The One Woman: A Story of Modern UtopiaDixon, Thomas, Jr.
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The One Woman: A Story of Modern Utopia
Dixon, Thomas, Jr.
Utopian fiction; Utopias -- Fiction
She was sure the Court of Appeals would grant a new trial. She bade
her beloved good-by at the gates of Sing Sing, and the door of the
Chamber of Death closed upon him.
Day and night she worked with tireless energy. She systematically
laid siege to the editors and owners of the papers in New York,
and at last won every hostile critic by her patience, her beauty
of character, and the infinite pathos of her love.
The moment sentence of death was pronounced on Gordon, Kate sued
for a divorce from him as a convicted felon, and it was granted.
The little dark woman became the toast of every hardened newspaper
reporter who came in contact with her. The newsboys learned to
recognise her from her pictures, and as she went in and out of the
court-rooms and the lawyers' offices they would watch and wait for
her, doff their dirty caps, smile, hand her a flower, and cry:
"She's de queen!"
When Ruth saw the notice of Kate's divorce, she asked her lawyers
to arrange at once for her to remarry Gordon at Sing Sing.
The senior counsel shook his head.
"You must not dare, madam," he gravely said. "If we should not get
a new trial, or fail on the second trial, the Governor at Albany
is our only hope."
A wave of sickening terror swept Ruth's soul. She recalled King's
strange reserve of the past months. His letters were kind and
sympathetic, but there was something hidden between their lines
that chilled her.
"We must not lose!" she answered, bitterly.
"I don't think we will," the lawyer hastened to assure her. "But
we must reserve every weapon."
The Court of Appeals decided in Gordon's favour and ordered a new
trial.
As the day approached, Ruth's nervousness increased. His chances
were better, but she could hear the awful words of Kate Ransom
swearing away his life. Their echoes rang in her soul until she
could no longer endure it.
She was at Gramercy Park at last.
When Kate swept proudly and coldly into the room, and extended her
hand, she held it in her grasp timidly and nervously.
"I've come to beg you," she said, piteously, "not to say he made
those wounds in his own breast. They fought a duel as men have often
done. You were in a swoon. You thought he did it himself because
he told you he was going to die with you. He did not hurt you. He
only laid you tenderly on the lounge, smoothed your hair, kissed
and left you. Surely you have brought me enough sorrow. Have pity
on me!"
Kate led her to a seat and spoke with quiet decision. "I said what
I believed to be the truth. I shall repeat it. I can feel his wild
beast's claws on my throat now in the night sometimes and wake with
a scream."
"Ah, but he was mad," she cried, through her tears. "He is tender
and gentle as a child. Surely you"--she paused and caught her
breath--"who have slept with your head on his dear breast know
this!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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