Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-11-07
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
A PARDON FOR 176

'"Nl'sf NhV Nh' q buNiANloit ""o 'iN''
ing off his desk preparatory to his an.
nual visit to the penitenuary refectory.
1t should have been a gratifying mo.
ment, for he had in his poke, signed
and ready for delivery. Christmas
pardon for No. III, and ne meant to
hand IL to the lucky convict within an
hour. But the Governor was not In
cheerful mood. Christmas Il usually
lonesome festival for bachelors, and
Governor Dudley was bit melancholy
in the reflection that his friends were.
all politicians, that the very pardon
which he had signed, instead OF 1eing
a voluntary act of his own gracious
generosity, had been dictated. IL not
compelled, by one of the party bosses.
Instead OF being an act Of magnanim-
ity II was but the payment OF political
debt. and the Governor WINGED at the
thought that even his presence at the
Christmas tree Of the convicts was pre-
scribed by the usages of his Office ami
was little better than a pretty pose.
II was in this frame Of mind that he
was interrupted by his Secretary, who
tlp-toed into the darkening room and
whispered:
shes waiting yet, Governor
who's waiting?"
why, that lady-here's her card,
Mrs. Murchison.' She's been in the
ante.room for over an hour, SIR"
80? forgot all about her What
does she want?"
She won't tell, but guess she's all
right. She's fine locker"
"Show her in"
Governor Dudley had never been ac.
cused Of being a society man, but there
was something lordly and gallant in
the manner in which he saluted Mrs.
Murchison. He had never seen her
before, but his first glance at her
showed him young creature of rare
beauty, gentle refinement and exquisite
grace. Her eyes were blue and lam.
bent with a tender fire, her skin like
the petals of a flower, her hair luxur.
liant and luminously brown.
'Oh, SIR" she began, coming close
to him and looking frankly into his
admiring eyes, 81 have come to plead
with you for the only gift that can
make my Christmas even tolerable.
My brother. Tom Glidden, you know?
| want you to pardon him. We are
orphans, sir, and"
hn,
Governor Dudley motioned her to a
seat and tried to look judicial. But his
heart beat faster when she answered:
No; you have forgotten. Tom Is serv-
ing sentence for beating the wretch
who was my husband. Murchison Is
dead, but, believe me. dear Mr.. Dudley,
he did not die by any fault OF Toms.
He had been very cruel to me, sir. II
any one is to blame it is myself. |
urged my brother to protect me, and it
was in doing so that all this trouble
and disgrace came upon me. We love
each other so, sir. Won't you be good
to us, him-he is such q good fell
low? To me? shall never forget
your generosity"
A hot tear fell upon Governor Dud-
ley's hand as he raised Il toward his
inside pocket. He was recalling the
circumstances of the Glidden case, but
his eyes were fixed upon the beautiful
woman beside him. Her small white
hand crept pleadingly upon his arm.
His left hand stole to the electric but.
ton, and In moment the Secretary
came in.
Send over to the warden and get q
r" ord of No. 276. Glidden is the name;
IN for Walslaughter.
Half an hour later there was a great
stir Ia the warden's office as Mrs. Muir.
Gibson, escorted by the Governors Sec
rotary, prc'c'..ed ar Ter for an i'm.
mediate visit - her brother. rom Gid
den. The extraordinary hour, the un.
usual circumst aces, but, above all,
the extreme beauty of the conyict's
sister. impressed everybody, the turn.
keys stared and salaamed, the secre.
tary danced attendance at Mrs. Murch.
ison's heels.
Tom Glidden. better known as "27G,"
was at that moment lolling on his iron
bunk In gloomy meditation. He knew
II was Christmas eve, and In his heart
he was grieving bitterly over his sis.
ter's neglect. lie had already served
nearly year OF his sentence, and she
had never so much as written to him.
He knew that Mrs. Murchison had new
ar forgiven him for thrashing her hus.
hand, even though he had done IL in
her own behalf, He had long since
voted himself fool for having med.
died with the family affairs of his sis.
ter, but just now he was realizing for
the first time that il is a horrible thing
for even a convict to be utterly friend.
less. He recalled the appearance of
his sister when she was a child, before
she had met Murchison and developed
into stout, ill.tempered ugly woman
or her married years. Al that moment
the outer door OF the barred Enclosure
opened with clang and the turkeys
voice shouted visitor for 276."
Then, as he stood excitedly at his