The Preacher of Cedar Mountain: A Tale of the Open CountrySeton, Ernest Thompson
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The Preacher of Cedar Mountain: A Tale of the Open Country
Seton, Ernest Thompson
Clergy -- Fiction; Great Plains -- Fiction; Western stories
Belle's hand trembled as she noted the house, the number and the very
room; then, passing quickly around the corner, she hailed a cab and
drove for life to the telegraph office, where she telegraphed Jim:
"Hold up the execution for two hours; we have found Squeaks."
(Signed) "BELLE"
Then away to the police station. "Captain, Captain, I've found Squeaks!
Come, come at once and get him."
"I have to know about it first," said he, calmly.
"Oh, Captain, there is no time to lose. It is ten o'clock now; the
execution is fixed for noon."
The Captain shook his head.
"Then telegraph the Governor," she begged.
"He wouldn't pay any attention to your say-so."
"Then come at once and see; I have a cab here."
The Captain and two men went with Belle. They entered the cab. "I'll
give you double fare to go your fastest," Belle said through her white,
compressed lips; and the kindly cabman, sensing something out of common,
'Said, "I'll do my best, miss."
In ten minutes, they were in the side street. The bear was gone, the
crowd was gone. The police entered without knocking, went to the second
floor, to the very door and then knocked. There was no answer. The
Captain put his shoulder to the door and forced it in. There, sure
enough, standing in an attitude of fear in a far corner was the thin
woman of the gray cloak.
"Where is Judge Squeaks? He was seen in this room half an hour ago."
"I don't know what you mean," and she covered her face with her skinny
hands and began to cry.
"You must come to the station at once," said the Captain. Then to Belle:
"Will you testify that this is the woman?"
Belle was white and trembling, but she walked up and said: "I will
testify that this is--" She reached forward, peering at the woman's
hidden face. Then seizing the loose hair, Belle gave one jerk, the wig
came off, and they were facing Judge Squeaks!
"My God!" was all the Captain had to say. "The telephone as quick as
possible! You hold him." He dashed down the stairs and made for the
nearest long distance wire. It was half an hour before they could
connect with Springfield, only to learn that the Governor had left for
Chicago and was expected to arrive there about noon.
CHAPTER LVIII
In the Death House
Shay sat calmly waiting as the big clock ticked his life away that
morning in the house of death at Joliet. At eleven o'clock, Hartigan
received Belle's telegram: "We have found Squeaks." He rushed to the
Sheriff with it. That officer was very sorry, but "no one except the
Governor had any right to order a stay."
"Why, sir," said Jim, "you are not going to hang an innocent man, when
here is proof of his innocence."
"There is no proof in that telegram. I don't know who "Belle" is. I get
my orders from the Courts. No one but the Governor can order a
reprieve."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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