The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-02-16
"a Pardon
By FlARRY voN AMBERc
copyrlsnt 1914 By American pres.
Assoclailon

YOU boy Come out q that aud
help bring Oh the wood
Sc called The mate Of a steamboat
% the mississippi 70 a pale faced boz
Iylng N his bunk 1t was at night.
'ad the weather was stormy,
y caa'ti rm slcke
You haint eoin to work yer pas.
sage % tnis yere boat soiern there
Gli up say ana carry your load
Inc noJ made a feeble attenpt to
rise Dut failed The mate seized a
suek q wood and held 1t over the in
valid
you GIT up or IN brain your
rear gave the boy additional
strength, aud he managed 10 pun dim.
salf cut and stagger over the gang
plank @ a wood pile which the deck
handa were transferring TO the boat
10 worked as best he could tin the
Iask was finished then crawled back
= hls bunk aud fell falating In t.
This boy, Robert Stewart. was SO
poor that in order 70 get from New
Orleans 70 ST. Louis be was Obliged
e work his passage on steamboat
me mate was powerful man, and
TIE boy, who was M with fever. was
ompletely at bis mercy. What made
Pc act still more brutal was thar
here were plenty or deck hands 10 do
&c work without calling out sick
boy There was something tiendish in
the mates nature that led him to this
act Of cruelty.
Years passed meanwhile. That sick
boy was moving Ia one direction.
Willie the mate who mad tvrannized
over him and had nearly cost him hts
life was moving in another. The one
was rising the other sinking. sehooled
IL adversely, Robert Stewart possessed
that within him which enabled him to
over obstacles. the hardships
he had endured furnishing d spur 20
send him onward and upward sue.
cessful ID his own affairs. the people
intrusted him with theirs. In time his
name became known TO every one in
Missouri He rose to be governor.
One day q man was brought to the
governor from the penltentiary as an
applicant for pardon. He was a large.
powerful fellow, aud the moment the
governor looked at him be started
Then be scrutinized the criminal long
and closely Without speaking be
turned to his desk. picked up the pa
per on which the mans pardon had
been made out aud wrote bis name at
the bottom OF t. Before handing it to
The prisoner be said to him
II fear 1t viii be useless, perhaps
wrong, for me to grant you this par
don"
The man stood stolidly waiting to
know the governors reason
You win commit some other crime
md be seut to the penitentiary again"
NO, governor; / promise you that
giIl not
The governor looked doubtful. He
vas apparently turning something over
u bis mind Finally be said
You win 90 back Oh to the river-as
mule on steamer, | suppose"
Yes, governor, ri 90 back to work
It any position | can get
well. the governor continued. "be
'ore | pardon you 1 wish you to make /
ne promise
The man Looked interested and wait |
n. The chief magistrate was 10 no
hurry. The mass Of business awaiting I
iis attention was forgotten IN this par
lou case. There must be something IN (
t 10 move him 50 strangely For q
ew minutes there was PARKWAY look /
d bis eyes lie seemed 70 be pietur +
be something. That It was painful /
gene was evident from bis expression 4
phen be- turned 10 the criminal and I
aid impressively:
q wish sou to pledge your word that Z
when you 20 back 20 the river as mute
ia a steamboat you will never drive
sick boy from his bunk 70 load your
,oat on stormy night
The criminal looked af the governor 4
d vain attempt to understand why 4
Ie imposed upon him such singular
ondition Then be made The required
asking at the same time FOR
ii explanation Finally the governor
ave It:
cone night many years ago you were
oate IF steamboat running between
few Orleans ana Sd Louis on that
Dat was a BOY SICK with fever One
iaht when the wind blew cold and
he rain came down III torrents you
rove that boy out Of his bunk aud \
orced him to carry wood
eNow. there are two reasons why h
ont wish you to do that again. The
rst Is that desire any boy you
liqht 50 treat to escape your cruelty
mother time it might cost him laia
Re. The second is that he might be
ONE governor Of bis state ana yon
light commit another crime and come
efore him With an application fof
ardon9
ghe man stood looking at the gov-
rnor. faint glimmer q memory
truggling 81 his brain But with
fe 81 So many brutal acts behind him
was hara fer him to gemember one
yhich at fhe time he had considered
{ So little importance.
The governor handed him bis pardon
Fl was thar boy. he said That
ocument IS my revenge. But another
me the governors revenge mighf pe
{ j different Kind The pardoning
over Is lodged IL the chief magls.
ate alone. aud another governor
,sssNe Aer 81 ~ rpfuen pinn7pNcy &8Ds