Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-02-10

aees which comprise the remaining svo
years Of his term. He had but inst
dropped or into a alf-sleeping condi.
tion when his cell door opened. and in.
stead Of the hard face Of the wardsr
come to tell him TO tidy mp he saw the
Governor and chaplain. with the ward.
er In the background.
What could II mean1 He sprang mn.
rubbing his eyes, and almost before he
knew what was happening the Cover.
nor had told him In q few worda that
ne mad received the Queens pardon.
ana then proceeded to read the same.
what did 1t all mean? No other thought
germinated in his dull brain. Free.
Free to go where he willed. Free to
walk out Of the saoi gates. Never to
return within the stone walls which
had shut him In from the outside world,
an surely as though no world other
than that contained within them exist.
ed The prison bell changed, startling
him Into q state Of wakefulness. The
Governor had finished reading the Of.
hcial-looking paper. and with the con.
clusion Of the formal part Of his duty he
added a few words Of congratulation
Harborde seemed to have no compre-
hension Of their meaning. He remain.
ed standing in the center Of the narrow
cell speechless. At last the chaplain
made him understand the import Of the
document which had Just been read
over to him
Free! Free! 1t is impossible" he ex.
claimed. and then he threw himself on
the bed in an agony Of Joy The clans
ing of the bell afresh, the slamming O;
doors. the echoing of footsteps down
the resounding corridors recalled him
to sense of his position A warder
entered with a suit of clothes. With
trembling fingers he removed his prison
garb; worn, soiled with weather and
labor. and fntolerable. The trousers
felt chilly after the thick prison tight
fitting knickerbockers ard rough, thick
worsted stockings. The coat seemed te
At him nowhere. With one look around
his cell. on the walls of which he had
done innumerable calculations to keeI
himself from insanity bred by the ter
rible silence nd sense of loneliness, mo
a." now NO longer a mere figure, a ma
chine. but a human being, stepped into
the corridor.
There was a breakfast for him such
as he had not tasted for nine long years
but he had no appetite. The one idea
now possessing his mind was home
escape whilst the Governor was willing
for him to depart He swallowed q
farx- fr,1,
cocoa, and then with the allowance
money in his pocket hurried to the gate
way
He was free. Free to 60 wherever he
liked. Free to start for home as fast
! as steam would carry him. Free to
stretch out his arms to the placid gray.
blue waters of Western Bay, now de.
nuded Of their mantle of fog and spark
ling in the sunshine. Free to breathe
the pure air uncOntaminated by com.
panions criminal and vicious. But the
waters. the hillside, the lovely stretch
OF verdant country extended before his
eyes had no charm for him save that
they spelt freedom. Behind him lay
the prison house, the Flagstaff, from
which no ensign of dread fiuttered tC
tell of his escape. Before him lay free
dom.
He rushed down the road, waving his
arms with the rea wakened instincts OF
a boy escaping from school, obliviou>
alike Of the sympathetic gaze of wo
men he passed and the half contemptu
! GUS remarks Of the men. He dashed
into the bleak, shabby little railway
station, only to learn that there was nc
| train for an hour. Already his limbs
unused to such riotous movement, and
still feeling the lag of the chain, had
begun to fail him, making the half
| jocuIar suggestion of the solitary pOr
ter that he should take a little exer
else and walk to Weymouth" out Of the
/ question.
III have to wait" was all he could
/ think of 10 say.
'.Doin' time amt altogether exhiiar
atm nor strengthenin' work" the por
ter remarked.
! Harborde nodded his head. yet longet
to tell him that he was an innocent
man. The porter, however, had van
/ ished to return in a few moments will
a paper.
Here, mate" he exclaimed will
rough kindness "You won't know al
Yesterdays news, I'll go bail"
| Harborde seized the paper. No, h
knew nothing of yesterdays news, nol
/ that of thousands Of days which hat
once been yesterday. He could SCI
nothing at first. The print swan in {
confused tumble before his eyes. Wher
his sight clea red he commenced to read
How strange 1t all was! He used to bt
a great reader before he became NO
! 27" And now he seemed to know moth
ing of the world. New names confront
ed him everywhere. Names OF thos'
4 In authority, names of towns. name:
even OF countries. Where was Mashona
land and Matabeland? He was con
fused. He read on. This delicious new
found turmoil OF the world, how good /
was after all.
At last his eye caught a small para
graph slowed away at the bottom o
the third column on page Six or th'
paper. He read it and reread 1t owe
and over again: Her Majesty tn
| Queen has been graciously pleased Il
pardon Thomas Harborde, who wa
convicted of forgery at the Westches
ter assizes some ten years ago and i
now completing his sentence of fifteel
years penal servitude at Portland
Harborde will be released this morn
ing. The step has been taken In conse
ouence of the dying confession Of mai
at Bristol" Nothing more! Now b
knew why he had been released. Ant
SO death had taken Edward Tiiwel
out of the hands of Justice 1t wa
hardly fair Of death.
The porter came up whistiing to tel
him the train would start in ten min
utes. He got up, thrust the paper int
the mans hands. pointing to the para
graph.
That's me"
l..Nv