The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-04-28
A vi sion
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

Are you i'll. sir?''
looked up dazed. made no reply
for was engaged in getting my bear.
ings.
This is the TowerY' l asked pres.
emily.
Yes, sir"
was sitting on a bench in an oper
court in the Tower of London. Before
me was Il piece of pavement different
from the rest. some fifteen or twenty
feet square and in its center plate
on which was an inscription. l re.
membered being the evening before
in the quarters OF one of the Tower
officials. and that was all. How
came to be seated on the bench in the
early morning have never to this
day fully determined AT II l had
started for my lodgings in Oxford
street. but could not remember going
there. One of the Tower attendants
commonly called "beefeaters." had
reused me.
If how l came to be there is a mys.
terry. what saw there is a still greater
one. had been sitting long while
OF that was fully conscious. Whether
it was night or day have no recollec
ton. but the scene witnessed seems
to me to have been enacted in the day
My first remembrance is hearing
shouts of Long live Queen Mary" bu
they seemed to come from without the
Enclosure. Within a few persons hur
ried by silently. as If in preparation
for some nomentous event. They were
all serious, and one or two Of then
were In tears.
Then | was conscious Of number
of persons sitting with me about tht
square bit of pavement, though the
seats on which they sat were of r0uSl
hewn wood The men wore trunks
hose. doublets and hats decorated will
feathers. the women stomachers un(
large ruf1led collars. Covering tn,
square place on the pavement have
mentioned was platform on which
rested a. rectangular block Of woot
about two feet high and followed a
the top on both sides. Beside it, lean
ing on huge ak, was tall figure IL
| tight fitting costume. Those about tn,
| platform, which was plainly a scaffold
wore serious countenances. Withou
the Tower Enclosure l heard sounds in
dicating commotion: 1.-THE dukes fin
ished; death to all traitors!" A mar
sitting next me whispered to another
Its all over up on the hill"
A horror crept over me. would
gladly have gone away. but had nc
power to move. Looking down toward
the other end of the court where there
were buildings for dwelling purposes
saw lovely apparition at window
young girl apparently from seven
teen to twenty years old. At the
same time l heard the rumbling Of 6
cart. Two young girls attendant OF
the one at the window tried to draw
her away, but she would not go.
1T is the body of her husband"
heard some one say. Hes been exc
cuted on Tower hill"
When the cart had passed there
was an interval that my memory fail,
to fill. but the next scene was the
opening Of the door under the window
at which the young lady had appeared
and she came out with an officer, at
tended by the two girls 1 had seel
with her and a priest. She came to
ward the scaffold reading from bool
and praying. When she reached tn,
scaffold she assembled the steps will
as much composure as If she wer,
going to her chamber and stood wait
ing for silence. When it came sh,
spoke to the people, but l have n,
remembrance of what she said. Their,
she knelt, prayed and asked permits
sion of the priest to say psalm.
These religious features ended, sh
took off her gloves and her kerchief
which she handed to one of her maids
and loosened her gown The execu
toner knelt before her and asked for
R}reness for what he was about to do