Wells High School - Crimson and Gray Yearbook (Southbridge, MA)

Page 15 text:

Love ' s Sacrifice. Continued, ghly educated and had s ent much his life in Oermany Ho one had e least suspicion, however, that was not fighting heart and soul r ?rance. As the moments passed, his fevey emed to increase. He began to Ik of home. He seemed to think s mother was beside him and, ex- ding his band toward Marguerite, clasped it in both of hers, he q her this story .- Hot her, I e tried to do what you told rae. Dined the rench army and was 8 aide-de-oamp to General Augner, gave me the plan of Battle ycu ted, mother, to carry to a en- 1 in Antwerp. To avoid sus- ion, I fell in with the ; ;i rench ops going in that direction. ' i came the battle and I am here the hospital in danger of losing left arm, and oh, how faint I 11 At thie point, he caught breath and with s struggle tinned: Mother, here are the ns. They are--, oh dear. ' Can ' t find them? They are hrre--, e in my kit just under the — . ' ' e his Tins closed tightly and dozer again . Marguerite, almost sub-. sciously grabbed his kit from floor near his bed and opened or nearly an hour she trehed, and then she found the i.:-. for the next month ' s oaa- m in the most minute details, ilfully concealed in a oake of )« ' or a moment, the .hole world amed wl irling around her. he feohed the kit wildly. Then wh:- still, .hen Bhe open eyes, th« sun whs shining ?htly and she was in bed with tree so ted beside her. She ?ted ..here were the papers? f% -s Carton? ..hat day v In s-ite of all remonstfanoss, mnle of days later, she dressed went to Carton ' bed side. Re was such tetter and, as she entered, he was carefully going over his kit. In a moment she realized that something must be done. Ilia fever of a few nights beforehand left him so suddenly that by another week he could surely leave the hospital liar guer it© also realised that she was the only one who knew about his secret Although she loved Carton, she loved her country more. Because of her nervous break- down, she was under strict orders not to work for at least a week She spent much of this time with Carton At the very thought she must betray him, she writhed in pain . he could not force her- self to forget that he was a spy and a traitor to France. Should she, for the ske of her lover, sacrifice the hueb md lovers of all the soman of ' ranee and Belgium Honor and right at last pre- vailed, although the test was hard. The night for her ts decide came at last ..he ne: t dag he would leave the hospital ' he could not see him shot, :he world need not know. Carton was more wonderful than ever that night. Marguerite talked to him softly for a long time. Eaoto smile, each word, made the torture harderto bear Ihe moon rose and shed its silvery light through the small windo.. on the handsome, motionless figure of Carton de Mares uerite had mixed a vial ofopium with his can of hot chocolate .-it a breaking heart she Hatched his life go out, she clasped his hand to her heart, and then stooped, she kissed him rently -and went out in the night, he had sacrificed her all for Prance, and the world nedd never know. . . B. »1S .

Page 17 text:

The Electrocution. he clear moonlight stremed b. the single barred window of ey prison cell and fell upon the cot in the corner. A man was upon the cot, garbed in the apparel that is characteristic state penitentiary. He had trained composure that a crim- s said to have in the last few before his death, for the next I the date set for this man ' s ocution. He moved restlessly esently closed his eyes and for sleep. As his thoughts to drift away, the panorama of ole life seemed to pass before Losed lids. He saw himself in esenafl of the court and the . He felt his heart leap to his again as the grim sentence was need. He saw himself in hes ,nd the silent Jailor coming to .im to the execution. Then he .at, for some reason or otho , by hanging had been prepare? for .stead of by electrocution, rlike, the unmoved attendants ed him up the scaffold. The rou h rope was placed about his . ,nd tightened. He cast one last i about him. The cold, dark f the executioner seemed as if . out of granite. Without a i in his oountenanoe, without a ir of an eyelash, he streched out ,nd to press the scaffold I Bang J The sleeper came to his i again with his heart widly .ng against his ribs and with cold ration standing out upon his It seemed as if he could not this torture. He strained his 50 keep himself from falling to again. The agony of suspense, . is worse than death itself, tore The grey, dismal walls seemed to mock him. With the curious in- terest a doomed man takes in the most trivial and unimportant things he watched the moon gradually sink below the edge of the window. A face was there, the face of the one he had murdered, and shuddering he turned his eyes away. The deep silence, the silence which seemed to burst his very ear-drums, appalled him. The night was slow- ly passing. Afrain, in spite of his efforts, he drifted off to sleep. Again the silent, ghostly attendant, hollow-eyed and em- aoiated, led him, this time to the block. The shining gleam of the axe seemed to fascinate the victim as he saw the red-faced executioner lift it from the around. Again came the roar in his ears and he awoke with a jump, hack in his prison-oot. The sun was just rising. He heard the step of the jailor along the hall. After what seemed an eternity, the door was opened and the attendant enter- ed. They entered a small room, where the chaplain was standing with a Bible under his arm. There was no glittering axe or fatal rope here, but a peculiar chair (on a platform) in which the prisoner was told to set. The chaplain started to read a verse; in the midst of it he raised the small wand in gis hand. A great, red light flashed before the eyes of the prisoner and the spirit of life was snapped asunder from its earthly dwelling, as the chaplain finished- Dust thou art; to dust returnest. 3. W. B. r 18