The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-08-12

hap, 1iness and usefulness.
" Poor mani thou canst not hold the
flowers L did gather for thee Poor
mani"
"Nay, little one" answered Fairfax
with a smile sadder than tears, ono
more flowers for me in this world; but
thank thee none the less for thy kind
Intention Small as was the act, it
shed a glow over Fairfaxs downcast
heart and till its last beat came pic
ture of that childish hand outstretched
with its bunch of flowers. 1t was
strange how now in his great stress of
mind he noted every blossom and
singled out the white violet, the wood
anemone and the hanging crimson bell
of the columbine.
1t was nine O'Clock, and the sun al
ready waxing hot, when Bryan Fairfax
took his stand upon the scaffold, the
cruel rope about his neck, that he
might experience for three mortal
hours the full foretaste of the death
agony.
In full sight from the scaffold, in the
center of the village green, stood the
dial; and from where he stood Fairfax
could watch the shadow creep along,
and to him it was like the shadow of
death cast by the sun of eternity.
Strange to say, he had no wish to stay
it, but would fain have fastened it
rather in kind of mad Impotence to
be done with it all and learn the worst
that life Cor death) had in store for
him.
Yet one thought ran under and
through all his feelings. Penelope!
poor Penelopel"
The shadow of the dial marked ten.
A strange, trance-like feeling had
stolen over him. He seemed to be but
one of the crowd around the scaffold,
and TO see himself as stranger stand
ing there uplifted in ignominy. He
listened then with scarce a thrill of
emotion to the murmurs of sympathy
which ran through the throng of BY
ISLANDERS, mostly women.
How handsome he isl''
"And so youngp
cay, and his poor sweetheart gone
to fetch the kings pardon. Poor thing,
she'll go mad when she finds she is
come too late, and maybe kill herself"
"Then Berkeley will have the blood
of two on his head, for tits sheer MUIR
der"
"The blood of two! Say rather of
two hundred,-and none knows whose
turn will come next. l would the king
were here to see what things be done
in his name"
TIC all this Fairfax listened as calmly
h. ha1 ;nt &c a
moment in the discourse, may, all his
senses seemed quickened beyond the
natural. He noted the dignltaries on
the platform,-that Sir John Berry
wore a new sword belt, that Philip Lud.
well had grown a mustachio, and that
Governor Berkeley's eyes were shot
with blood, which was not so aforetime
The shadow on the dial marked
eleven.
Colonel Payne paced up and down
like Gagged lion, his eye fixed in turn
upon the boat in the river and the men
on the shore, watching, watching for
the red flag which was to be the signal
of an approaching vessel. Would il
never come! All, what bitter irony
should it come but one hour too late
Despair had settled black on Payne's
soul, yet still he sought to cheer the
other, bidding him be of good courage
for while there was life there was hope
But like running comment of mock
cry on his words were the pre- operations
going on around, the hangman making
ready and testing the strength of the
| beam.
Now there crept over Fairfax 9
sharp, pricking sense that this was in.
deed the last of earth. He strove tC
give up his heart wholly to God, and tC
shut out all thoughts and affections OF
this world; but spite of his intensest eff
fort, God seemed shadowy, strange anG
far away, and every pulsation of his
being throbbed with one word, one
thought: " Penelopel Penelope! Pc,
nelopel"
The shadow on the dial marked the
hal hour.
The moments slid away. A silence
| fell on the crowd like the calm which
goes before the storm. The air was
electric with feeling.
"Harkp
" Heard We aught?"
Gay, of truth, methought l caught
the sound of flying hoofs on yondel
bridge"
" See, see--'tis woman who ridesp
what if 'twere-"
Nay! Nay! 1t could ia be-"
" Yea, swear It's shell"
While these breathless whispers were
running from mouth to mouth in the
crowd, Bryan Fairfax stood with fxeC
and CLASSY eyes upon the scaffold. 81
absorbed was his soul in the thought OF
Penelope that it was scarcely with sur
prise that his mind conjured up the
vision of her form on horseback, as ht
had seen her that day of their ride t.
this very spot; but now she was flying
like some wild sister of the wind W
J tie street. and her horse WAS tremhlino