The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-04-27
Give us a letter to the judge, thcn,"
% ID SnnShirn 81 nrl ilu

"Givo us a letter to the judge, then,''
said Sunshine sturdily.
"Good"' said the great man. Good.
Yes, he Is the man you are after"
And he smiled wickedly as he wrote.
" LII the Judge says you may let him
go,' said Sunshine with tremulous
note in her voice, "will you do it p
For the instution of female child
pass .th all knowledge.
"Aha" said the Governor with ap-
parent irrelevancy. And yet it was
pertinent and relevant 1t meant that
| the logic OF the situation had arrived
back, and was with him. He must saw ycs
or admit that he was insinccre. Then
he remembered that u great murder
trial was on, and that even telephone
| message could scarcely make it's way
into the courthouse, SO dense was the
crowd.
Yes" he replied guardedly, eff
the judge says SO | will do something
for Shadow But" he added, pitying
their situation, you cannot see the
Judge for many days yet. Ho is en-
gagged In trying a man for his life !"
Serenely the trio went forth. A
friendly policeman, seeing they bore a
message from the Governor, escorted
them to the courthouse. Every cor
ridor, every foot OF courtroom space
was occupied with excited men, and
the way was blocked. But whisper
ran through the crowd, :" A message
from the Governor,' and they looked
with wonder upon the three dainty
messengers and opened up lane for
them.
Then the sheriff, lifting his hand at
tho entrance to the bar, waited until
the courts gavol fell and said "A
m frn, l.
Governor, your Honor :" And up the
aisle trudged the children, while
strange silence fell upon tho great
throng, and in open contempt of court
they climbed up to the Judge, and pre-
sented their credentials, ali talking
while the bewildcred official read over
the message. a smile dawned upon
his stern face at last and echoed out
through the crowd as his gavcl fell
again.
" Suspend for fifteen minutes" he
said. With the children by his side
he examined thcs record handed up by
his clerk.
Twenty years for grand larceny {:
Well, yes, his sentence is too scvcrc--
too severe, when his youth is remem.
bcrcd :" His pen swept across the
Governors note few times, q path
opened up through the thrOng and
Sunshine, Moonbeam and Starlight,
fading from the scene, left Justice at
work in the chill and the gloom.
Thirty minutes after leaving the Cover.
nor's room they re.entered stormily,
glcefully, and planted their victorious
colors over the citadel and its van
quished custodian. He hcaru their
story amazed and looked with comic
gravity on their flushed faces.
- The S2Duhlican form of Govern.
ment is a failure" he said at length.
The Infantry has uSurped the Elk.
ccutivc and suspcnded!thc Judiciary"
And may we tell Shadow he is
free ," said Sunshine.
" Yes. Let freedom be his Christ
mas present" The child's eyes swan
suddenly in softer light
Write it down for me, please ~
And taking his pen the Chief Exccu-
sweetest, gcntlest public document
that ever issued from Alabama's Capt.
tol
Dear Sunshine-I have looked into
the case of your friend, Shadow from
Crenshaw county, and am inclined to
think that his sentence is too severe.
His term is twenty years from Scptcm-
bcr %, 1893. have about made up my
mind to cut his sentence to less than
One-third. You can let Shadow know
this and save this letter to show if
needed. He had three mighty nice
girls to beg for him and you SEQ | am
giving him of more than four years
for each girl.
" y cur friend,
THE GOVERNOR"
Late that night Sunshine's father
succeeded in getting connection by tele
phone with Wetumpka, and Shadow
was brought into the superintendent
Office.
"Do yon know who this is, Shadow"
The child's voice annihilated space as
it had annihilatcd opposite
Yes, little miss, hits Sunshine at
last ~ How he had waited
We'll, Shadow, the Governor says
you will he free in the morning, and
am so glad = Back over tho wires
came great voice shouting:
"Thank God Thank God Thank
God" And then the SOUND of q falling
telephone trumpet. Sunsl.inc turned
away with her eyes full Of tears. The
city clock rang out clearly through the
night upon the stroke OF twelve. Clap
ping her hands, she cried aloud:
1T Is Christmas ! Shadow is free :"