The Forrest City times., 1914-06-05

ment If not in the sight of the law. l have taken the law unto myself. You were not convicted of murder in this unitarian court of mine, but of an other sin For fifteen months you have been living under the shadow of crime you did not commit. l was reserving complete punishment for you in the shape of an ignoble mar riage, which was to have served
 bitter ends. Well, 1 had the truth from you. 1 believe you to be abso- lutely innocent of the charge 1 held over you, for which I condemned you not employ my own means of mak- ing restitution?'
 You have condescended to believe in me. That Is all l ask"
 True, that is all you ask But is it altogether the fair way out of it? To illustrate: our criminal laws are less kind to the innocent than to the guilty. Our law courts find a 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 premises? It issues formal pardon-a mockery, pure and simple and the man is set free. It 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, It is the same as if man knocked another down and then said before he removed his foot from the victim S neck: I pardon you freely My fa- ther was opposed to the system we have-that all countries have-of par doning men who have been unjustly condemned. The innocent victim is pardoned in the same manner as the guilty one who comes in for clemency | l accept my fathers contention that an innocent man should not be shamed and humiliated by a pardon. The court which tried him should reopen the case and honorably acquit him of the crime. Then the state should pay 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"
 'l see now what you mean" unused Hetty. "I have never thought of 1t in that way before"
 Well it comes to this In our case, Hetty: I have tried you all over again in my own little court and l have ac- quilted you of the charge l had against you. l do not offer you silly 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, I 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 aNthe 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- dall, whose period of mourning and distress had been softened by the con stant and loyal friendship of this ex- quisite Englishwoman."
 Four hundred miles out at sea she was overtaken by wireless messages | from three persons.
 Brandon Booths message said: q am sailing tomorrow on a 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 it back to the depths In which it had dwelt for days.
 The second bit of pale green paper contained cry from most unexpect- ed source: Gable your London ad- dress. S. refuses to give it to me. think I 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" It 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 l lived in a state of subdued excitement