Lincoln's dressmaker and arranged
for it at this late hour. She must not be seen leaving her father's
house to-night.
She drove rapidly to the Capitol, stopped her carriage at the north end,
entered the building through the Senate wing, quickly passed out again,
and in a few minutes had presented her pass to the commandant of the Old
Capitol Prison.
The woman inspector made the most thorough search and finding nothing
suspicious, allowed her to enter the dimly lighted corridor of the death
watch.
The turnkey loudly announced:
"The sister of the prisoner, Ned Vaughan!"
She met him face to face in the large cell in which the condemned were
allowed to pass their last night on earth. The keen eyes of a guard from
the Inspector's office watched her every act and every movement of her
body.
Ned stared at her. His heart beat with mad joy. She was going to play
his sister's part! He would take her in his arms for the first time and
feel the beat of her heart against his and their lips would meet. He
laughed at death as he looked into her eyes with the hunger of eternity
gleaming in his own.
There could be no hesitation on her part.
She threw both arms around his neck crying:
"Brave, foolish boy!"
He held her close, crushed her with one mad impulse, and slowly relaxed
his arms.
Pages:
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336