The herald., 1893-07-16
"A POINT OF HONOR.


There was commotion in Scratch
Hravel, Wy, on the morning Of June
bs, 1875. Jack Langworthy, local
pelebrity, had killed tenderfoot from
Pennsylvania, and there was naturally
some curiosity, If not to say excitement,
over the affair. The circumstances OF
the case were about like this: Jack and
the Pennsylvania were having little
game Of cards, when the former noticed
. slight deception on the part OF his ad-
versary in the way Of dealing himself
from one to four cards too many and
concealing 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-
foot's" head. The ball passed diagonally
through the head from the base Of the
left ear, and ranging downward mado
hnal entrance into the side of a whisky
q barrel which stood in one corner of the
Dom.
you'll lose some Of yer whisky If you
lon't regulate the hole I've just made in
that ERE barrel" quietly remarked Jack
10 the proprietor of the place, adding
parenthetically, land it's good liquor
boo."
As for the "tenderfoot"- he was
Head.
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 be was ar
raigned for the murder and pleaded
guilty. The Judge sentenced him to be
hanged. Then Jack made a speech
Among other things he said:
II killed the man, 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 tho
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 /
think-I think, by mighty I'll have to
tell you can't stand it. You see, the
twins are boys--both boys-and they are
rattlin pair an no mistake. l alters
reckoned on the twins mounting to
something in the world, but If their fa-
ther is to be hanged-that settles it.
What would the twins ever amount to
then? Now, if could go some other
way, it wouldn't look SO bad-the twins
might pull throughput to be strung up
like common thief, it would be a weight
on them ere twins that 'ud keep 'em
down forever. So you see it amt for
myself that l care-not fer me and not
fer Sally so much, either, although do
kinder like the old gal-but the twins.
Well, it breaks me all up to think of
leaving 'em, it does for certain fact.
Jedge, when will the performance take
rlcCho unIui Uu.----
y Ine 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, 1--WE amt goin to be mean enough
to lock you up, not you-it wouldn't be
right-not with an honorable man like
you. It amt 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-
ton, 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 ill be an auctioneer
or bank president. and the other a
steamboat captain-who knowss Them
boys are smart"
It was the month Of June. Wonder
fully bright the sun shone, wonderfully
sweet the birds sung, wonderfully gray
and bare and cold were the distant
mountains. 1t seemed to Jack that all
creation was smiling over his misfortune
and hooking him for coward who was
afraid to die.
One evening, just week prior to the
date fixed for his execution, he seated
himself on bowlder 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 matterf"
Jack put the child down rather rough
ly, and remarking as he brushed his
eyes that the "buys war mighty trouble
some that evening" he walked into the
house.
The 10th of July arrived. In tho
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 co." said Jack, half
apologetically, "cf it wasn't fer tho
twins. You see, I've sort O. banked on
them twins fer long while. l reckon
thar'll be good turnout at the gallus,
Bill"
sYou wouldn't slip away, would you,
DackY finally whispered Bill, with a
kfro n eyo 1{cybt IL, bia oxyoo