The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1926-06-24
My Fauorite Stories
What Aunt Myra Desired
By lRulN S. coee

What Aunt Myra Desired
hreassht N dasslsy eur M the iap-
In North Carolina town with intent
to hang him for murder. This was In
the day when capital punishment was
publicly inflicted. AS special mark
of attention the widow of the murder
er's victim was permitted to witness
the event from position of vantage
directly facing the gallows. She had
had sort OF small grandstund rugged
up and she had decorated it with bunt'
ing, and when the march to the scat
fold started there she sat In white
mother-hubbard wrapper gently agl
rounded by relatives, invited friends
and sister members of her lodge.
The prellmlnaries went forward &C
cording to the ritual. When the con
demned had been properly trussed up
with the moose dangling about his neck
the sheriff, holding the black cap II
his hand. edged up to him and said;
"Well. Jim. we're about ready. II
you've got anything to say, l reckon
this would be a mighty good time to
say It."
"Yas, subj" said the doomed, II has
got sump'n to say. l jest wants to say
dat is fully repented fur whut | done
l taken 1t to de Lawd In prayer an !
knows it's all right wild Him. asst
de jedge witch tried and de persecutin
attorney, an de foreman of de jury Ell
they bore me any grudge, witch, one
and all, they said they did not. An
now ! kin go right straight to hebben
an nestle In de bosom of Father Abra-
ham eff only kin git de forgiveness of
dat niger lady sittin' yonder-de wife
| OF de man kilt"
He lifted his voice, addressing the
| white-clad figure in front of him:
Lady" he entreated, docs you fer
| give me fur shootin' yore husband sin
| times wild a fo'ty-fo' caliber revolver
Excepting that her under lip jutted
out a trifie farther there was no sign
she had heard him. She calmly famed
| on.
The darby on the scaffold tried
again:
Lady" he pleaded, "for de seeont
time / axes you, amt you, please
ma'am, gwine forgive me2'
Still from her there was no response.
1t was as though she had not heard
him. The sympathetic sheriff felt
| moved to add his intercession:
| "Aunt Myra," he called, "Jim, here,
| will be goin' away from us In minute
and we don't expect him back. Sure
| " you don't entertain any hard feelin's
against him nowi Won't you speak to
him and let him go In peacef"
This time the obdurate widow shook
her head in an emphatic negative. Yet
still she uttered no sound. The sheriff
turned to the condemned.
"Jlm," he said, "you see how 1t Is;
that old woman Is set In her ways.
What's the use OF wastin any more
time on herf Besides, it's hot as the
devil out here and ought to be gettin'
on home TO dinner. Just hold still a
second and we can have this all over
"Mr. Lucas" sobbed Jim, femme
see eff I still can't soften dat niger
woman's stony heart. Lady" he cried
out. swid monty nigh my dyin' hre'f
begs you fur Jest a word. amt
hopin' no mo- dat you'll forgive me,
but won't you please, ma am. Jest speak
to me an tell me what's in yore soulT'
And now she did speak She mo-
toned with her fan as though 1t had
been a baton of authority, and in i'm
patient tones she said:
go on, Niger. git hung-glt hungf'
(cepyrisAt by the Central Press Association
l