The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-07-30

guilty. and ne 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 curt, belated apology for an error
on the part of justice. No substantial
recorapense 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! 1t is the same as il man knocked
another down and then said, before he
removed his foot from the victims
neck: I pardon you freely My IA
Their 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 Inundated by 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 man, who had served
seventeen years of life sentence for
murder, was found to be wholly limo
cent. What happened? A pal Ion was
handed to him and he walked out Of
| nriCnn hr0kon in cnirif hoo
| 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"
II see now what you mean" unused
Hetty. Il have never thought of it
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 &C
quilted you of the charge 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 compromising 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 q
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 quixotic point, and Hetty
, went away from Southlook feeling tina
. 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 Mis-:
Castleton was returning to her NATIVE
a land on account of the death of Lore
Murgatroyd, and would spend the yea
n on the continent, where probably sh'
. would be joined later on by Mrs. Wran
a dali, whose period Of mourning AM
n distress had been softened by the con
e slant and loyal friendship of this ex
d quisite Englishwoman."
J. Four hundred miles out at sea sh
+ was overtaken by wireless message
t from three persons.
e am sailing tomorrow on faster shi
r than yours. You will find me waitin
for you on the landing stage" He
e heart gave leap to dizzy heights, ani
It try as she would, she could not crus
! it back to the depths In which it ha
t, dwelt for days.
e The second bit of pale green pape
d contained a cry from most unexpec
< ed source: Gable your London az
1t dress. S. refuses to give it to me.
Is think I understand the situation. w
D. want to make amends for what 70
y. have had to put up with during tn
a. year. She has shown her true natur
h at last" 1t was signed Leslie"
er From Sara came these crypt
IS words: "For each year of famine ther
r. will come seven years of plenty"
III All the way across the Atlantic sh
le lived in state of subdued excitemen
~ Conflicting emotions absorbed be
50 waking hours but her dreams were a
,e of one complexion: rosy and war;
ut and full of a joyousness that di
d. tressed her vastly when she recalle
s. them to mind in the early mornir
~ hours. During the day she interim
,d tently hoped and feared that he wou
of be on the landing stage. In any even
ne she was bound to find unhappines
If he were there her joy would
rk short-lived and blighting; if he wei
b. not there, her disappointment wou
is be equally hard to bear.
He was there. She saw him fro
It. the deck of the tender as they edge
ou I'D to the landing. His tall fgu
ce doomed in the front rank against II
We rail that held back the crowd; b
is sun-bronzed face wore look Of Gag
es- expectancy; from her obscured POI
ton in the shadow of the deck bull
lv. ing, purposely chosen for reasons on
We too obvious, she could even detect tt
se alert, swift-moving scrutiny that
L. fastened upon the crowd.
w. Later on, he stood looking dov
on into her serious blue eyes; her han
lis were lying limp in his. His own ey
IN were dark with earnestness, with t
GU restraint that had fastened itself up
of him. Behind her stood the respect
as but UNNECESSARILY awed maid, w
for could not, for the life of her, undo
ar stand how a man could be on DO
wo sides of the Atlantic at one and t
18th same time.
So sThank the Lord, Hetty, say l,