Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-12-23


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
10 answer: ooh, l 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
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
to stumble, and he saw a curious-look-
ing bundle in brown paper. clumsily
tied with coarse Irvine string. lying on
the floor at his feet.
He remembered the clerks having
mentioned a package from the state
prison-this must be it-and pushed
it impatently to one side; but as he
did so something in the coffin-shaped
outlines made him stoop and tear away
part of the cover.
He found. to his amaZement a violin,
and appended to it a 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 Ifuvner: They tel me tibet yer
Hart gifts tender to PrIsners at chrismus
time and you listens to what they has to
say. I've ben Hear 20 years fer KILN man
and I've ben Sorry evry day sence done
1t. 1 was hot headed Boy NV % and the
man called pap Liar and sed things agin
mann. / couldn't noways stand tibet and
nocked him down. he was a pale sickly
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
ana couldn't pay no Lawyer. pap is gone
blind and mann IS old and they amt got no
body to look after EN- but Josef. Josef
Is the gal tibet 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 Josef
and 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 Fid-
die talk til the Children puts down their
Playthings and follers yer Gunner sends
you mine along Nv this what made when
L was a Boy back in the mountns the
sames 1 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 yit
Take her Gunner and set down by your
seif IN the still NV the evnin and let her
talk to you fer me. aint afeerd shell fer
git nuthin, the old Home on the side NV
the mountin and mann and pap and josef
a settin thar and waitin these 20 years fer
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 ike she knows things as well as do.
praps cause shes ben lyin agin r1y Hart so
long and If she cant tell you nuthin Guv-
ner let her talk to yer Wife. It's about
Wimnen shell tel you mostly. wimmen
and Sorrer. And Wimmen is ouickern men
to understan them things
That's all. its TUX me weeks to rite
this letter. Goodby. God go with the old
Fiddle and help her tel 1t 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.
He lifted the violin carefully from
the moor, tore away its wrappings and
iooked at 1T long and curiously. It was
roughly made of native pine and maple
ana vanished with the homemade var
nish or the mountains, but the strings
gave back the true VOL tone. clear and
ringing.
Bringing his chair closer TO the CRATE,