Show FUR MAS SAKE by LAURA ELLEN BEALE copyright 1902 by DAILY STORY publishing CO T the office of the commonwealth at torney was stifling and a musty bookish odor from the shelves along the walls pervaded the room the attorney red faced and glisten ing with perspiration sat at his desk upon which were numerous bundles of legal papers upon which he tried vain ly IY to fix his mind arranging some sheets of paper he determinedly set about making a draught of an indictment but finding it impossible to concentrate his mind upon it he pushed back his cacir int patiently and sprang to his feet with a muttered exclamation when he saw for the first time that he was not alone in the doorway stood an old man eye ing hm seriously he was a tall lean old fellow with a face and neck much tanned by wind windi and sun and clad in the simple garb garn of the moun tain dweller his soil stained bare feet giving no warning of their owners approach the look of petulance upon the face of the attorney changed to an espres slon of gravity as be he recognized bis his visitor and when he greeted him his voice was low lov almost strained how are you uncle toma 1 he said come in and sit down the old man did not return the greeting but silently slouched in and sank into a chair its it s bout bill dill ahe he began briefly fixing his eyes upon the attorney the latter nodded but did not speak and the old man con linued I 1 ve come to see ef eny thing could be dun fur bill the case of the people vs tripp had bad been the commonwealth after first big case the conviction of the defendant therein his first great achievement the crime had I 1 been murder foul and raged justice had called aloud he was a young man anu the dignity and majesty of the law had impressed him greatly lie ile had not failed to do his whole duty and in three more weeks bill dill tripp the defendants was to tie be hanged the attorney had been proud of 0 his success his work had been thorough and the many words of praise be stowed upon him by lawyers stand ing high in their profession had pleased him greatly of what this gratifying success meant to the man on trial for his life he had never really thought until the solemn words of the death sentence brought sudden realization somehow the low tones of the judge had awakened within him a new appreciation of what to him had seemed merely a suit at law and he glanced wonderingly at the tall young man standing halt half carelessly listening intently to the tones that were ringing 11 s death knell it seemed impossible that his life so strong and vigorous must end and because of this because of his ef forts torts with these new thoughts came a disturbing sense of his own cespon response res sl ability and for a moment he almost re fretted having chosen the profession of law now came the father of bill tri tripp P P to ask for mercy there was still the I 1 A t seem right tu let em hang him an him our boy he added apologetically majesty and dignity of the law but komenow that seemed no longer of euch such splendid importance rhe f he voice of the old man aroused him and he listened ned bill hain t got much more time you rou know onless huthins s done fur an we want tu try tu help some fore it s tu late t seea seers right tu let em hang im an him our boy he added apologetically phout th 0 ut doln a thing an him shet up and kain t help himself I 1 reckon we dun all ez could be dun so fur gittin a good lawyer fur im an but you know how now we want tu try an see ef the duvner wont du euthin fur im we lowed bebby et ef wed we d go tu im an tell im fin the hull thing he mout mut be ailiin to fix it so bill ud be sen sent t to prison stead 0 hangin ma an me we talked it all over and lowed that ef we auz tu come tu you at e on the white forehead there ap feared a tiny blotch you mout help us with the duvner of course I 1 know you was agin bill in the trial but I 1 reel on twant cuz of eny hard beelin s you had agin maan ma an me so now the trials over we kinder lowed you d just as ilef he d go tu jail eteau of that other tain t ez if we auz askin fur im tu be set free that ud be askin tu much he explained in desperate earnestness but et ef they d shet im up even fur the balance of his natural days et ud be better n now bills bill s bin a bit wild I 1 know an air them ez thinks hangin plenty good fur im but taint tain t on bills bill s ac count I 1 in askin nur mine et s ma s the old mans man s voice softened almost to a whisper and ue e rubbed his brown hands together nervously bills bill s her boy he went on the only one she s got left an she sot great store by im I 1 reckon it comes powerful hard to give im up fur y know et s a way with cimmin folks tu jest keep on luvin somehow they don t see faults like men folks can ma s bed hed a heap 0 borror in her lite she hes sight mor morn n joy T other children are out on the hillside four uv em ein an when they was tuk one after auther she auz allus strong ez could be curnin tu luv the rest mor morn n ever when they auz all gone captin bill why he kinder seemed tu fill the place in er heart of all the rest but bill auz allus good to his ma say that fur im an now he s got tu be tuk from her in such a way I 1 in feared it pears tu her like ez ef hain t euthin left not thet she s fur got the other children ma d never du that an graves air kep neat as a pin but seems ef since this trouble of bill a she s thought more bout them n ever some way in her worrying she a s got the notion at et of he dies ez the bedge says he s got tu t be right tu put im out with the others that et they could speak they d say they d ruther he d be put some place else not at he d be eny ony different tu ma however he died but et s the dis disgracing gracin way he s got tu die at makes ma think the others t want im it worries her dreadful she says et seems cruel an lonesome like to put fin away by himself so I 1 thought et ef could be changed an bill go tu prison stead uv hangin ma t hev that air tu worry her then arter while when Is time come wouldn t be no objections tu is bein put out on the hill with the rest bebby ma an me mb d be by anen an she could hev bill back with her an the others et ef you d help us speak a word tu the govner et ud du a power uv good an ud please ma an me n bill tu ud be much oble eged fur yer helpin her when the old man ceased sp eakin t A iii si it the attorney sat a lew few moments n thoughtful silence then said earnest ay 1 I 1 fissure ou I 1 will do all that I 1 can to get him to commute your son a sen ence to imprisonment and we will hope to the last that he will do so for bills bill s sake and for ma s true to his word the attorney was tireless in his efforts to secure execl tave clemency for the condemned man but without avail on the day set for the execution a morbidly curious crowd had early gath ered in a halt half circle about the scaffold erected on the slope of the hill behind the jail some distance away from the outer edge of the circle and behind all the others old man tripp drove up in a farm wagon and stopped at the toot foot of the scaffold huddled a crumpled figure in black supported by a group of neighborhood friends the elsoner ascended the steps to the platform alone for a moment he hesitated then bent to speak a few words in a low tone to the grief strick en mother beneath him then straight ening to bis his full height his glance swept quickly over the half circle of faces about him at point his gaze halted and a puzzled look came into his eyes this was followed quickly by a look of brightening in telli gence and a smile wreathed his pallid face the waiting crowd looked in awed fascination at tbs man who could smile at such a moment then the sheriff stepped forward time was up after one swift glance at his almost fainting mother bill tripp turned slightly fixing his eyes upon the top most branch of a nearby tree his body drawn erect and end stiffened as if to re a shock while about his lips the strange smile still lingered at that instant there tell fell upon the tense nervous ears of the waiting crowd the distant report of a rifle and on the white forehead of the man before them there appeared a tiny blotch from which a widening band of crimson spread rapidly as bill tri tripp p sank upon the platform against the green slope of a certain hill hi il a newly made grave gleams yel lowly four other mounds are there and two old people a man and a woman are busily engaged in planting flowers |