Show a 0 c A candle I 1 in JL JL the WAd wilderness erness 1 ol 01 tale of the beginning of new england ft oy by 6 v irvng irving bacheller R service copyright by irving Bt Bac chellar haller CHAPTER XIV continued 26 the governor arrived with his six swordsmen swordsman swords men and halberdiers halber halberd diers lers the one colorful token of pomp in the colony peggy weld stood with philander forman a little beyond the entrance we were waiting for a look at you yon and to tell you ou of our love said william smiled ile he shook their hands saying to peggy you great lawyer why are you so pale and anxious be of good cheer they went to their seats in a moment or so the meeting house was filled E even en the stairways were crowded with the young the prisoners filed in led by the ponderous john samp with sword and pistol hanging from his belt they were followed by three armed constables all heads were turned to look at the children of satan among whom wa was 8 robert kobert ileath heathers ers with the hempen noose around his neck why has that humiliation been put upon him william asked himself as lie he looked A like query was in the minds mind of many was it a warning to the eyll evil minded a token of the dreadful punishment he was soon to suffer the truth Is the noose was vaa put on roberts neck that morning in compliance with a special order from the governor now in front of the pulpit wherein sat the minister was a platform for elders and a little lower one for the deacons of the parish there was no musical instrument anstrum ent the presenter arose blew on a little box of wood with w ith a movable slide to get his pitch and led the congregation in the opening hymn doctor cotton said in the first prayer when the devil ma keth a man to boll against his hl brother and that lie he be hardly treated I 1 pray that the man may consider himself and say 1 I have offended god more than tills this poor sinner hath offended me no doubt the heart of the good doctor was touched by the plight of the young man who had been his friend rev john wilson asked those who wished to be preyed arn aed for to arise and present their bills william cleydon arose and walked to the side of his friend who sat at the end of the prisoners pew next to the aisle the stage had been carefully set bet for this dramatic moment by the governor goer nor william took the hempen noose from roberts neck and put it on his own this Is my confession lie he said before this day I 1 should have made it long have hae I 1 walked among you with this burden on me waiting for the chance to prove my courage and my manhood for I 1 could not bear to dle die and a coward now I 1 stand here covered with my shame when you iou pray for me pray also for the soul of her who shared my sin to justify my act in your hearing I 1 have not the will cotry to try I 1 set myself before another judgment seat and of its finding I 1 have hae no fear the ithe man whose thame and burden I 1 now take upon me ran away in the hope that by so doing he could save my life lie ile has suffered feied suf much for hla his love oe of me of that I 1 would not fall to tell you only one fear Is in my heart that my small service sen ice to the public and my many friends may embair embarrass ass the court I 1 have suffered the torment of the damned dan ined my hope my pride my cherished plans hae have been swept away I 1 stand before you ou stripped and naked I 1 shall go hence to my home and there await your further wishes I 1 no longer tear fear you if you sou would tighten this noose upon my neck until my life Is ended you will only grieve my friends not me lie he went to his seat it was a tense moment A little groan came from the lips of margaret hooper tears were flowing down her cheeks she could fathom the depth of his words as could no other the young man bent his head and whispered in her ear A deep electric silence had fallen upon the crowd emphasized by little signs of emotion the hand of god was being laid on the souls of the people rev philander arose and went to william lie he took the noose from his neck these were lila his words 1 I have said to the magistrates and I 1 say again that the william cleydon who has spoken to you with the grace of god in his heart Is not the man who broke a law of the court but one who has risen through suffering to a manhood noble and beloved the like of which la is not n this colony heydon the sinner has already suffered the pain of death ile he Is not here only the name remains a thing without substance it if there he be one among you who dares to think that lie he Is as tree free of sin as this young friend of mine let him hurl the first stone sione but I 1 warn him that tha t his conceit shall not pass unnoticed the prayer the sermon followed but for to ronce once not many could have told what was sold said in them the psalm singing and the benediction I 1 there were many benedictions that morning as me ine perlue crowded around william and robert and shook their hands it was a sight as comely as the curtains of solomon said margaret Marear pt hooper dear son the grace 0 god was poured upon your face no stone was hurled then or later again free fre the young men walked to their home with margaret and peggy and the sun shone and sons ong sparrows and bluebirds were singing ingi g on either side of them as they walked and talked together they found amos waiting on the small veranda 1 I tried to travel by the light 0 the moon lie he suld sald to 1 I were lost and foundered in the darkness so they got by me on the path ills his words had reference to william and his returning company faithful peggy exclaimed it does not matter robert Is free amos threw his hat high above his head and lifted his right foot and shook it vigorously you are to go out to my house tomorrow prepared to stay said peggy 1 I need your help there it may be that robert will come to see us ns now and then 1 I think that it is very likely said robert with it a smile but you are not to come until thursday said peggy then we shall be ready for you for a time the young men were engaged with their business affairs on thursday they went out ao to moon dawn it Is very beautiful said robert 1 I should love loe to live here well I 1 built it hoping that you would she answered with a smile ile he kissed her lips and said as he looked down into her eyes 1 I n now 0 w ask you to marry me its th the e first chance ive had she answered with a laugh come to the house and I 1 will perform my last act its as your lawyer I 1 will collect my fee rev mr Is there and william and amos in business I 1 I 1 neglect act no detail again he kissed her amos came upon them suddenly while they were in this tender attitude dont mind me he said this la Is as fatral tor for the young as coln he knew that the penalty was wa death barefoot to a goose may bothin worse than a moonbeam ever cross yer path 0 As they walked together up the hill peggy said dear robert tell me the story of that black night when you went away with amos on the tavern ship and took my heart with you and left us in a cloud of mystery now it may be told the young lover answered 1 I was returning to our home about nine thirty five I 1 found amos waiting tor for me in thu the dooryard I 1 heard a dog barking balking and a loud yelp down the road and the feet of a man running toward th the e house I 1 left amos and went out into the road it Is a thing that I 1 cannot explain but those footsteps seemed to tell me that they were williams and that he was wai in trouble I 1 ran toward the sound of them about ten rods from our door william came out of the darkness and fell into my arms he was nearly spent lie ile told me what had happened in the thicket he knew that the penalty was death I 1 had my wits about me I 1 said it was dark in the thicket the constable could not tell whether it was you or 1 I that little woman will not betray you I 1 will run away with amos be sure to think that I 1 am the guilty man you go up now to the camp and tell beggs to take charge of the men in the morning ile he set out tor for the camp I 1 told amos that I 1 had to get away from there and quickly lie he knew that the tavern ship was going out at midnight its captain had been trying to hire him I 1 had to go or be n witness against my iny friend I 1 was in eager haste I 1 got my my wallet and gun and we set out for the shore where amos amo had a boat house and a canoe we reached the tavern ship in good time when news came to the ship chip that willlam was to be tried for his lift I 1 did what hat I 1 could to turn suspicion upon myself and that was a help to my friend as time went on one thing was not in my reckoning mabel hartley revealed the identity Iden of her companion though she tried later to take it back it Is likely that for some time she and william had been well acquainted but all this Is to be forgotten she was fair very fair to look upon and one cannot help being human even in ili america be of good cheer s said aid peggy w with ith a smile 1 I shall try to keep you out of danger often I 1 wonder at what has come to pass in the soul of ray my friend the young lover remarked 1 I reckon a man Is like a tree it if he Is well rooted strength from the source of all power comes into him and he grows lint but a man can make hla his own soil and sunlight so that there Is a kind of magic in his growth reggy peggy answered somehow william got in touch with that power which hung the earth upon nothing and keeps it spinning in the sky so I 1 wonder not that we have seen a miracle near the end of his term governor vane was voted down because of his liberal views lie ile returned to england and became one of the great figures in its history a member of parliament in 1040 treasurer of the navy when blake won his victories a member ot of the long parliament wherein lie he led the opposition to the royalist party and was largely responsible pon sIble for the trial and execution of the earl of Tord ile he went to scotland as a commis commissioner doner to negotiate an alliance through its his persuasion the solemn league and covenant cov anant was adopted lie ITO was on a all 11 commissions treating ng w with ith the king lie ile led the minority in 1010 lie he had the control of the n navy av 7 and of all foreign wars in 1051 ho be opposed dissolution of pair diament by force and became hla his enemy after death lie ha led the republican party then the restoration and the famous letter of 0 charles 11 II in which lie wrote to hla his counselors ile he vane Is too dangerous a man to let live it if we can honestly put him out of the way vane was tried for treason and although innocent was denied the benefit 0 counsel or a days delay to secure witnesses lie ile went to the block and in his last words lie sounded the keynote of the puritan character 1 I can die but I 1 cannot vlola violate temy my conscience william a wealthy planter and shipbuilder in america and quietly influential in its liberal party was in england at that time lie ile was waa among the many friends of sir harry vane who went to speak a friendly word to him and take a last look at his beloved face william was then forty eight years old he had never married A modest unpretentious citizen rarely seen and never heard in public assemblies it Is nevertheless true that for many years the rulers of the colony were named by the master of it was his friend richard bellingham twice governor who late in 1061 sent him cheering news from england 1 I have seen bessie brade brada ho be wrote she Is the victim of a fathers stubborn pride like you sou ebs Is living with a memory I 1 learn that she wrote to you sou long ago I 1 wonder it if the letter ever came to your hand probably not then a friend of her father coming over reported that you yon were soon to marry discouraged by this f false alse report she engaged lite litesell ht iselt self to a son of the second earl of warwick who before their wedding was killed in a battle at sea she loves you in the last year her father has haa passed uway away you are still in the full streng strength ot your manhood you owe owa it to yourself and to her t to 0 g go 0 t to a england and there amend the re remarkable m a r k story of your life and hers she has suffered not less than you but through it all she has kept her beauty beauts so it happened that william iley don took a ship for england in the crowd at vanes funeral he met the lady bess ile he took her hand the glory of youth Is gone but still you are beautiful ho he said if so BO it Is because I 1 have had a memory and a hope she answered she took his arm and they walked away together THE END |