Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-03-13
THRONE AND PHONE.


go To be hanged by the neck
and may the Lord have mercy
on your soul!' The man in the dock. a
young fellow with a pleasant face and
steady blue eyes, listened to the terrible
words that doomed him to the gaIlows
| without flinching. He was very pale.
| but his mouth was firm, and there was
no faltering in his voice as be said quiet
ly, Il am innocent, my lord. God help
me!''
Then woman's scream rang out pitt
fully, and the prisoner gave one agonized
look toward the crowded gallery as he
turned, obedient to the touch of a war
der's hand, and walked out of the ken
of his fellow-men for evermore. Death
was to be his companion for a few days,
and would then claim him as its spoil at
the hands of justice.
He's Innocent | know he's inno-
cent! And they're numbering him"
That was the burden of the girls
moan day by day as the sun rose and
set, and at each setting brought her
sweetheart horribly nearer the hangman.
And with that cry alterHated another:
IF could only see the Queen! If
could only ask the Queen to spare my
Jack till he could prove his innocencev
1t became the one dominating idea of
her brain that an appeal to the august
lady, who was yet most tender and
merciful woman, would save her lover $
life. That he would be proved not
guilty If only time were granted she had
no doubt. She was equally confident
that her entreaties would win a reprieve
if only she could have speech with the
Queen; but that was impossible. Her
Upn In nv
but remorseless in his common sense,
told her so a dozen times. They were
only poor folk. and, to the poor royalty
are as fur off as heaven
She could not even reach the Queen
with a letter. he told ner for letters
pass through many hands before they
reach the throne. One could speak to
God direct, but a sovereign could only
be addressed through secretary. He
knew. too, that there was little to be
said for the condemned man in cold ar
gument.
The story of the crime was plain and
simple. Rivalry between two men for
woman's love; quarrel, fight,
which the successful suitor had none
the best of. Then, Il few days later, the
discovery of the other mans dead body,
stabbed in the back; beside the corpse
a knife, proved to belong to his rival,
coat, stained with blood found III
the room of the latter
The evidence was circumstantial but
convincing; the defense, an abb, with
no witness to support it. But the girls
faith never wayered, and always she
moaned, IF | could only speak to the
Queen" And always her brother said
It's impossible, my dear, quite impossi
BILE"
One night. when only few days re-
manned for her lover to live, the girl
woke from an uneasy sleep in her chair
to find her brother standing beside hex
He was oddly excited, and the hand
with which he gripped her shoulder
tremhled.
Clara. my girl" he said, "I'u do it.
You shall speak to the Queenw
''Oh, how, jim, how! VIII she see
me- p
mo, she'll not see you, nor you her
But you shall speak to her. my lass, as
close as if you whispered in her ear
Now, don't ask me anything. Don't
breathe word to anyone. Go to bed,
and from now till tomorrow night think
only of what you'll say TO the Queen
when you get your chance"
She oheyed, and the man sat down TO
ponder over the details of the daring
plan that had flashed across his mind
an hour before, rs he did his accustomed
work at the electric switchboard on the
stage of the Royal Opera house.
1t was about 10 o'clock on the follow
ing night. and the wind was bowling
round the chimney stacks and evoking
resonant music from the network Of
wires that were supported by heavy
posts on the roof of a house near Coycnt
garden. For an hour a man had been
working among these vibrant wires.
listening TO the message of one and an
other until he had discovered what he
sought--a wire that carried burden Of
melody very different from the song OF
the wind.
Now his work was done, and he stood
on the roof and laid his hand on the
shoulder of woman who knelt beside
him.
Its very nearly time, Clara, he
said. You're not afraidf"
No, m not afraid. jim" And her
voice was steady, though every nerve
in her body quiyered with excitement.
Al right. When | call Now, lift
the receiver and speaS on the moment.
And put your heart INTO it."
No need 10 tell her that. As he clam
hered again up the post she raised to
her mouth a little open box, and waited
with parted lips
From the posts above wire ran east
and west charged with a message of
life or death. One end now silent and
disconnected, ended on the stage Of the
opera house. The other, stretching out
INTO the hlackneSs of the night, crossed
street and roof. valley aud hin and
river, till il clamhered IN the walls Of
4 royal palace twenty miles away. passed
through roof and floor and ceiling, to
end in the private rooms ef the Queen.
There the little woman who ruled n
mighty empire sat in silence. attended
by only two of her women Each of the
three held Ia her ears the quaint lis
teninc apparatus of the eleC t~ophoue.
and through the storm and the GaTkncss