The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-11-21


..Nay. Harry" declared the parson
thy life is of more moment than thy
pride. and ss TO that. what will it hurt
thee to sit in the stocks an hour or so
for such a cause: Twill be forgot in
a weeks time. 1 pray thee. have some
burgundy. Harry; twill put some life
| into thee"
Twill never be forgot by me-" said
L and indeed it never has been. ana
know not why it seemed then and
seems now Of finer sting of bitterness
than my transportation for theft
Presently |. growing fully alive to the
state az the matters. wrought up my
self into such a fever OF wrath and re-
moustr8nce that il was wonder that
my wounds did not open. l swoFe dat
submit to sHea an indi-nity l would
not. that all the authorities in the
colony should not force me TO sit in
the stocks; that / would have my life
first. and l looked about wildly for my
own sword or pistols. and seeing them
not besought the parson for his. He
stroye in vain to comfort me. was
weakened by my wounds and there
was. l suppose. something of fever still
lingering in my veins for all the bleed
ing. and for space / was like mad
man AT the thought of the ignominy to
which they would put me- l besought
that the lieutenant governor should be
summoned and be petitioned to make
my offense a capital one. strove To
rise from my couch. and the vague
thought of finding a weapon and COM
stocks would be out OF the question as
punishment for ii was in my feyered
brain.
AS we'll go TO n branch of locust
tree blown by the May wind with
honey for all seeking noses as TO
Chichely.' said Parson Downs. And
as for the burgesses, they are afraid
of their own necks. and some of us
there be would rather have thee sit
in stocks than lose thy life, for we
hold thy life dear. Harry, and some
punishment it must be for thee. for
thou didst shoot kings officer, though
with poor aim, Harry
Then j said again, with my heart like
drum in my ears, that wished it had
been better, though naught l had
against Robert Waller. and as learned
afterward he had striyen all he dared
for my release. but the militia. being
under some suspicion themselves, had
to act with caution in those days.
Presently, while the parson was yet
with me. my brother John came in. and
verify, for the first time, realized that
we We're of one blood. Down on his
knees beside me he went.
"Oh, Harry he cried, Il have done
all that could for thee, and vengeance
l will have of some for this, and they
shall suffer for it, that l promise thee.
To fix such a penalty as this upon one
of our blood.'
"John," l whispered. grasping his
hand hard, Il pray thee
But he guessed my meaning. NAY.
Harry" he cried, better this, for IL I
went back to our mother and told her
that thou vert dead, after her long
slight of thee and the long wrong we
have all done thee, it would be a sorer
fate for her than the stocks for thee"
But 1 pleaded with him by the COM
mon blood in our VEINS to save me from
this ignominy. and my fever increased,
and he knew not how to quiet me-
Then in came Catherine Cavendish, and
what she said had some weight with
me.
For shame" she said, standing over
me. with her face as white as death,
but with resolution in her eyes. For
shame, Harry Wingfeld. Full easy it
is to be brave on the battlefield, but it
takes hero to quail not when his van
ity be assailed. Have not as good men
as thou. and better. sat in the stocks?
And think you that 1t will make any
difference to us. except as we suffer
with you? And tits harder for my poor
sister than for thee. but she makes no
complaint, nor sheds tear, but goes
about with her face like the dead and
such a look in her eyes as never l saw
there before. And she told me to say
to thee that she could not come today,
but that she would make amends and
that thou hadst no cause to overworry,
and / know not what she meant, but
this much do know, brave man is
a brave man whether it be the scaffold
or the stocks, and-and-thou hast got
ten myself into fever, Harry
With that she babe my brother John
get some cold water from the jaiier.
and she bathed my head and arranged
my DandaSeS WIFI tnat same skill
which she had showed at the time
when l was bruised by the mad horse,
and my brother looked on as IL only
half pleased, yet full of pity. And
as she batbed my head. told
me how Major Beverly and Sir Hum
phrey were yet confined on shipboard.
and Dick Barry was in the prison not
Catherine interrupts an interview
MA