Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-12-23


It was late in the afternoon. Her
maid had not been able to drag her
from the terrace whence she had view
Of the ship on which her lover was to
b. eXecuted-murdered she said. As
she gazed upon II she noticed two men I
climbing nimbly up the black shrouds ,
about the foremost. when they reach
ed the foreyard they ran out on the
yardarm. One of them carried some
thing. A rope was dragging from II.
IT, obedience to an imperious command |
her maid ran and fetched her glass.
One look through ii showed her-she +
was a sailors ward-that they we're
rigging a whip on the yardarm, they +,
were securing there a girtline block !,
through which a rope was rove leading !
10 the top thence to the deck. She di-
vined at once its hideOus purpose. The |
hour, The hour, Had II grown So
late? Was 1t so near, so near? Was |
there God in that blue heaven bend |
ing above her head? Could such |
things be?
A sick feeling came over her heart, |
and she would have tainted but for a
sudden inspiration. Again she seized
the IclCsl Ope-an unusually strong
enc. by the way-and, raising 1t to her
eyes with unsteady hand, eagerly swept
the sea on in the direction Of Flambor-
.Uugh head, rising family down to the
southwark, long distance away. For
Il t,...
hands could not get that part of the
horizon in focus. She finally knelt
uOwn and rested the tube upon the
parapet, breathing a prayer as she did
50, and looked again.
All! At last she had Il. and there
swept into the field OF vision three
CLEANS of white ON the sky line pro-
claiming. even 10 her Impractical eye,
the sails Of ships. What had that in
domitabe man said 10 her last night
in the nall?
Delay the execution for at least six
hours, and | will save him" He was
not one to promise lightly. She would
try again. The telescope fell with q
crash at her feet.
She would make one more appeal to
the admiral. 1t was late, but there
might yet be time. On the instant she
turned leaving the startled maid, and
ran like a fleet footed fawn along the
terrace, down the stone steps through
the water battery, through the bailey,
into the inner court, down the long
passage and into the great hall of the
night before, where the admiral was
usually to be found at this hour. She
dashed impetuOusly into the room, cry
ing:
The admiral, quick! Where Is he?"
"Ships has been reported down at
Bridlin'ton bay-furrin ships, yer led
dyship," replied the old sergeant, who
happened to be there alone, an his
ludship took horse about half past II
o'clock to ~ down there"
Failure. Her last hope gone! She
sank down into the chair. Reaction
had come. II was over! The sergeant
started toward her, his face full Of
pity She was sitting in the admiral's
chair by the great table. Her glance
fell listIessly upon il. At the moment
another IDEA flashed into her mind.
Desperate, foolish, nevertheless she
would try it-try anything, This at
least was action. She started to her
feet again on the instant instinct with
life.
Leave me at once and see that no
one interrupts me. wish TO be
alone" she said imperiousiy to the as
,unished sergeant, who bowed respect
fully and withdrew. Half an hour
later she came hurriedly out OF the
room, white faced drawn, nerved up
10 desperate endeavor.
How he got through the night O'Nein
never knew, The court martial in the
morning had taken little time, Its
sentence, foregone conclusion
promptly approved by the admiral,
had been death by hanging at halt
after O'Clock that night He had re-
fused to give any further parole in the
faint hope that something might ena-
BILE him 10 escape, and consequently
had been heavily ironed and placed in
confinement in the space between two
of the great guns on the lower gun
deCk-the Scraps was a double banked
irigate-on the starboard side. The
| furethOught Of Coventry. who had at
! tended him with tie sOlicitude and
| Kindness OF a brother and had pleaded
for him unayuiiiHgIy before the court,
Il q