Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-03-12

Of hot coffee from her hands.
"Mr. Ratcliff stopped at the door Just
now" she said, in a cold, methodical
tone, can he said tell you Mr.. Reddn'
was out in the country, but he'd left
word at his house fur i'm to cdme an
see you as soon rs he got back"
When she had gone, Ronald put the
plate on The bed (there was no table
in the room) and washed his hands and
face in the tin basin, but somehow the
cold water added to the general chill
that was on him and he quickly dried
himself on u towel. The sight OF the
food gave him IL touch of nausea; he
started to drink the coffee, but remem-
bercd that coffee at night made him
restless, and he wanted to sleep. He
went to the window which commanded
the widest view of the buildings round
the prison. a negro on bony horse
was lighting the gas along the avenue,
which stretched out till, on distant
hillside, it lost itself in the clouds. Two
churches were within sight, and they
were being lighted. The choirs were
going to meet to practice for the serv-
ice on the morrow. The nearest bell
was rung. The night fell like threat
of coming terror.
lie had another vision of the dead
man. This time sgd lay covered with
a white sheet in the sitting-room of
his own home. Round the walls OF
the room sat the neighbors discuss
ing his many manly virtues and his
untimely end. lie saw a white-haired
mother, and old man Hart, from whom
sgd had inherited his intrepid, turbu-
lent spirit.
Some men," shuddered our hero,
''couId justify themselves in such a
case as this. but | shall never be able
TO forget. My ideal mantle Master
IF the World-would have found way
to avoid what | did. II only had Of
fered no resistance. sgd Hart would
have been alive, ard land Evelyn"
There his agony overwhelmed him
and he threw himself on his bed again
and pressed his hands over his eyes.
The strains of an organ swelled up
from the nearer church and stole into
his room; voices began to sing. The
singers broke down and merry laugh
tcr-the laughter of free. hopeful peo-
ple-roled after the fleeing strains OF
music.
Suddenly there was sound of key
berg pushed into the lock and the big
door swung open. The voice OF the
jailer cried.
Wake up thar, Mr.. Fanshaw. I've
fetched yorc brother up to see you,"
Dave came in with candle which
the iailer had given him. and he TODD
with it in his hand. awkwardly shift
ing his big feet in their new shoes, till
| the iailer had locked the door and
had gone.
II come or. Rom" he said, "aS soon
as could after got home, and Miss
! liasbrooke had drove up tie second
time 10 tell me what you'd said. She
/ lowed she had took you to the sher-
| IFS house. She was a-cryin' as if 'er
| heart nd brcak-shc could hardly talk.
| She begged ne to come on an offered
me money TO buy anything that might
be needed
Il hope You didn't take II. Dave"
burst from the prisoners lips
"No. 7 didn't take It: somehow |
didn't think You would want help from
Woman-Nou are not that sort,
wv nat 90 people thlnk about IT,
/ Dave: Ronald took the candle from
the poor fellows Pu'Nerlng mana ana
placed il on a little shelf on the wall,
"HYmpnthN'S always with the dead
Mt iirSt' answered Dave. never
have hFord as many good things SAID
/ about George WASHINGTON as have
about sgd Hart in the last three
hours.
Ronald sighed dcSpondeniIY.
II presume that they blame me-
"So1ne few lowed that YOU ort not
a-bucked aSin I'm that night ut the
swamp.
But the boy was innocent said
our hero.
THAT'S fact. Ron; but mountain
folks don't reason that way; they only
remember how mad you made I'm
when You turned his cake 10 dough
They don't admit that You was right
kase they don't want 10 know low
nigh they come TO murder that night
The Niger that did the deed has long
ago met his God, but some of EN-
ny to believe he was innocent, Let
a body have even spindIln excuse
and he'll clear his own skirts DO you