The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-12-26

in the case shall be sent to you to ar
rive tonight. But doubtless you are
right about the matter; they might not
arrive. If they come. at what hour
will you release himY'
"The last delivery of mail has been
made tonight Another Is due about
o'clock in the morning. Within an hour
after it arrives. should the pardon
come, the prisoner will be set free"
The woman's face fell. Again she
was silent for moment. then said:
II fear there is hitch and we shall
be disappointed. will try to be here
in about an hour after the arrival of
the first mail, but 1t will be hard for
me to get away from the children. |
have not told them have been hoping
that their father would spend Christ
mas with us for fear of disappointing
them. They won't know or understand
what takes me away from them on
Christmas morning. However, will
try to be here In time to meet him If
he Is freed
She went away much disappointed
The governor had promised her, but
governors have SO much to attend to
and are bound by so much red tape
that their promises are seldom fulfilled
on time, If at all She had very little
hope that the expected pardon would
arrive in time to give her and those
dear to her a united Christmas.
That night on the arrival Of the II
o'clock train from the state capital a
special messenger from the governor
knocked at the prison portal and hand
ed the warden pardon for George
Grifiths At 8 O'Clock in the morning
the fact was announced to the prisoner
that he could leave the penitentiary
whenever he liked The warden en-
deavored to keep him till his wife
should arrive without telling him that
she expected to come for him. but
Grifiths paid no attention to him. In
deed, he did not hear what was said
to him. Ordinary clothes were given
him-they had been sent by his wife
he put them on, and without eating Q
breakfast he walked out into the
world
He had counted the. days as they
had elapsed from his entering a prison
till the expiration Of his term. This
sudden release had thrown all his cal
citations into confusion. He did not
know that 1t was Christmas morning
He had known that there were to be
changes In the prison routine for that
anniversary. but the unexpected event
had put it all out of his head. When
the gate swung back to make him 0
free man he stood for a few moments
looking out on the scene before him
1t was bright, crisp morning, the sur
shining on snow that had fallen the
night before The light so dazzle6
him that 1t was some time before be
could see clearly. The sounds were
different from what they had been ir
prison-the rumble Of vehicles, the
snorting Of locomotives, distant din
CT the city. When he went in he had
stood erect; now he was bent. 1t was
not time that had done it, but suffer
Ing. The consciousness OF innocence
which he at first thought would sup
port him rendered his punishment
harder to bear than If he had been
guilty. In that case he would have
felt that he was expiating his crime,
AS it was, his whole nature had re-
volted against an injustice not only to
him, but his wife and little innocent
children. Surely the state was a ty-
rant.
He took a few unsteady steps for.
ward and paused. What was he go
ing to do. which way go7 At that
| moment chimes from nearby church
tower began to ring out a Christmas
carol He recognized it as one famil
lar to him. He Strengthened as he lis
tened; cheerier expression came upor
his face; his eye lighted with a more
natural glow. The fact that 1t was
Christmas morning came back to hin
mot only that 1t was Christmas morn
ing, but that the frightful prison lif'
was behind him.
He stepped out with more vigor. Il
the prison was behind him home wal
before him. He remembered his chill
dren as they we're when he had lef
them. He had not consented that they
should come to see their father IL
prison and in stripes. But now tha
he was free and dressed as other mel
the thought of seeing them once more
made his heart leap And on Christ
mas morningl At that moment the,
were likely exchanging presents. TO
he remembered that they were not thu
tiny things they were when be hat