Connecticut western news., 1877-01-26
THE WARDER'S DAUGHTER.

Mar1on Hyde was cripple, but for all that she was beautiful. Her father was warder ill prison. Among the prison CTS was one at the registering of whose name at his entrance Marion had been present, and something in his youthful though sullen face attracted her pitiflll glance. He had stolen repeatedly from his benefactor, and finally had admitted into the house in the nighttime gang of burglars, who had secured considerable booty and made off with it in safety, save one, after severely pounding the propri- etor of the house. This one who was not able to escape betrayed the compicity of the young man in the affair. He was tried, convicted and sentenced.
 There was no redeeming feature ap- parently to the story, but somehow that face haunted the girls gentle thoughts Perhaps it was because she had young brother who was wild lad, wandering just now in disgrace, no one knew whith- CT, and all the more tenderly loved by | Marion because of his sad ways. One day as she leaned on the window | sill, looking with & wistful sadness into | the yard at the prisoners, one of them looked up, and, changed as he was in every wan, thin feature, she knew again | the black, sullen eyes that yet were l somehow like an angry, obstinate child's. Her glance followed him as though ! fascinated, and as he. passed from sight she sighed softly and went in to look at the prison record for the poor lads name.
 It was symer Preston. The next she knew of him he was in 1 the sick ward.
 For few weeks she saw him there, l but the gloomy eyes never softened, only gazed straight before them from their hollow sockets, or hid themselves obsti- nately behind their wasted lids.
 He never spoke, he scarcely ate; and the prison physician told Marion that he was dying of sheer hamilton.
 It is my opinion he's trying to starve himself to death, he said. Marion drew near the sick lad.
 She bent over him and spoke with gen tie firmness.
 But she might as we'll have talked to the blank wall, for all sign he gave of having heard her.
 Marion left the ward with a shock@l and anxious face.
 "Let me know if there is any change, or you think of anything that can do, y she then said to the doctor.
 But at dusk the doctor was called away by serious illness ill his own family, and near midnight the assistant, going his rounds, found Aymer Preston dead in bed
 "It's either make believe or heart break,' Dr. Putney said, sharply, when word was brought him, and he ordered ped in blankets and not removed till he saw it.
 The order was obeyed, but when three days saw no change in the form, Dr. Putney having meanwhile examined it. it was removed to the dissecting-room.
 Marion Hyde's window commanded q view of this mysterious and horror in spring apartment. As she stood at hel window that night she thought, with { vague thrill of pain, of the one cold, stil tenant of that terrible room. She was not timid, superstitious creature, nor by any means given to nervousness; so when she saw the win } dow of the dissecting-room slowly lifted and gaunt, wild face appear at tn, opening, instead of screaming or run } ming away, she stood still. She knev that her heart was throbbing wildly, bu she knew also that it was no phantom sh, looked upon. Doctor Putney had beel right all the time. Aymer Preston wa , not dead, and thus he was making on' wild effort for liberty. Marion Hyd stood and watched him.
 She could not have called out just thel if he had been the most desperate ant hardened criminal within those walls
 Besides, the poor wretch was only mock ing himself. He could not escape evel now unless by miracle. She saw hin stop presently beside a window, whicl
 opened into an upper hall, and after D long effort raise 1t and slowly drag him
 self through.
 p Obeying an impulse which she coul, l. not at the moment control, Marion softl
 opened her door and passed out withou B. her crutch for fear of the noise. Sh 2. reached the hall just as this poor waste
 creature, after brief rest, was urgin ts effort. At the sight of her he gaspe
 hurried to his side. She dared not leav r. him, so she waited, rubbing his col
 hands between her tender palms, till h
 at last opened his eyes and she mad
 him comprehend that she wanted him come with her.
 "I won't go back to prison" he whi'
 pered, between his set teeth. E. "You need not, she said, simply, an
 led him to her own chamber. = There was positively no other plae m that was safe from the strict search tn,
 she knew would be instituted as soon {
 he was discovered to be missing. St
 procured him some garments which ha
 belonged to her brother, and she got hil
 such food as would be safe for him to c.
 after his long fast.
 E He regarded all her movements wit
 the incredulous wonderment of child.
 "What has been the matter with me he asked, after while. "I could n