New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1903-09-02

form as a cloak and shield"
81 fear, dear lady, the partialitv
which you have for the enemies of
your king has somewhat din1med the
! clearness of your Judgment. How
ever, [ feel that owe myself most
severe censure for the cruel wound
which 1 have so unintentionallv in
t1icted upon you. Had I sooner real
! lied how deeply you are in love with
i this young Worthington, I should
have taken pains to have kept from
you the punishment which feel it
my duty to 1nete out to him.
| rs a woman's heart never to be
swayed save by love?' Jane asked.
Can she never plead for justice with
out having her motives impugned?
If have spoken in behalf of Capt.
Worthington, if have besought you
not to put into execution your cruel
threat, I am impelled by motives of
| common humanity"
rs this true, Jane?" Bessemer
cried eagerly. ''Is it so that you do
not love him? Do you pledge me
your honor on it?"
Jane drew back. "Pledge you my
honor? No. If my simple word be
not enough, where would 1 find the
honor to pledge?"
Bessemer, torn betwixt rapture and
uncertainty, searched her face with
Jealous eyes. Surely, 'twere too fair
a face to be aught but honest. "Ah,
my ever ready-tongued Jane," he
said, you little know the weight
your words have lifted from my
breast. This one rebel have I feared
had more cause to dread than all
the rebels in all the armies on this
continent combined.''
'"Then that explains your severity
tonight. I can we'll understand that
one might be inclined to deal harsh
ly with a person one feared; but
since this poor Worthington is so
humbly placed that to fear him would
be to belittle yourself, surely mercy
is easy"
Again did Bessemer regard her sus-
piciously. IAN artful plea" he OBJ
served, "yet am not so sure that this
rebel is not still to be feared; though,
could I have the safeguard of your
love, I would fear nothing earthly. I
would dwell too near Heaven for
that. Come, Jane, you who can be so
tenderly considerate of others, sure
ly will not keep me longer in sus-
pense. Tell me that you will an
swer yes to the request I made this
morning?'
Dear colonel" replied Jane, "the
man I marry must be humane as
well as brave. Your bravery, none
questions; your humanity, it remains
for you to prove"
"Ah, madam" he returned, 1T is
well known that happiness is the
great propagation of virtue. Grant
me the happiness seek, and you
will find that my humanity will BIOS
som in it's sunshine. To clinch the
argument, give me this hand and
that young rebel shall not die at to-
morrow's SUNRISE" He took her hand
as he spoke and pressed it to his
heart, but Jane withdrew it quickly.
Surely" she observed coldly, "Col.
Bessemer needs no bride to spur him
to an act of justice, and if he did, he
will remember that virtue is it's own
reward"
"Ah, but virtue is not the reward
I SEEK" he retorted fippantly, while
his brow contracted with irritation,
unless, indeed, dear lady, you tipify
yourself as virtue. But truce to
fencing; let us to the question. Is
it a bargain, or is it not? Is this
young man to be reprieved through
your sweet offices, or is he to hang
at sunrise?''
Jane turned upon him angrily.
And do you suppose, SIR she de-
manded, that I would give myself
to a man SO cruel as even to think
of offering such a bargain? Never
If [ marry you, it must be for what
YOU are, not for what you offer
But she added more adroitly, II re.
ly upon Col. Bessemer's mercy"
II would, sweet pleader," he OBJ
served, that it were possible could
reconcile it with my duty to do as
you wish; but, alas, l feel that loyal
~ W my KING Will not duult o1 H.
1t is a matter of qualification to me,
however, that, while your womanly
compassion may be wounded, your
deeper emotions will not be lacerated
when the rising of to-morrow's sun
sees the setting of young Worthing-
ton's.''
His piercing eyes were upon he1
face, and Jane felt her compOsure
giving way beneath them, for at
length she perceived that he was in
absolute earnest.
cat sunrise?' she repeated in a
choking voice, while her mind quick
ly calculated the shortness of the
time. All, if she could but get re-
prieve until tomorrow night, much
might be accomplished during the in
tervening day. 'Methinks, colonel
you choose most inappropriate
i hour for so dark a deed. The black
err hues of midnight would better
match the color of the act.''
"A most wise suggestion, dear
lady," Bessemer responded. ''Wha1