River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-07-24

ed in reaching Chicago, and there in
an old paper, read the story of my
crime and learned that a two-thou-
sand dollar reward was offered.
Three years ago | met Miss Hall,
and the thought of her would have
kept me straight, had all else failed
Yes met, and loved her-loved
her with love which thought no.
thing Of the great gulf which sep
arates criminal and an angel of
mercy. [ even ventured to look
forward to the time, when that great
gulf might in some way be bridged
when | would dare to tell her of
my love. But her mother, like the
rest of the well-behaved world, does
not believe in the redemption of a
criminal. Once outside the pale OF
man-made law, forever there"
Again he stopped and wiped away
the tears before he could continue.
"And now Irene is sick unto death
and her mother cannot afford the
help ola trained nurse. Miss Land
less, [ am worth, in a court of JUS
tice, two-thousand dollars"
| could sit still no longer, SO got
up and walked to the window, where
after few moments I turned and
asked, "What can I do, to help?''
"Give me up to the authorities,
and make sure you get the reward
for the woman whom | love more
than my own life. [ do not care to
have her know. VIII you not do
this for Irene, if not for me?"
| walked back to the desk and sat
down.
After few moments | said, s'Mr.
Ward, | know who paid the mort
gage on Widow Ryan's home,-I
know who sent Harry Clark to the
hospital and paid hundreds of dollars
for his ultimate recovery know
who started John Strong in business,
and made a man of him when he
was in the gutter, and l know who,
for months, has been sending Mrs.
Hall monthly allowance marked
"from a friend" You did not mean
any one should know. 0 Jack! you
cannot mean for me to send you to
the penitentiary for life and possibly
DEATH"
eyes, mean Just that"
He was calm and his very calm
ness must have inspired me, for
otherwise, never could have Civ
en- him my reply: 81 will keep my
promise"
81 thank you, my name is Clarence
Williams"
In less than two months Clarence
Williams was behind the penitentia-
ry bars under Imprisonment for life ;
and Mrs. Hall received a check for
two-t Thousand dollars.
From the day Mr.. Ward was
taken west Irene rapidly failed and
during her delirium she talked con-
stantly of Jack and her love for him.
One morning she asked for me,
and as I took the chair beside her,
she inquired, "Did you cause the
arrest of Mr.. Ward?"
Eyes, Irene, he gave his life that
you might live.'
"And you woman! He is a good
man. He has done so much to help
us-in thousand little ways that
only a good man ever thinks of.
You are wrong, cruelty wrong"
She got no farther for outraged ma
ture gave way and she sank into a
delirium from which the physicians
said, only Mr.. Ward could ever
rouse her. =
When | finished telling the Cover
nor Of Montana my story, he sat
silent for several moments. Then
he said, eff you call that man a
criminal, maylGod have mercy on
the so-called Christians"
Twenty-fours hours later Clarence
Williams had been pardoned.
Nowords can picture the sadness
of that return; for as we neared the
house, my companion exclaimed as
that Grape on the door,"
Irene was dead and her1ast words
were: "Send back the check"
JANICE BELL.