The Detroit times., 1913-02-07
CHAPTER XIII.
The Last Appeal.

One raw morning late in April, Mark
| Leanard, who worked at Kirby's luIn-
her-yard, drove his team OF big grade
Percherons up TO Kirby's Office by the
railroad tracks.
What's doing?" he asked OF Kirbys
clerk.
The clerk handed him a slip of pa
per.
Go round and tell Mitchell to get
you out this load" he said
Leanard went of whistling, with
the order slip tucked back OF his hat
band. In the yard, Mitchell the fore
man, gave him a load "of sixteen
foot" pine boards and two by fours.r
Where to-" the driver asked. as he
took his seat on top OF the load
TO the jail, they're going to fence
the yard"
You mean young John North?"
That's what-did you think you'd
get day of and take the old woman
/ and the kids?" asked Mitchell.
II was little past eight when the
teamster entered the alley back Of the
4 jail and began TO unload The fall OF
the first heavy plank took John North
! 10 his cell window. For long breath
less moment he stood there peering
down into the alley, then he turned
away.
All that day the teams from Kirby's
continued TO bring lumber for the
fence, and at intervals North heard the
thud or the heavy planks as they were
thrown from the wagons, or the voices
or the drivers as they urged heir
horses up the steep grade from the
street. Darkness came at last and
with II unbroken quiet, but in his
troubled slumbers that night the con
demned man saw the teams come and
go, and heard the fall OF the planks
1t was only when the dawn's frs. un,
certain light stole into the cell that q
dTeamless sleep gave him complete
forgetfulness
From this he was presently reused
by hearing TIE sound OF voices in the
yard and then the sharp ringing blows
OF a hammer. He Quilted his bed and
slipped to the window; two carpenter
had already begun building the frame
work that was TO carry the Temporary
fence which would inclose the place
OF execution IL was his fence; Il
would surround his gallows that his
death should not become public
spectacle.
AS they went about their task, the
two carpenters stole covert chances
up in the direction OF his window, but
North stood well back in the gloom OF
his cell and was unseen. Horror could
add nothing 10 the prison pallor, which
had driven every particle OF color
from his cheeks Out OF these com.
monplace details was 10 come the
tragedy. Those men in faded oyeral's
were preparing for his death--a limit
had been fixed TO the very. hours that
! he might live. On the morning OF the
tenth OF June he would see earth and
| sky from that window for the last
time
Chance passers-by with no very
urgent affairs OF their own on eand
driftcd up from the street, and coon
a little group had assembled in the
alley TO watch the two carpenters at
their work, or 10 stare up at North's
strongly barred window. Now and
again man would point ont this win
COW to some newcomer not so well in-
formed as himself
Whenever North looked down into
the alley that morning, there was the
( human grouping with it's changing
personnel. Men sprawled on the iiies
OF boards, or lounged about the yard.
i While the murmur OF their idle talk
reached him in his cell The visible
excuse which served 10 bring them
there was commonplace enough hut
~ vas invested with the interest Of >
coming tragedy. and North's own
, thoughts went forward 20 the time
when the fence should be finished.
when somewhere within the space II
Enclosed would stand his gallows.
Shortly before noon the whistles
blew. two little girls came into he
alley with the carpenters dinner pals.