Year: 1874

Hardscrabble. This the people de


hberatelv and emphaticaliy frowne,


upon, and comparatively few signed


the petition, although il was present.


ed to every man in the neiyhburhoosl


by Mrs. II. herself.


Everybody was now talking abou,


Tonys wife. She was >constantly go


ing. There were hints that she or


her lawyer had found new points ol


evidence. During the year she Went


to the Governor twelve times with


her plea for pardon, and met with
refusal every time. And yet she
persisted. She went out washing,


went out in hutcherng time, worked
even in the fields for money, and
spent it in going to and from the
State capital. People reasoned with
her and tried TO convince her that
there was no hope; that all this ef-
fort Was worse than useless. She
rarely made any reply except to pro-
test that her husband was innocent
and she would never rest until she
had proved that he was not guilty or
until she had secured his release.
The old ladies pronounced her crazy,
but their grandmo,herly old eyes
were tender when they said it, and
they thought it shame that such a
man as Tony Hardscrabble should
have such fine woman for wife.
And while they praised the wife they
abused the husband.


! Mrs. Hardscrabble had been to the
Governors Office eighteen times, car
rying each time some new atom OF
evidence, some new suggestion from
her lawyer, some fresh concessions
from the Judge or prosecuting a,tor-
nev, an additional name from the Jury
before whom the case was tried. She
haunted the Governors Office and the
offices Of the prison authorities. She
always had personal interview and
aroused sympathy even while her
facts were considered unimportant.
She went the nineteenth time with
sealed letter from the prosecuting
attorney. She was received with the
old smile at the Governors but wait
ed patiently for her interview with
the Governor himself, who had al
most declined to see her. Her letter
produced astonishing results. The
prosecutor withdrew the charge, the
real thief had been arrested, and had
submitted statements in regard to the
theft that showed that Tony Hard
scrabble had not been concerned.
The afiidavits and other documents
were inclosed with the formal rec
ommendation for pardon bv the Judge
and prosecutor. They joined hearth
y in the praise Of Mrs. Hardscrabble,
aud in view Of the persistent efforts
Of the woman, and in view of the
extraordinary circumstances Of the
case. would waive all formalities,
grant an immediate pardon and allow
the woman to take her husband with
her.


The proof Of the mans innocence
was SO plain, the statements were SO
clear, that the Governor hesitated
not to join in the plan to surprise the
woman Who had SO worked for her
husbands release. She was asked
to wait moment in the audience
room, and, sad and almost disheart-
encd, while the glad news flew in the
other room. When the Governor
came to her he held in his hand
parchment, and unbent to say:


s'Mrs. Hardscrabble, the documents
presented to-day establish your hus-
bands innocence. | thought you
might want to carry the pardon TO
him yourself. Here it is, and | only
hope he is worthy of his wife"


The good woman's face tremhled
like her own baby's when about to
cry. She dropped on her knees,
caught the Governors hand and COW
cred it with kisses, as she had often,
in her loneliness, kissed her baby
Then came IN outpouring of thanks.


"Your husband is innocent. | do
my simple duty. No thanks are due
to me-"


.Rut must thank some one.'


Then, clutching the pardon, she
flew to the penitentiary. In less than
an hour she was dragging her dazed
and awe-stricken husband through
the Capitol corridors to the Govern
or's Office, to present him to that
officer.


Tony was overwhelmed by con-
flicting and tremendous emotions.
He was free. His wife had done it.
He knew that She had held the
pardon under his eyes, and he had
taken her in his arms and had given
her the first genuine, full-meaning
kiss Of his life. He had always liked
her and had always been kind to her.
rs he understood kindness. But he
had never known her. She pulled
him along as though he were a boy.
She who had never been mile from
home, knew the Governor. This, 10
Tony, with his prison experience be-
fore him, was q tremendous fact
What would happen?


The Governor took him hy the
'hand:~


"Now,. my man, am glad this is
as it is. And l am glad that you have
such wife. Try the world again
and let me hear from you."


That night Tony Hardscrabble's
children clambered about him and
awoke in him hundred new sensa-
tions. He had never seen such
baby, such sweet little girls, such
well-formed healthy boys. And they
were all his. He would try the world
again, and he laughed as he thought
how he would astonish the people.


The shop was open the next morn
ing and Tony was at work. His
veins swelled over the motions of a
free man? The story had been told |
and re-told, and Tony was the hero
of the hour. Everybody had some-
thing to say about his wife. She was
clearly Judging from the evidence
offered, which Tony accepted without
question: the best woman in the
neighborhood, and Tony was very
proud Of her.


In few weeks affairs moved in
tha old wav Mt Tonv's Then one