midnight
They had intellectual power enough , which , added to their utter helplessness , only made their burden more unendurable ; for they comprehended to the full the knowledge of what was past , and what must come in the future unless help came quickly . They had the strength of devotion , the strength of unselfish love . They had the will , but they had n't nothin ' to tackle it onto him with , to draw him back . For their prayers , their midnight watches , their tears , did not avail , as I said : they went jest so far ; they touched him , but they lacked the tacklin ' - power that was wanted to grip holt of him , and draw him back . What they needed was the justice of the law to tackle the injustice ; and they had n't got it , and could n't get holt of it : so they had to set with hands folded , or lifted to the heavens in wild appeal , -- either way did n't help Paul any , -- and see him a sinkin ' and a sinkin ' , slippin ' further and further down ; and they had to let him go . He drunk harder and harder , neglected his business , got quarrelsome . And one night , when the heavens was curtained with blackness , like a pall let down to cover the accursed scene , he left Cicely with her pretty baby asleep on her bosom , went down to the saloon , got into a quarrel with that very friend of hisen , the saloon-keeper , over a game of billiards , -- they was both intoxicated , -- and then and there Paul committed _ murder _ , and would have been hung for it if he had n't died in State 's prison the night before he got his sentence .