He saw a look of anger from her eyes distinctly dart, For ANNIE was a _woman_, and had pity in her heart! She wished him a good evening--he answered with a glare; She only said, "Remember, for your ANNIE will be there!" * * * * * The morrow Gilbert boldly on the scaffold took his stand, With a vizor on his face and with a hatchet in his hand, And all the people noticed that the Engine of the Law Was far less like a hatchet than a dissipated saw. The felon very coolly loosed his collar and his stock, And placed his wicked head upon the handy little block-- The hatchet was uplifted for to settle PETER GRAY, When GILBERT plainly heard a woman's voice exclaiming, "Stay!" [Illustration] 'Twas ANNIE, gentle ANNIE, as you'll easily believe-- "O GILBERT, you must spare him, for I bring him a reprieve, It came from our Home Secretary many weeks ago, And passed through that post-office which I used to keep at Bow. "I loved you, loved you madly, and you know it, GILBERT CLAY, And having quite surrendered all idea of PETER GRAY, I quietly suppressed it, as you'll clearly understand, For I thought it might be awkward if he came and claimed my hand. "In anger at my secret (which I could not tell before) To lacerate poor PETER GRAY vindictively you swore; I told you if you used that blunted axe you'd rue the day, And so you will, you monster, for I'll marry PETER GRAY!" [_And so she did._] [Illustration] SORRY HER LOT Sorry her lot who loves too well, Heavy the heart that hopes but vainly, Sad are the sighs that own the spell Uttered by eyes that speak too plainly; Heavy the sorrow that bows the head When Love is alive and Hope is dead! Sad is the hour when sets the Sun-- Dark is the night to Earth's poor daughters, When to the ark the wearied one Flies from the empty waste of waters! Heavy the sorrow that bows the head When Love is alive and Hope is dead! [Illustration] AN UNFORTUNATE LIKENESS I've painted SHAKESPEARE all my life-- "An infant" (even then at play), "A boy," with stage-ambition rife, Then "Married to ANN HATHAWAY." "The bard's first ticket night" (or "ben.") His "First appearance on the stage," His "Call before the curtain"--then "Rejoicings when he came of age." The bard play-writing in his room, The bard a humble lawyer's clerk, The bard a lawyer[1]--parson[2]--groom[3]-- The bard deer-stealing, after dark. [Footnote 1: "Go with me to a notary--seal me there Your single bond." --_Merchant of Venice_, Act I., sc. 3.] [Footnote 2: "And there she shall, at Friar Lawrence' cell, Be shrived and married." --_Romeo and Juliet_, Act II., sc. 4.]