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Show FUR MA'S SAKE. By LAURA ELLEN BEALE. (Copyright, 1902, by Daily Stort Peblishing CoMfAUT 0 grod an' 'ud please ma mightily, an' lua'n Bill tu, 'ud be much objeegeil i'ur yer helpin' her." When the old man ceased speaking the attorney sat a tew moments In thoughtful silence, then said earnestly: earnest-ly: "I assure you, I will do all that I can to get him to commute your son's sentence to imprisonment, and we will hope to the last that he will do so, for Bill's sake and for ma's." True to his word, the attorney was tireless in his efforts to secure executive execu-tive clemency for the condemned man, but without avail. On the day set for the execution, a morbidly curious crowd had early gathered gath-ered in a 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, ana behind all the others, old man Tripp drove up in a farm wagon and stopped. At the foot of the scaffold, huddled a crumpled figure in black, supported by a group of neighborhood friends. The prisoner ascended the steps to the platform, alone. For a moment he hesitated, then hent to speak a few words in a low tone, to the grief-stricken mother beneath him, then straightening straight-ening to his full height, his glance swept quickly over the half circle of faces about him. At one point, his gaze halted, and a puzzled look came Into his eyes. This was followed quickly by a look of brightening Intelligence," In-telligence," and a smile wreathed his pallid face. The waiting crowd looked In awed; fascination at the man who could smile at such a moment. Then tha sheriff stepped forward. Time was up. After one swift glance at his almost fainting mother, Bill Tripp turned slightly, fixing his eyes upon the topmost top-most branch of a nearby tree, his bodyi drawn erect, and stiffened as if to resist re-sist a shock, while about his lips the strange smile still lingered. At that instant, there fell upon the tense, nervous ears of the waiting, crowd, the distant report of a rifie, and on the white forehead of the man before them, there appeared m The office of the commonwealth attorney at-torney was stifling, and a musty bookish book-ish odor from the shelves along the walls pervaded the room. The attorney, red-faced and glistening glisten-ing with perspiration, sat at his desk, upon which were numerous bundles of legal papers, upon which he tried vainly vain-ly to fix his mind. Arranging som? 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 chair impatiently, im-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 eyeing eye-ing him seriously. He was a tall, lean old fellow, with a face and neck much tanned by wind and sun, and clad in the simple garb of the mountain moun-tain dweller, his soil-stained bare feet giving no warning of their owner's approach. The look of petulance upon the face of the attorney changed to an expression expres-sion of gravity as he recognized his visitor, and when he greeted him his voice was low, almost strained. "How are you, uncle Tom?" he said, "come In and sit down." The old man did not return the greeting, but silently slouched in and sank into a chair. "It's 'bout Bill," he began briefly, fixing his eyes upon I the attorney. The latter nodded but did not speak, and the old man continued, con-tinued, "I've come to see ef eny-tbing eny-tbing could be dun fur Bill." The case of the People vs. Tripp had been the commonwealth attorney's attor-ney's first big case; the conviction of the defendant therein his first great achievement. The crime had been i murder, foul premeditated and out- j raged justice had called aloud. He ; was a young man, ami the dignity and i majosty o Uxe law had impressed him j strong and vigorous, must end, and because of this because of his efforts. ef-forts. With these new thoughts came a disturbing sense of his own responsibility, responsi-bility, and for a moment he almost regretted re-gretted having chosen the profession of law. Now came the father of Bill Tripp to ask for mercy. There, was still the majesty and dignity of the law, but somehow that seemed no longer of such splendid importance. The voice of the old man aroused him, and he listened. "Bill hain't got much more time, you know, onless suthin's done fur 'irn, an we want tu try tu help some 'fore it's tu late. 'Twouldn't seem right tu let 'em hang 'Im, an' him our boy," he added apologetically, " 'thout doin' a thing, an him shet up thar and kain't help hisself. "I reckon we dun all ez could be dun, so fur, gittin' a good lawyer fur 'im'an' but you know how 'twas. Now we want tu try an' see ef the Guvner won't du su(thin' fur 'im. "We 'lowed mebby ef we'd go tu'im an' tell 'im the hull thing, he mout be willin' tb fix it so Bill' ud be sent to prison, Istead o' hangin'. Ma an' me, we talked it all over, and 'lowed that ef we wuz tu come tu you, 'at you mout help us with the Guvner. "Of course, I know you was agin Bill in the trial, but I reckon 'twant cuz of eny hard feelin's you had agin ma an' me, so now the trial's over we kinder 'lowed you'd just as lief he'd go tu jail 'steai. of that other. 'Tain't ez if we wuz askin' fur 'im tu be set free, that 'ud be askin' tu much," he explained in desperate earnestness. "But ef they'd shet 'im up, even fur the balance of his natural days, et "ud be better'n 'tis now. Bill's bin a bit wild, I know, an' thar air them ez thinks hangin' plenty good 'miff fur Mm, but 'tain't on Bill's (tc-count (tc-count I'm askin', nur mine, et's ma's." The' old man's voice softened almost to a whisper, and lie rubbed his brown hands together nervously. "Bill's her boy," he went on, "the only one she's got left, an' she sot great store by 'im. I reckon it comes powerful hard to give 'im up, fur y'know et's a way with wimmin folks tu jest keep on luvin'. Somehow they don't see faults like men folks can. Ma's hod a heap o' sorror in her life, she lies; 'nuff sight mor'n joy. T'other children are out thar on the hillside, four uv 'em, an' when they was tuk, one arter nuther, she wuz alius strong ez could be, turnin' tu luv the rest nvr'n ever. When they wuz all gone, Yi plin' Bill, why he kinder seemed tu fill the place in 'er heart of all the rest. Hut Bill wuz alius good to his ma, I'll say that fur 'im, an' now he's got tu be tuk from her In such a way, I'm f pa red it 'pears tu her like ez ef thar hain't nulhin' left. Not thet she'3 fur-eii; fur-eii; tae other children ma'd never du tiiLit an' thar graves air kep' neat as a pin. but. seems ef since this trouble nf ill's, she's thought more 'bout ti."in 'n ever. "Some way, in her worryln', she's got f ie notion 'at ef he dies, ez the Ji'lst' says he's got tu, 'twouldn't be ris;!it tu put 'im out thar with the others tha: ef th".v could speak, nry'd say they'd ruther he'd be put so:ne place else. Not 'at he'd be eny (iiliprnnt tu ma, however he died, but pi's the disgracin' way he's got tu die, at makes ma think the others wouldn't want 'im. It worries ner dreadful. She says et seems cruel iu' lonesome-like to put 'im away by hisself. So I thought ef could be changed an' Bill go tu prison, 'stead uv hangin', ma wouldn't hev that air . tu worry her. Then arter 'while, when : is time come, thar wouldn't be no i objections tu 'is bein' put out thar on i he hill, with the rest. Mebby ma an' me'd be thar by men, an' she could ; hev Bill back with her an' the others, i Ef you'd help '.is speak a word tu the Govcer, et 'ud du a power ut U- j K J m On the white toreneid tnera appeared ap-peared a tiny blotch. tiny blotch, from which a widening band of -crimson spread rapidly, as Bill Tripp sank upon the platform. Against the green slope of a certain hill, a newly made grave gleams yel-lowly. yel-lowly. Four other mounds are there, and two old people, a man and a woman, are busily engaged in planting flowers. " 'Twouldn't seem right tu let 'em ' hang him, an' him our 1 : "," he addeil apologetically greatly. He had not failed to do his whole duty, and in three more weei-.s Bill Tripp, the del'er.dat'ls was to be hanged. The attorney had been mwstl of his success. 1 lis work had b"ou taomav.!! and the many words !' ira-;n .--stowed upon him. by lawyers sta lling ll-ing high in their pvt- !! . l's I pleased him greatly, of what this gratifying success meant tn lap man mi trial for his life, lie bad never eally thought, until the solemn words f the death senteree brought sudden realization. Somehow the low tones of the Judge h.'.d awaken d within him a r.ew appreciation of wdar u him had seemed merely a suit at Law. and l.e glanced wondcrirply a; th" tall young man standing ir." mreli's.s-y. listening Intently to thi macs taat were ringing . cle.i.l knll. It seemed impossible that -is life, so |