WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>The gallows by I W. D. Peters to morrow morning

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<v Speaker 1>at sunrise. I am to hang for the murder of

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<v Speaker 1>a man at sunrise on the ninth of June, the

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<v Speaker 1>anniversary of my wedding day. I am to be hanged

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<v Speaker 1>by the neck until I am dead. I am glad

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<v Speaker 1>this state has not yet adopted the use of electricity

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<v Speaker 1>in executions. I prefer to spend my last moments out

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<v Speaker 1>in the open under the sky. The building of the

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<v Speaker 1>gallows is finished, the workmen are gone, and it seems

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<v Speaker 1>that the execution at sunrise is certain to take place.

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<v Speaker 1>But every step along the corridor sends my heart into

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<v Speaker 1>my mouth. Gladys is working for a reprieve. I am

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<v Speaker 1>praying she will not succeed. The governor is off fishing

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<v Speaker 1>away from railroad and telegraph. If they do not locate

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<v Speaker 1>him in a few hour hours, I shall be hanged.

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<v Speaker 1>God grant they fail to find him. It is Gladys's

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<v Speaker 1>will against mine. She usually wins, but every passing minute

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<v Speaker 1>lessens her chance to have her way in this. It

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<v Speaker 1>is now ten minutes to midnight. Doctor Brander, the prison chaplain,

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<v Speaker 1>has left me gratified, poor fellow, that he has succeeded

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<v Speaker 1>in reconciling me to my fate. If he had known

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<v Speaker 1>that the tall skeleton of wood outside, with its lank

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<v Speaker 1>line of rope, was in my mind a refuge, he

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<v Speaker 1>would have turned from me in horror. The next five

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<v Speaker 1>hours will be the longest of my life. Every step

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<v Speaker 1>in the corridor strikes fear to my heart. It is

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<v Speaker 1>not because I am guilty of the crime for which

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<v Speaker 1>I was sentenced that I am glad to die. I

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<v Speaker 1>am guilty, but that doesn't mean I deserve to die.

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<v Speaker 1>I am going to hang tomorrow at sunrise because I

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<v Speaker 1>want to be hung. I could have saved myself, but

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<v Speaker 1>refused to do so, solely because life had lost its savor.

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<v Speaker 1>A great wave of disgust with living possessed and still

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<v Speaker 1>possesses me. I am writing these words now that Gladys

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<v Speaker 1>may know the truth. She has tried to see me

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<v Speaker 1>ever since I was brought here, and I have refused

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<v Speaker 1>to be seen. That is one right a condemned man

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<v Speaker 1>has to refuse to see visitors. From the day we

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<v Speaker 1>were married, Gladys demanded to know my every thought, my

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<v Speaker 1>every act, every hour of the day. If ever one

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<v Speaker 1>of them was not connected with her. She criticized, condemned,

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<v Speaker 1>or cried. She resented, in bitterly spoken words and equally

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<v Speaker 1>bitter acts, the small recesses of my soul that I,

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<v Speaker 1>for the sake of my own sine self respect, kept

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<v Speaker 1>to myself. Finally, she determined to show me that there

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<v Speaker 1>were other men who appreciated her if I did not.

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<v Speaker 1>For a while after that, all hours of the day

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<v Speaker 1>and night my home was infested with lounge lizards. I

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<v Speaker 1>endured it without a word, which infuriated her. Lester Kane,

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<v Speaker 1>a young fellow, honest and simple, was her first victim.

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<v Speaker 1>The first time I found him seated beside her on

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<v Speaker 1>the dimly lit porch, I welcomed him warmly. We smoked

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<v Speaker 1>and talked of our days in the army together. I

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<v Speaker 1>felt that Gladys could safely flirt with such as Leicester,

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<v Speaker 1>if that was what she wanted. But Lester called only

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<v Speaker 1>a few times after that. For two months there was

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<v Speaker 1>a succession of young fellows about the place. Our house

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<v Speaker 1>is not far from the west More Country Club, and

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<v Speaker 1>the golf links came almost up to our side yard.

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<v Speaker 1>Our porch was a convenient place to drop in. Suddenly,

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<v Speaker 1>all that sort of thing ceased. Gladys was away a

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<v Speaker 1>great deal, but as her mother lived in a town

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<v Speaker 1>just a few miles away, I thought nothing of it.

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<v Speaker 1>She became very quiet, was thoughtful, absent, minded, flushed easily,

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<v Speaker 1>seemed not herself. At first I was a good deal puzzled.

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<v Speaker 1>Then suddenly an explanation for the change in her dawned

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<v Speaker 1>on me. Joy filled my soul. I was inordinately gentle

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<v Speaker 1>with her, bought her a small automobile for her birthday,

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<v Speaker 1>did everything I could think of for her comfort and pleasure.

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<v Speaker 1>After all, I told myself the emotional phase she had

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<v Speaker 1>passed through was natural. Marriage is a more difficult readjustment

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<v Speaker 1>with some than others. It had evidently been so with Gladys.

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<v Speaker 1>If a child came to us, it would make everything right.

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<v Speaker 1>A child, our child, it was wonderful to think of.

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<v Speaker 1>She had always refused to consider the subject, saying that

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<v Speaker 1>she wished to enjoy life while she was young. But

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<v Speaker 1>she knew I wanted a son to bear my name,

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<v Speaker 1>a daughter to inherit her beauty, and she had accepted

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<v Speaker 1>the inevitable. A wave of excitation made me feel as

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<v Speaker 1>if I were treading on cloud I longed to mention

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<v Speaker 1>the subject to her, but I felt that the first

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<v Speaker 1>word about it should come from her. I spent hours

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<v Speaker 1>thinking of tender, loving things to do for her. She

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<v Speaker 1>accepted everything quietly, sometimes with averted face and flushed cheeks.

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<v Speaker 1>I would draw her inert figure into my arms and

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<v Speaker 1>hold her close, but she made no response to my

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<v Speaker 1>demonstrative affection. At this stage, the affairs of my firm

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<v Speaker 1>sent me on a ten day trip to close a

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<v Speaker 1>western deal. It was hard to leave Gladys, but now

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<v Speaker 1>more than ever, I felt that we would need money,

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<v Speaker 1>and lots of it. We arranged for Gladys to go

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<v Speaker 1>to her mother's and I was to join her there

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<v Speaker 1>on my return. It is the same old story. I

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<v Speaker 1>came home before I was expected, and went straight to

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<v Speaker 1>our cottage with the intention of having Gladys's room redecorated

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<v Speaker 1>before bringing her home. At the gate stood Gladys's car.

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<v Speaker 1>I rushed into the house, but there was no one

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<v Speaker 1>on the lower floor, nor in Gladys's room, nor mine.

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<v Speaker 1>I was about to descend the stairs when I heard

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<v Speaker 1>a low laugh from the third floor. I dashed up

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<v Speaker 1>there and stood gazing at the closed door of the

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<v Speaker 1>spare room what's the idea of running away from me,

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<v Speaker 1>asked the man. You can't blow hot and cold with me.

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<v Speaker 1>I told you not to come here again. It's not safe.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not afraid of that husband of yours. You are mine,

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<v Speaker 1>and you're going to stay mine. I had listened intently

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<v Speaker 1>but could not recognize the man's voice. Go now, pleaded Gladys,

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<v Speaker 1>and I'll come to your rooms this evening. Not on

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<v Speaker 1>your life. I'm here now and I'm going to stay.

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<v Speaker 1>Let go of me. You're hurting my shoulder. There was

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<v Speaker 1>a sound of a scuffle. I tried the door. It

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<v Speaker 1>was locked. I put my shoulder to it. The lock snapped.

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<v Speaker 1>Gladys gave a cry leapt away from the man, A

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<v Speaker 1>man whom I had never seen before, the lipped, black

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<v Speaker 1>browed type, big soft As I took in the scene,

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<v Speaker 1>the tousled woman, the flush faced man, a great wave

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<v Speaker 1>of disgust almost overwhelmed me, well, said the man, sneeringly.

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<v Speaker 1>What are you going to do about it? If you

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<v Speaker 1>take her away now and treat her right, nothing, And

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<v Speaker 1>if I don't take her away, I'll meet that situation

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<v Speaker 1>when it comes. It has come, he said, with a laugh,

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<v Speaker 1>and walked out. I am tall, slender, delicate looking, but

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<v Speaker 1>I knew I was a match for that overfed brute.

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<v Speaker 1>I listened to the clatter of his feet on the stairs.

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<v Speaker 1>Then I followed him. The man was hastening toward a

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<v Speaker 1>street car. I cranked Gladys's car and followed. It was

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<v Speaker 1>easy to keep the street car in sight and to

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<v Speaker 1>keep eye on his sleek black head. He left the

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<v Speaker 1>car at Hanson Street. I, without a glance toward him,

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<v Speaker 1>kept on a head. I turned at the corner in

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<v Speaker 1>time to see him enter an office building. I was

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<v Speaker 1>not far behind him when he took the elevator. The

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<v Speaker 1>man in the elevator gave me the number of his office.

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<v Speaker 1>He was telling a joke to his typist as I entered,

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<v Speaker 1>but his laughter died when he saw me, You dirty thief.

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<v Speaker 1>You'll never cheat another man out of money. His look

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<v Speaker 1>of astonishment as I shouted these words was amusing. He

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<v Speaker 1>tried to give blow for blow, but I meant what

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<v Speaker 1>I said when I shouted at him, I've come here

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<v Speaker 1>to kill you. To choke the life out of an

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<v Speaker 1>over fed beast is not so hard to an infuriated man.

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<v Speaker 1>In less than a quarter of an hour he was dead.

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<v Speaker 1>The police, for whom the Typist had called, filled the

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<v Speaker 1>room even before I had straightened out my disheveled clothing.

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<v Speaker 1>I practically tried my own case, and I was skillful

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<v Speaker 1>enough to make every word apparently uttered in my own defense,

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<v Speaker 1>sound black against me. Gladys tried to save me by

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<v Speaker 1>telling the true story of the affair, but I made

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<v Speaker 1>a picture of her as a devoted, self sacrificing wife,

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<v Speaker 1>willing to ruin even her spotless name to save her husband.

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<v Speaker 1>I enjoyed seeing her cringe as I did this. So

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<v Speaker 1>skillfully had she and the big brute managed that there

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<v Speaker 1>was not a bit of evidence to substantiate her story.

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<v Speaker 1>On the other hand, there was a typist story to

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<v Speaker 1>help me, and too, it was known that I had

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<v Speaker 1>speculated in the past, and that I had lost some money.

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<v Speaker 1>I made the most of every everything against me, and

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<v Speaker 1>it was enough, And it was enough. I was sentenced

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<v Speaker 1>to hang on the ninth day of June at sunrise.

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<v Speaker 1>Gladys came to the jail to see me while the

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<v Speaker 1>trial was going on. But I managed to act just

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<v Speaker 1>as if my story were the true one and hers not.

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<v Speaker 1>And though she pleaded with me to let the truth

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<v Speaker 1>come out. I would not admit that the truth had

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<v Speaker 1>not come out. The sentence was a terrible shock to her.

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<v Speaker 1>Her mother carried her from the courtroom in a faint

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<v Speaker 1>before she recovered I was in prison. I shall welcome

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<v Speaker 1>the hour of sunrise, as I have never welcomed any

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<v Speaker 1>moment in my life. Not until then will the fear

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<v Speaker 1>of a reprieve leave me. Gladys is moving heaven and

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<v Speaker 1>earth to locate the governor. God grant that she does

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<v Speaker 1>not succeed. It is four forty five. I have spent

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<v Speaker 1>much of the night of the window gazing out into

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<v Speaker 1>the darkness. What comes after death? That is the question

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<v Speaker 1>I suppose all men ask at the end of life.

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<v Speaker 1>I have never done so. It is a feudal question,

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<v Speaker 1>one which none of us can answer. But I believe

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<v Speaker 1>there will be a circes from the nausea that comes

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<v Speaker 1>to those who have known disillusion and disappointment. Ten minutes

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<v Speaker 1>to five, Now, surely I am safe from the chance

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<v Speaker 1>of a reprieve. Footsteps in the corridor. Is it my

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<v Speaker 1>escort to the gallows? Or what I fear most on earth?

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<v Speaker 1>A statement from the warden of Larson penitentiary. If Taylor

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<v Speaker 1>had spent the brief period always allotted to a criminal

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<v Speaker 1>for a few last words, his reprieve would have reached

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<v Speaker 1>us in time to stay the execution. But he walked calmly,

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<v Speaker 1>unfalteringly up to the gallows and helped us, with steady

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<v Speaker 1>hands adjust the cap and ropes, and he was dead

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<v Speaker 1>two minutes before the governor's message reached us. The end

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<v Speaker 1>of the gallows