Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-12-21
The Christmas

season was busy and responsible one
with him. for he chose that time to
investigate thoroughly the criminal rec
o1ds of the state and pardon such pris-
oncrs as good conduct or eXtenuating
circumstances placed within the pale
Of executive clemency.
II questioned as to his selection of
She holiday season for the exercise of
the benign prerogative" he was wont
so answer: ooh, I may be helping to
turn the tide in the soul of some Paul,
and I have a 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
IL 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
to stumble, and he saw curious-look-
ing bundle in brown paper. clumsily
tied with a coarse twine string, lying on
she floor at his feet.
He remembered the clerks having
'znentioned q package from the state
prison-this must be it-and pushed
1t impatlently to one side; but as he
did so something in the cofin-shaped
outlines made him stoop and tear away
q part of the cover.
He found, to his amaze;ment, 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,
out never one in shape like this.
petaching the note from it's fasten-
7ngs. he crossed the room to the win
dow. and by the waning light of the
winters day deciphered the following
i)literate text:
'"ro the Guvner: They tel me tibet yer
Hart gi+s tenderfto Prisners at chrismus
tire ard YOU listens to what they has to
saw. I've ben Hear 20 years fer KILN man
and I've ben Sorry eyry day sence done
it. I vas a hot headed Boy wv % and the
man called pap Liar and sed things agin
nam. I couldn't noways stand tibet and
elocked him down. he was a pale sickly
completed tender foot and he never got
up agin I never ment 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 Trial but jes put me in Hear fer
Life. his folks was rich and mine was pore
and couldn't pay no layer. pap is gone
blind and nam is old and they amt got no.
body to look after EN- but Josef. Josef
q hot Woo ornir3 to oI,o
left her home when they sent me Hear and
went to look after the old Folks sames they
was hern. ef could git back to JOSEF:
md the old folks and the mountins 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 a Fid-
Ole talk til the Children puts down their
Playthings and follers yer. Gunner sends
you mine along Nv this what made when
I. was Boy back in the mountins, the
sames I koted my gal with and played fer
mann and pap round the fire sunday evnins.
shes aged along with me but she KEEP her
voice sweet and stiddy VT.
Take her Gunner and set down by your
self in the still Nv the evnin and let her
talk to you fer me. I ANT afeerd shell fer
git Iuthin. the old Home on the side NV
the mountin and nam and pap and Josef
d settin thar and waitin these 20 years fer
the Boy they wouldn't let go their holt Nv
nor quit luvin no matter what he did. No
shell not fergit nuthin. she's too much like
them Wimmen shell be tellin you about
seems like she knows things as well as do.
Draps cause she's ben lyin agin my Hart so
long. and If she cant tell you nuthin Guv-
ner let her talk to yer Wife. It's about
Wimmen, shell tel you mostly. Wimmen
and Sorrer And Wimnen is quickern men
to understans them things. =
That's all. its TUX met3 weel1s to rite
this letter. Goodby. God go with the old
F1odie and help her tel it strate.
"ABNER HILL"
When the governor turned away from
the window there was a look on his
face that few had ever seen there except
his wife. T.. =
He lifted the violin carefully from
the floor, tore away its wrappings and
looked at it long and curiously. twas
roughly made Of native pine and maple
and vanished with the homemade var
n1sh Of the mountains, but the strings
gave back the true ,viol tone, clear and
ringing. .* 2 d e. ...
Bringing his chair closer to the crate.