Not long ago in
an adjoining State a man, who had served seventeen years of a life
sentence for murder, was found to be wholly innocent. What happened?
A PARDON was handed to him and he walked out of prison, broken
in spirit, health and purse. His small fortune had been wiped out
in the futile effort to prove his innocence. He gave up seventeen
years of his life and then WAS PARDONED for the sacrifice. He
should have been paid for every day spent in prison. That was the
very least they could have done."
"I see now what you mean," mused Hetty. "I have never thought of
it in that way before."
"Well, it comes to this in our case, Hetty: I have tried you all
over again in my own little court and I have acquitted you of the
charge I had against you. I do not offer you a silly pardon. You
must allow me to have my way in this matter, to choose my own means
of compensating you for--"
"You saved my life," protested Hetty, shaking her head obstinately.
"My dear, I appreciate the fact that you are English," said Sara,
with a weary smile, "but won't you PLEASE see the point?"
Then Hetty smiled too, and the way was easier after that for Sara.
She gained her quixotic point, and Hetty went away from Southlook
feeling that no woman in all the world was so bewildering as Sara
Wrandall.
When she sailed for England, two days later, the newspapers announced
that the beautiful and attractive Miss Castleton was returning to
her native land on account of the death of Lord Murgatroyd, and
would spend the year on the Continent, where probably she would
be joined later on by Mrs.
Pages:
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333