Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-07-19


slip Of writing which had been handed
to him at Marylebone, but relentcdi
fnext moment and treasured the torn
Epieces till the end
And now ut last his gallant spirit
surrendered itself to the apathy Of
sheer despair. and the physical coll
lapse which supervcned was almost as
complete as that of tlie brave but bro
ken heart. A sudden outbreak of NOR
bid appearances brought the surgeon
In hot haste to clean the foul tongue.
to regulate the irregular pulse. moisten
the parched skin and. in a word, to
keep his man well enough to die on.
the following Tuesday. The good Mac
Imurdo would as lief have given him a
draft OF deadly poison, but such hui
lmanity would have sent himself to the
Egailows instead. So the surgeon did
his best for the poor doomed body. and
the chaplain did his best for an Inn
mortal soul still filed with bitter re-
beilion and rage. But this physician
was less successful. though not less
kind-praying in his chamber for the
Ipoor impenitcnt. but vet doing what
In him lay to further such efforts as
were still being made for reprieve.
Even on the last Sunday, when the
ststern divine furnished that Incredible
lbarbarism. the condemned sermon, the
humane gentleman wassupon the other
tack and in almost hourly communica-
Ition with Daintree himself.
Tom could not guess at that. The
llast-to enter. the first to leave, the
'Icrowded chapel, he did so with the
sense of his indignity heavier upon
him than at either Marylebone or the
Old Bailey. The very chapel had been
filed with sightseers and he the
tsight! He had recognized the noble
|casl who had come to spy upon him
be 4Ore the trial. and with HIN ladies.
And. to cap all. the ordinary had mem
/ tened him by name in the Sermon
taking the sixth commandments for his
text AMI directly addressing Tom fror,
the pulpit. The outrage was unforgiy.
able. When Mr.. Cotton came to his
cell soon after. the convict fatty re-
fused ever to listen to him again.
You have insulted me before men,"
he cried. You need plead for me no
more before God. 2
But consider WHO You. are, what
you We're, = protested the reverend gen
/ tien,an-.a clergyman's son. your poor
father.
Not one word of Iimr' said Tom.
He would never have spoken as you
spoke. There, sir, do not force me to
say more. You have been kind to me
In your own way, but the greatest
kindness now is to leave me In peace
until the end" ~ ~
Next day lie asked for pens and pa;
i per and spent tho entire afternoon
upon one letter. Turnkcys, who came
continually to see how he was bearing
his Inst hours on earth, found him al,
ways writing, writing, writing, with
1 the tears streaming down his face
and vet the happiest look That the{ had
seen In 1t yet. The turkeys were pruc-
tical experienced men. They never
doubted that what Efschsen was writ
Ing was his full confession of the crime
for which he was to suffer iii the morn
ing. So one brought another to spy
upon him in the act Of historic compo-
sltion. And still he wrote; and still he
j wrote.
He was done before dark and ate
his supper as he had eaten nothing for
days. he seemed n happier mar that
was only natural to the turnkey mind
And yet the sealed packet set in front
OF him on the table was not yet adj
dressed, and when the governor, pay
Ing him visit In the evening, said
slyly. Is this for me n Tom answered,
i. with quite a laugh, that 1t was not. II
was for friend, and the last act of his
j unpinioncd hands should be to add the
address.
4 Tom stepped back into the cell and
stood there with tho fun moon laugh
Ling IN his white face and blazing eyes.
4 Very well! He would brain tile next
turnkey who came near him and SO at
least deserve his death even If lie
could not slip into the dead MANS
clothes and thus away. So the hot fit
4 had followed the cool; SO madness trod
upon the heels of rational thought.
The murmur of the crowd had done
it. 1t had left him a wounded lion,
Z, and his maddened eyes We're now row
Ing round the cell In search or that
with which to shed blood for blood.
They lit upon the metal wasllstand
fixed (like the Iron candiestick) to the
wall. In an instant the wasl,stand was
1 torn out by the roots and poised over
the cropped yellow head. while the