Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-04-17
that time, It Being used for felons, While


that time, 1t being used for felons, while
Ludgate was for debtors. Here he was
thrown into an underground dungeon
foul with water that seepcd through
the old masonry from the moat and
alive with very noisomc thing that
creeps. There was no bed. no stool. no
floor. not even II wisp of straw; sim
ply the reekinC stone walls covered
with fungus. and the windowless arch
overhead. One could hardly conceive
4 more horrible place in Which to spend
even a moment | had Il glimpse of it
by the light of the Keepers lantern as
they put him in. and it seemed to me II
single night in that awful place would
have killed me or driven me mad. |
protested and begged and tried to bride,
but it was all of no avail The bceper
had been bribed before | arrived. Al
though it could do no possible good, l
was glad to stand outside the prison
walls in the drenching rain all the rest
Of that wretched night that | might be
as near as possible TO my friend and
suffer little with him.
AS soon as the prison gates were
opened next morning ! again impor-
tuned the keeper to give Brandon a
more comfortable cell, but his reply
was that such crimes had of late be-
come so frequent in London that no ia
vor could be shown those who commit
ted them, and that men like Brandon,
who ought to know and act better, de-
served the maximum punishment.
told him he was wrong in this case;
that l knew the facts, and everything
would be clearly explained that very
day and Brandon released.
"That's all very WELL" responded the
stubborn creature. Nobody is guilty
who comes here. They can every one
prove innocence clearly and at once.
Notwithstanding, they nearly all hang
and frequently, for varietys sake, are
drawn and quartered.
l waited about Newgate until 0
o'clock and as l passed out met Buck
ingham and his man Johnson, a sort of
lawyer-knight, going in. | went down
to the palace at Greenwich and. finding
that the girls were still at Scotland
palace, rode over at once to see them.
Upon getting Mary and Jane to my
self l told them of Brandon's arrest
on the charge of murder and of his
condition, lying half dead from wounds
and loss of blood in that frightful
dungeon. The tale moved them great
ly, and they both gave way to tears. l
think Mary had heard of the arrest
before, as she did not seem surprised.
"Do you think he will tell the cause
of the killin~?" she asked
81 know he will not" | answered,
but | also know that he knows you
will" And | looked straight into her
face.
"Certainly we WILL" said Jane. eve
will 20 to the king at once" And she
was on the qui vive to start immedi-
ately.
Mary did not at once consent to
James proposition. but sat in Il reverie
looking with fearful eyes into vacancy
apparently absorbed in thought. Aft
or a little pressing from US she said
II suppose it will have to be DONE
can see no other way-but blessed
Mother Mary. help me-"
The girls made hasty preparations
and we all started back to Green
witch, that Mary might tell the king
On the road over | stopped at Newgatt
to tell Brandon that the princess would
soon have him out. knowing how wei
come liberty would be at her hands
but ! was not permitted to see him.
/ swallowed my disappointment an(
thought it would be only matter o.
few hours delay, the time spent IL
riding down to Greenwich and sending
back messenger. SO, light hearted
enough at the prospect, l soon joined
the girls, and we cantered brisk.
home.
After waiting a reasonable time 70
Mary to see the king | sought he
again to learn where and from whom
| should receive the order for Bran
don's release and when | should go t.
London to bring him.
What was my surprise and DISCUS
when Mary told me she had not We
seen the king; that she had waited t
"eat and battle and dress" and tina
"a few moments more or less coul'
make no difference"
"My God. your highness. Did | no
tell you that the man who saved you
VIII A1B ul