Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-12-24
The Daily Story
THE HIGHWAYMAN-BY F. A mitchell.
copyrighted as. by Assoclated ..iterary Bureau.

OF MIN. undertook to do the job him
self. One night when it had been re-
ported to him that Gaunt was in the
nefghborhood he rode out in his car
riage in his canonicals. a blunderbuss
concealed in each of his flowing sleeves.
Gaunt. who was on the watch for plum
der. seeing the carriage lights. rode up
II the vehicle and demanded the occu-
pants money. The bishop. pretending
TO hand him wallet. instead present
ed his blunderbuSs and shot him in his
right shoulder Gaunt fell from his
horse and the bishop, assisted by his
coachman. bound him hand and foot
ard. placing him in the carriage. drove
TO the nearest. town. where they put
him in jail.
Gaunt lay in Jail till he recovered
sufficiently from his wound 10 be taken
before a magistrate for trial. Short
shrift was made of his case. and he
was sentenced TO be hanged. drawn
and quartered. The first Margaret
Doyle heard OF his condition was by n
message from him announcing his cap
ture, his trial and the end that awaited
him. He begged her to come 10 see
him once before he died.
Margaret's heart was n very differ
ent member from her head. She loved
the highwayman. and the only reason
she had not married him was that she
did not respect his calling and dreaded
being left a widow. especially by one
who had died on the gallows. AS soon
as she received the news of his condi
ton she went to see him. He was no
longer the redoubtable man he was
when sitting on his horse bristling
with weapons. He still suffered with
his wound and was thin and pale. Mar
garet's heart went out TO him.
And yet she would not admit any.
other feeling than pity. She was n
steady girl and always, no matter how
trying the circumstance, kept her head.
Something must be done to save
you" she said.
Nothing can save me now" he re-
piled despondently. 81 have been tried
and sentenced. Only the king could
pardon me, and 1 have no influence Mt
court
Gould not an attorney help you?"
II do not see how. He would only
take my money without preventing
the government from taking my life.
/ have given those I have robbed n
choice between the two. An attorney
gives no choice He takes that which
is of the greater value, his clients
money, leaving the government that
which is worthless. his life
That was not the present day OF ap-
peals, stays, habeas corpuses and such
like legal projections for accused per-
sons. but Margaret. promising to see
the doomed man again, left him with
the intention of going to a notary as
the only hope. She was obliged to go
to London to do so and on arriving
there found n man Of the law who of
fered to tell her a way by which she
might save the highwayman's life on
payment of 200.
Margaret procured the money and
exchanged it for his information.
All this consumed time, and she was
not in possession of the secret till the
day before Gaunt was to be hanged
Returning as quickly as possible, she
reached the jail few minutes before
her lover was led out to the gallows.
where n great crowd was waiting to
see him hanged. Looking at her visit
fully, he babe her farewell.
81 know a way to save you" she
said, but 1 can't make up my mind
to it."
He gave her a look OF appeal cal
culated to melt any woman's obdura-
cy and asked how it could be done.
Maybe / can make up my mind to
it before you're swung off," she re-
piled. eff save you will you promise
to live an honest life forever after
ward?"
~ will
When they reached the gaIIows and
all the preliminaries had been complied
with the hangman adjusted the rope
and was about to swing Off the cul-
prit when Margaret cried:
r Hold! l claim this man for my
husband"
The sheriff raised his hand TO the
executioner to desist and, turning to
the crowd. asked If there was a judge
or an attorney present. The judge
who had tried the prisoner was there.
and the sheriff asked him il there was
any right in law in Margaret's de
mand
Yes" said the judge. there is a law
Of the land that If a woman will marry
a man condemned to death he shall go
free"
And so it was that Margaret and her
lover were married on the scaffold and
the crowd that had come to witness
an execution saw wedding.
After all was over and the bride and
groom were at home the latter said
TO his wife:
margaret. you said once that before
you would marry highwayman you
would see him hanged"
AZ did. have kept my word. Had
vou not promised 10 reform you should
have swung off for all me"
"And you didn't favor the man OF the
awT
"Nor do 7 now. He saved your life.
but he charged 200 for doing IT. IF
,ould not have raised the money yon
would have had TO swing"