Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-02-19
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| Red Head and Whistle Brooches !
4

-.t Of that disastrous night joined
,.ont rank Of the strikers in a
''.ral mix-up and cracked the head
deputy sheriff, the result was
\ ~ he might have expected-two
',s IN the penitentiary. That was
.isht The peace Of the Common
.'tb must be preserved, and that is
[sr laws and penitentiaries exist, but
'',mptimes goes hard with the moth
|, and wives. That is also to be ex-
.,tod and the boy should have
s'nght Of it before he crowded to the
..ot Of the angry mob or struck the
Snuty. 1t went very hard with the
.r. mother and wife. 1t went hard
An his old man, too. 1t is a cruel
,Al,c TO have ones only boy in the
',nHontiary, even If II is only a
rlsge hod carrier.
Maggie Murphy, the boys wife, did
,,t suffer for food or shelter after the
NV went to wear stripes, for old Mike
had handy little roll in the bank and
d, santy of his own, and he took
= Maggie into his home, and made Il
laughter of her; but the girl grew
MIN and had no spirits. She cried a
nd part of the time, quite as If Tim
md been a law-abiding citizen, in
sad Of a law~-breaking rowdy. Then
te baby came, and after that she
cried more than ever.
As for the boys mother, it vas to
he expected that she should weep
also. Mothers have a way of weep
tg over the son they love, even If
be has gone wrong. 1t Is not logical,
perhaps, but it is a fact. 1t is II Of
Ae grand facts of human life.
When Maggie's baby came the boys
mother could stand it no longer. 1t
had been urged-and there was some
evidence to support it-that the boy
bad acted in s~elf-defense. He said so
himself, but he admitted he had been
In the front rank. The strikers had
carried things with a high hand all
along, and the jury had decided
i%gainst him. Night and day the boys
mother begged the old man to try for
pardon, but Mike knew 1t was not
worth a trial. The Governor was an
Old man and a strong man, and not
one to forgive an injury done to the
State or to himself. He had never
been known to forget a wrong nor to
leave a debt unpaid. He was a just
man, as the ancient Jews were Just.
1t was this that had made him Gov
ernOr; his uncompromislng righteous
ness and stanch f~earlessness were
greater than cllques and bosses.
Old Mrs. Murphy, however, was only
woman, and the boy was her boy
and she pardoned him. She knew he
was Innocent, for he was her boy
Nike refused a thousand times to ask
te Governor for a pardon, but as
Mrs. Murphy was the boys mother
and mad a valiant tongue, the old mar
tlanged his mind. One day he put or
MS old silk hat, and, with Father
Maurice, the good gray priest, went
Ut to the capital.
A strange pair they were to sit In
le Governors richly furnished re
"puon room-Mike, with his smooth
y shaven face, red as the sunset, his
snowy eyebrows, his white-flecked rec
ualr' n the shiny black Of his baggy
sunday suit; Father Maurice, with hi!
ons gray beard that had been his be
"te the days Of the smoothly shaver
priests, his kindly eyes and the joll!
Otuhdlty Of his well-fed stomach. TIL,
piests gentle heart was hopeful, bu
A'Re sat sadly with his eyes on tn,
we ol MS boot, for he knew the er
tand was folly, not alone because tn,
SOVelnor had never pardoned a con
seaihed man, but because it was he
alike Murphy, who came.
lie remembered an incident Of hi
OOyhood, and he frowned as he re
esl'ed It, Think Of It! He, Mike Muir
pny, had bullled the Governor; ha,
urubbed him and chased him and wor
neu the life out Of him. That wa
WY nc had told the old woman 1t wa
Nv use to try it. Who was he to com
asking pardons, when years age h
aau zone his best to make life miser
soe ior the quaking schoolboy VIII,
vas now the stern-faced Governor
@e Governor who never forgot no
',gaVe' nor left a debt unpaid?
Mhen the Governor entered the re
upuon room he came in Unexpectedly
- rather Maurice was leaning fol
ward with one Of Mikes red hand
sasped In his two white ones. Mix
sleeve.
Il Governor paused in the dool
way and coughed. His visitors star
WIN surprise, and then arose.
T a-