn't look so bad-the twins might pull throughput to be strung up like common thief, 1t would be weight on them 'ege twins that 'ud keep lem down forever. So you see it ain't for myself that care-not fer me and not fer Sally so much, either, although do kinder like the old gal-but the twins. We'll, it breaks me all up to think of leaving lem, 1t does for a certain fact. Jedge, when will the performance take placer
 The unfortunate man was informed that the 10th of July was the date fixed for his execution, and that he should make preparations to be on hand at that time punctually so as not to delay the proceedings. .-.....
 "You see, Jack" said the judge famil- iarly, i've ain't goin to be mean enough to lock you up, not you-it wouldn't be right-not with an honorable man like you. It ain't fer any dislike fer you or bad feeling that we're going to hang you, Jack, but it's the law, you know, the law. So you'll make it point of honor, Jack, to be on hand when the time comes."
 For the next week Jack staid about home pretty much all the time Occa- sionally some of his friends would drop In to ask about his health and the health of the twins. The slightest mention of the latter would set his tongue In mo- tion, and somehow he seemed to think there were no other children in the world worth talking about.
 They'll pull way ahead of their old dad in few years," he had often said. Maybe one of 'em i'll be an auctioneer or bank president, and the other & steamboat captain-who knows? Them boys are smart"
 It was the month of June, Wonder l fully bright the sun shone, wonderfully sweet the birds sung, wonderfully gray and bare and cold were the distant mountains. It seemed to Jack that all creation was smiling over his misfortune and mocking him for coward who was afraid to die.
 One evening, just week prior to the date fixed for his execution, he seated himself on powder near his cabin door and took the twins in his arms. They were little fellows and climbed all over him. One of them got his little brown arm around the paternal neck and pulled | the grizzly hair and beard with his chub- by fingers. Then looking into the up- turned face he said sorrowfully: "There's wasser in your eyes, dad. | What'yr matterr'
 Jack put the child down rather rough l ly, and remarking as he brushed his | eyes that the ''bugs war mighty trouble | some that evening" he walked into the house.
 The 10th of July arrived. In the
 morning, quite early, Bill Drake, an old
 time friend of Jacks, came to see him.
 "Seems like thar ought to be some way to get out of this," remarked Bill. "Pd just as soon go," said Jack, half
 apologetically, "ef it wasn't fer the twins. You see, I've sort O banked on I them twins fer long while. I reckon thar'u be good turnout at the gallus,
 Bsll"
 JackT' finally whispered Bill, with a
 strange light in his eyes.
 | Jack reached for his revolver. | "I don't want to shoot you, Bill," he
 said fercely, "but I'll do 1t, sur, If ye repeat that insult. Thought ye knew | me better than that. I'm ashamed of ye,"
 "But ye don't understand mew ex- claimed Bill excitedly. "Listenl The | jedge sentenced ye to be hanged the 10th of July, but he forgot to name the year!
 The 10th of July 10 years from now will
 do, or longer. He only said the 10th ot
 "But he meant today" said Jack,
 trembling in every limb.
 | "But he didn't say it. You may suit | your own convenience about the year,
 Jack, fer yer own sake and fer the sake of the twins, skip"
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