The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-01-25
CHAPTER v.-TCoNr1NUED.


thrill of surprise in any one who lis
tened. Lynde himself heard it with
out a single shade of change. His face
grew no paler, he did not drop his calm
eye from the face of his condemning
judge for a moment. He had expected
it and was strong to bear it.
But they carried Agnes Trenholme
out in dead faint-for just before the
final rendering of the verdict she had
crept inside the door, and stood there
unobserved. And it was weeks before
she came to herself one cold morning
in December, when the snow lay thick
ly without, and the wild winds hoWled
dismally around the old house on the
Rock.
The second day after her return to
consciousness they had to tell her all
that had transpired. Lynde Graham
had been remanded to prison for six
days, at the end of which time he was
again taken before his judge, and there
received the sentence of death. He
was to die by the hand of the execu-
toner on the 25th day of December, be-
tween the hours of ten and two.
It was now the tenth of December,
still fifteen days to his death. Agnes
astonished every one by the rapidity
with which she gained strength. On the
fifteenth of the month she went below
stairs, and ten days afterward she
took short walk. On the morning of
the eighteenth she came into the sit
ting-room clad in her riding-habit.
Ralph and her mother both looked up
at her in amazement The calm reso-
luton on her white face told them both
that she was resolved on something
from which nothing could turn her.
Mother, Ralph" she said, in a clear
voice, 81 am going to beg for the life
of Lynde Graham. No, you need not
utter one word, for warn you it will
fall upon a deaf ear. No authority shall
keep me from saving an innocent
MANI
Agnes" said Mrs. Trenholme, 81 do
not comprehend your strange interest
in this bastard son of a rude fisher
man
Mother" she replied, 81 love him,
and | know him to be guiltless. 1t
would have been impossible for hands
so pure as his to have done this wicked
thing!'
Agnes said Ralph, sternly, ere
member you are speaking of muir
dererr'
II am speaking of an innocent man.
q u;
something tells me I shall-you will
thank God that your revenge was not
accomplished in the death of one guilt
less as yourself. I am going to Gov
ernor Fulton. He is a just mana
Christian, am told. He holds the
pardoning power, and he shall save for
me the life of Lynde Grahamw
Ralph rose from his chair, his face
wrought upon by the excess of passion
within
Agnes" he said, with terrible en-
phasis, "I might lay the iron hand of
authority upon you and force you to
give up this mad scheme. But that [
will not do. I leave you free. But so
surely as you do this thing, I cast you
off! You are no sister of mine! And
mind you this-never come back to dis
grace with your footsteps the thresh-
old of dishonored homer
She heard him through without the
change of a muscle, and when he had
finished she bowed in sad submission.
$50 be it. I will never come back
until you bid me. Goodbye
She passed out into the hall. Mrs
Trenholme sprang up to detain her, but
Ralph laid his strong hands on her
arm.
Mother, she has chosen. Remember
she has disgraced us foreverr'
But she is my child! o, Ralph!
this accursed pride!'
ct will help us through" he said,
hoarsely. "God knows what would be-
come of me without itr'
Agnes went out to the stables, sad
died her own horse Jove, and springing
into the saddle, took the road to Madi-
son, the residence of Governor Fulton
Madison was distant nearly 200 miles,
and much of the way lay through the
WOOUlduu VI a OpeI1 oO4S -OCCCAOu ODunIl y.
But of this Agnes never thought Her
sole aim was to reach the place III sea-
son to get a reprive back to Portlea
before the twenty-ffth. And she had
little more than seven days in which
to accomplish it. Her horse was a