The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-10-09
MANKATO FREE PRESS.


this petition and had scrubbed a 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 wrung his heart to be I'M
able to extend elemency to this young
man. He repented him of the tempta-
ton he had thrown in his way. The
nobility with which ONeill 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 at heart
at the grief of his ward, whom he
truly loved, and the broken, despairing
face of his 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 I'M
. Slllu SLONLiS SuSIJlClOl
that his plans had brought nothing
but trouble to every one. Breaking
away from the presence of Elizabeth,
whose anguished face was 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
ell upon the sea. The garrison, who
idolized her to man, had been appris-
ed by the sergeant of what had hap
pened, and. to a man, they We're 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 scaffold, even.
The sense of impotent helplessness
with which she was compelled to face
the situation, the knowledge that
ONeill was doomed absolutely, that
I'll ere 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 all the strength
Of life and youth and love in her veins
ard in his and see her lover choked to
death-hanged like a dog-at the black
ysrdarm 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
WITS to become lifeless lump Of clay,
alive to her only as a memory, a recol-
lettion-how cruel. She could not, she
would not, stand it. 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
fr''m the terrace whence she had view
VI thC SAip vi w lICu uSI lOfGI was W
be xecuted-murdered, she said. AS
sb. gaZed upon it she noticed two men
climbing nimbly up the black shrouds
about the foremost. When they reached
til. foreyard they ran out on the yard
arm. One of them carried something
rope was dragging from it. In ODE
U1ence to an lmperious command ner
look through it showed her-she was a
sailors ward-that they were rigging a
whip on the yardarin, they were secur-
ing there 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
hour! The hour! Had it grown SO
late? Was it so near, so 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
sudden inspiration. Again she seized
the telescope-an unusually strong one,
by the way-and, raising it to her eyes
with unsteady hand, eagerly swept the
sea off in the direction of Marlborough
head, rising family down to the south
ward, a long distance away. For a
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
parapet, breathing prayer as she did
so, and looked again.
All! At last she had it, and there
swept into the field of vision three
CLEANS of white on the sky line, pro-
claiming, even to her Impractical eye,
the sails of ships! What had that in
domitaDle man said to her last night
in the hall?
Delay the execution for at least six
hours, and 1 will save him." He was
not one TO promise lightly. She would
try again. The telescope fell with a
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, Ieavlng the startled maid, and
ran like 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
Bridlinton bay-furrin ships, yer led
dyship.' replied the old sergeant, who
happened to be there alone, IAN his