Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-12-11
CHAPTER XIII.

ne reminds the admiral OF an 0lu
pledge and is allowed to go. He whispers to
Elizabeth TO delay O'NeilIs execution six hours.
CHAPTER XIII.
A DESPERATE MOVE.
GJYHT was morning when Eliza
III beth came again to the ter
q. s,..Si race above the water battery
G.sysS overlooking the harbor. She
had passed a night Of sleepless agony,
and her pallid face. with its haggard
expression. the great black circles un-
der the eyes-for her grief had been
too deep for tears gave outward EVIL
dehce Of her breaking heart. She had
besought the admiral again and again
to stay the execution Of her lover, urg-
ing every plea that the most desperate
mind could suggest. She had implored
his mercy and pity upon every ground,
and upon his memorable refusal had
begged that he might be reprieved for
q few hours and that she might Mt
least be allowed to see him before he
died. Touched by her sorrow, ut first
the old man had been inclined to grant
this petition and had scrubbed line
on his OFFICIAL paper. giving the desired
permission. but before he signed and
sealed it he changed his mind and
deemed it best to refuse-more merci-
full to her, in fact.
1t really wruHg his heart to be un-
able to extend clemency to this young
man. He repented him of the tempta-
ton he had thrown in his way. The
nobility with which O'Neill had re-
fused and rejected the chance Of life
which had been offered him, the sim
plicity with which he had given up
everything for honor, impressed him
more than ever. He was sick Mt heart
Mt the grief of his ward. whom he
truly loved. and the broken, despairing
face Of hts son since he had learned
that Elizabeth loved O'Neill haunted
him. He wished that the Irishman
had never come across his path, though
he could not but admire his honor, his
grace and his courage. He was bit
terly sorry that he had ever attempted
to influence the man. He had an un-
comfortable and growing suspicion
that his plans had brought nothing
but trouble to every one. Breaking
away from the presence Of Elizabeth.
whose anguished face was a living re-
proach to him, he finally secluded him.
self in his Office and refused to see her
again.
So the day, like yesterday, wore
away, but, oh, how differently! The
girl never knew how she passed the
hours. She wandered restlessly up
and down the terrace, her eyes strain
ed upon the sea. The garrison. who
idOlized her to man. had been apprls-
ed by the sergeant of what had hap
pened. and, to a man, they were upon
her side. The men would never forget
the picture she made as they watched
her pacing to and fro. ceaselessly gaz-
ing at the white ship in the harbor-
her lovers prison, his scaifold, even.
The sense of impotent helplessness
with which she was compelled to face
the situation, the knowledge that
ONeill was doomed absolutely, that
there was nothing that she could do or
say which would alter the decision,
was terrible. She had been accustomed
to have her will and, like most women.
loved it Now she had to stand by in
the bright sunlight with oil the strength
Of life and youth and love in her veins
and in his and see her lover choked to
death-hanged like a dog-at the black
yardarm Of that great ship yonder.
And for what? Womanlike, she put
aside every thought Of him but that he
had dared death itself only to see her,
to be in her presence again! Oh. how
splendid. how handsome, how noble, he
had been in the great hall when he had
refused her rather than to take her as
the reward Of treachery! And now he
was to become lifeless lump of clay,
alive to her only as a memory, a recol-
lection-how cruel! She could not, she
would not, stand 1t. She racked her
brain over and over. Was there moth
ing? No
1t was late In the afternoon. Her
maid had not been able to drag her
from the terrace whence she had a view
Of the ship on which her lover was to
be executed-murdered, she said. A.
she gazed upon it she noticed two men
climbing nimbly up the black shrouds
about the foremost When they reached
the foreyard they ran out ON the yard
arm. One Of them carried something.
A rope was dragging from 1t. In ODE
dience to an 1mperious command ner
maid ran and fetched her q glass. One
look through 1t showed her-she was .
sailors ward-that they were rigging .
whip on the yardarm. they were secur-
ing there a girtline block through
which a rope was rove leading to the
top and thence to the deck. She di
vined at once Its hideous purpose. The
hourl The hour! Had It grown 20
late? Was 1t SO near. 30 near? Was
there a 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 q
sudden inspiration. Again she seized
the telescope-an unusually strong one,
by the way-and, raising 1t to her eyes
with unsteady hand. eagerly swept the
sea off in the direction of Flamborough
head, rising family down to the south
ward, n long distance away. For
long time her nervous, trembling
hands could not get that part Of the
horizon in focus. She finally knelt
down and rested the tube upon the