Year: 1874

was all people could say about Tony's
| wife.


Tony had never been seen at church.
He had certain loose ways and indie
pendent notions that the people did not
like. He considered that there was no
harm in taking a mess of roasting ears
from any mans cornfield whenever he
wanted them. He thought the carving
OF Of fine watermelons from some old
farmers carefully. guarded truck-patch
| was good sport. He would take fine
| walnut rail from fence whenever he
| needed seasoned walnut for framework
in his shop. He shot game in season and
out OF season, on Sundays as well as work.
days. He had been accused of shooting
fat young hogs and wringing the necks
of other peoples chickens, but only &C.
cused. He would take his boys and 90
on nutting expeditions on Sundays, and
always had an abundan: supply of wild
grapes, berries, nuts, plums, etc. He was
| the freebooter as we'll as the Jack -of-all-
trades of the nei ghborh hood, and was con-
| sidered suspicious character.


So, when 1t was announced that Squire
| Prim's house had been broken into and
over thousand dollars in money taken,
and that the smoke-house had been broken
|
and shoulders taken had been found
buried in the woods near Tony's house,
no one was surprised. Tony was arrested,
had preliminary examination, was bound
over to court, could not procure bail, and
was sent to the county JAIL His trial
came off in due time, he was convicted,
and sent to the penitentiary for five years.
People were agreed that he got what he
deserved, but they were sorry for his
wife. She was left with six children, and
1t was too bad. Many Of the good women
of the neighborhood could not find it in
their hearts to help her, as she persisted
in asserting her husbands innocence. She
clung to the man with what these prac-
tical women considered a nonsensical,
romantic affection, and they had no pa
tience with her. Others honored her for
her faith in her husband and for her
affection, although they doubted not for
moment that Tony Hardscrabblc was
guilty as charged. The wife and her
boys and girls kept close to their home,
grieving as for husband and father dead
After few weeks Mrs. Hardscrabble was
seen abroad, then at the county seat, and
then, wonder Of wonders! this woman,
who had never been mile from her home
since her marriage, went to the State cap
| ital. Few of the men would undertake
such journey. Tony's wife received the
compliment of being plucky woman. In
due time notice appeared in the county
paper that an application would be made
for the pardon Of Tony Hardscrabble
This the people deliberately and emphat-
ically frowned upon, and comparatively
few signed the petition, although it was
presented to every man in the neighbor-
hood by Mrs. H. herself.


| Everybody was now talking about
Tony's wife. She was constantly going.
There were hints that she or her Lawyer
had found new points Of evidence. Dur
ing the year she went to the Governor
twelve times with her plea for pardon, and
was met with refusal every time. And
yet she persisted. She went out washing,
went out in butchering time, worked even
going to and from the State capital
| People reasoned with her and tried to
convince her that there was no hope; that
| all this effort was worse than useless. She
rarely made any reply except to protest
| that her husband was innocent and she
| would never rest until she had proved
| that he was not guilty and until she had
| secured his release. The old ladies pro-
nounced her crazy, but their grandmoth-
| erly old eyes were tender as they said it,
and they thought it was a shame that
such 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 Gov
ernor's office eighteen times, carrying
each time some new atom of evidence,
some new suggestion from her lawyer,
some fresh concession from the Judge or
prosecuting 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 g-attorney.
She was received with the old smile at
the Governors office, but waited patiently
for her interview with the Governor him
self, who had almost declined to see her.
| Her letter produced astonishing results.
The prosecutor withdrew the charge. The
real thief had been arrested, and had sub
mitted statements in regard to the theft
that showed that Tony Hardscrabble had
not been concerned. The affidavits and
other documents were inclosed with the
formal recommendation for pardon by
the Judge and prosecutor. They joined
heartily in praise of Mrs. Hardscrabble,
and hoped the Governor, 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 home
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 audi.
ence- room, and, sad and almost disheart-
ened, she waited while glad news flew in
the other room. When the Governor
came to her he held in his hand q parch.
m ent, and unbent to say:


"Mrs. Hardscrabble, the documents
presented today establish your husbands
innocence. l thought you might like to
carry the pardon to him yourself. Here
it is, and only hope he is worthy Of his
wife,


The good woman's face trembled like
her own baby's when about to cry. She
dropped on her knees, caught the Gov
ernor's hand and covered it with kisses
as she had often, in her loneliness, kissed
her baby. Then came an outpouring o1
thanks.


"Your husband is innocent. I dc
my simple duty. No thanks are due tc
me-"


"But must thank some one"