The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-12-22

season was busy and responsible one
with him, for he chose that time to
Investigate thoroughly the criminal rec
ords of the state and pardon such pris-
oners as good conduct or eXtenuating
circumstances placed within the pale
of executive clemency.
If questioned as to his selection of
the holiday season for the exercise of
the "benign prerogative" he was wont
to answer: "0h, may be helping to
turn the tide in the soul of some Paul,
and have fancy to do it when peace
and good will are most likely to be at
the flood; that is ALL"
Whether this were all, and it were not
IN response to some deeper sentiment
those who knew him best alone could
say.
Tonight, as he looked at the piles of
mail matter on his desk yet to be dis
posed of, he pushed back his chair with
a smothered groan and started to the
door, moved by wild impulse to get
outside and turn the key on it all
An obstruction in his path caused him
70 stumble, and he saw curious-look-
ing bundle in brown paper, clumsily
tied with coarse twine string, lying on
the floor at his feet.
he remembered the clerks having
mentioned package from the state
prison-this must be it-and pushed
1t impatiently to one side; but as he
did so something in the cofinshaped
outlines made him stoop and tear away
a part of the cover.
He found, to his amazement, violin,
and appended to it soiled pencil-writ-
ten note, evidently an appeal of some
kind.
Curiosity conquered fatigue. He had
handled many and various petitions,
but never one in shape like this.
Detaching the note from its fasten-
ings, he crossed the room to the win
dow, and by the waning light of the
winters day deciphered the following
illiterate text:
ITO the Guvner: They tel me thet yer
Hart gifts tender to Prisners at chrismus
time and you listens to what they has to
say. I've ben Hear % years fer KILN man
and I've ben Sorry evry day sence I done
It. I was hot headed Boy NV % and the
man called pap a Liar and sed things agn
nam. I couldn't noways stand thet and
nocked him down. he was a pale sickly
completed tender foot and he never got
up agin. I never rient to kill him but my
fist was hevy and sum mad thing inside Nv
me sicked me on. they never give me no
sort Nv a Trial but jes put me in Hear fer
Life. his folks was rich and mine was pore
and couldn't pay no Lawyer. pap Is gone
blind and nam is old and they amt got no.
body to look after EN- but Joseel. Joseel
is the gal thet was goin to marry me. she
left her home when they sent me Hear and
went to look after the old Folks sames they
was hern. eff I could git back to Joseel
and the old folks and the mountns Ide
never lif my han agin no man agen ceptin
twas to help him so help me God.
"They tel me as how you kin make Fid-
die talk til the Children puts down their
Playthings and follers yer. Guvner sends
you mine along NV this what made when
was a Boy back in the mountins, the
sames koted my gal with and played fer
nam and pap round the fire sunday evnins
shes aged along with me but she KEEP her
voice sweet and stiddy yit.
Take her Guvner and set down by your.
self In the still NV the evnin and let hel
talk to you fer me. / aint afeerd shell fer
git nuthin, the old Home on the side uN
the mountin and nam and pap and Josee
a settin thar and waitin these 20 years fel
the Boy they wouldn't let go their holt u'
nor quit luVin no matter what he did. M
shell not fergit nuthin, she's too much lik,
them Wimmen shell be tellin you about
seems like she knows things as well as do
praps cause shes ben lyln agin my Hart S,
long. and If she cant tell you nuthin GUY
ner let her talk to yer Wife. Its abou
Wimmen shell tel you mostly. WINNER
and Sorrer. And Wimmen Is Quickern mel
to understan them things.
That's all. its TUX me weeks to rit
this letter Goodby. God go with the oil
Fiddle and help her tel 1t strate
"ABNER HILL"
When the governor turned away fror
the window there was a look on hi
face that few had ever seen there excep
his wife.
He lifted the violin carefully fror
the floor, tore away its wrappings an
looked at it long and curiously. 1t wa
roughly made Of native pine and mapl
and vanished with the homemade val
nish Of the mountains, but the string
gave back the true viol tone, clear an
ringing.
Bringing bis chair closer to the graf