The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1912-07-23

guilty. Our law courts find q man
guilty and he is sent to prison. Later
on, he Is found to be innocent-abso-
lutely innocent. What does the state
do In the premises2 It issues formal
pardon--a mockery. pure and simple
and the man is set free. II all comes
to a curt, belated apology for an error
on the part Of justice. No substantial
recompense is offered. He is merely
pardoned for something he didn't do.
The state. which has wronged him,
condescends to pardon him Think Of
1t! II Is the same as II man knocked
another down and then said. before he
removed his foot from the victims
neck: I pardon you freely My IA
ther was opposed TO the system we
have-that all countries have-of par
doning men who have been unjustly
condemned. The innocent victim ls
pardoned In the same manner as the
guilty one who comes In for clemency.
| accept my fathers contention that
an innocent man should not be shamed
and humiliated by pardon. The
court which tried him should reopen
the case and honorably acquit him OF
to this innocent man, dollar for dol
lar. all that he might have earned dur
ing his term of Imprisonment, with an
additional amount for the suffering he
has endured. Not long ago In an ad-
Joining state a man, who had served
seventeen years of life sentence for
murder. was found to be wholly inno-
cent. What happened? A pardon was
handed to him and he walked out OF
prison, broken in spirit, health and
purse. His small fortune had been
wiped out In the futile effort TO prove
his innocence. He gave up seventeen
years Of his life and then was par
doned for the sacrifice. He should
have been paid for every day spent In
prison. That was the very least they
could have done"
81 see now what you mean." mused
Hetty. Il have never thought OF 1t
In that way before"
well, 1t comes to this In our case,
Hetty: have tried you all over again
in my own little court and | have ac-
quilted you of the charge had against
you. do not offer you asilly pardon.
You must allow me to have my way
In this matter, to choose my own
means of compensating you for"
you saved my life," protested Het-
ty, shaking her head obstinately.
my dear, / appreciate the fact that
you are English" said Sara, with a
weary smile. "but won't you please see
the point?"
Then Hetty smiled too, and the way
was easier after that for Sara. She
gained her qulxotic point, and Hetty
went away from Southlook feeling that
no woman in all the world was so be-
wildering as Sara Wrandall.
When she sailed for England, two
days later, the newspapers announced
that the beautiful and attractive Miss
Castleton was returning to her native
land on account of the death OF Lord
Murgatroyd, and would spend the year
on the continent, where probably she
would be joined later on by Mrs. Wran-
dali, whose period OF mourning and
distress had been softened by the con-
slant and loyal friendship of this ex-
quisite Englishwoman."
OF eli a
was overtaken by wireless messages
from three persons.
Brandon Booths message said: 81
am sailing tomorrow on faster ship
than yours. You will find me waiting
for you on the landing stage" Her
heart gave leap to dizzy heights, and
try as she would, she could not crush
II back to the depths In which 1t had
dwelt for days.
The second bit OF pale green paper
contained a cry from most unexpect
ed source: "Cable your London ad
dress. s. refuses to give 1t to me.
think understand the situation. We
want to make amends for what you
have had to put up with during the
year. She has shown her true nature
at last" 1t was signed Leslie"
From Sara came these cryptic
words: "For each year of famine there
will come seven years Of plenty"
All the way across the Atlantic she
lived In state OF subdued excitement
Conflicting emotions absorbed he
waking hours but her dreams were al
of one complexion: rosy and warn
and full of a joyousness that dis
tressed her vastly when she recalled
them to mind In the early morning
hours. During the day she intermit
tently hoped and feared that he woul'
be on the landing stage. In any event
she was bound to find unhappiness
II he we're there her Joy would b.
short.lived and blighting; II he wer
not there, her disappointment woul
be equally hard to bear.
He was there. She saw him from
the deck of the tender as they edge
up to the landing. His tall fgur
, loomed in the front rank against tn
, rail that held back the crowd; hi
sun-bronzed face wore look of cage
expectancy; from her obscured pos
ton in the shadow Of the deck built
ing, purposely chosen for reasons onl
, too obvious, she could even detect tn
, alert, ewiftmoving scrutiny that h
. fastened upon the crowd.
Later on, he stood looking dow
/ into her serious blue eyes; her hand
J we're lying limp In his. His own eye
were dark with earnestness, with tn
restraint that had fastened itself upo
. | ~. pabind har atood the resnectfI