The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-01-23
The,ss sWarders Daughter

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Marion Hyde was cripple, bat for al
hat she was beautiful. Her father Vas
xarder ia 4 prison Among the priso
lers was ons sat the registering OF whose
name at bic entrance Marion had been
present, and something in ] his youthful
heugh sulien lace attracted het pitiful
glance. he had stolen repeatedly from
lis benefactor, and finally had admitted
nte the, house, in the night time gang
If burglars, who had secured considera
Die booty ana made off with it in safety,
ave one, after severely. wounding The
proprietor OF lheihousc. This one who
aot able 70 escape betrayed the compile
~ Of the young man in the affair, He
soasicted and sentenced.
There was no redeeming feature appa
emily to the story, but somehow that
lace haunted the girls gentle thoughts
Perhaps it was because she had a young
brother who was wild lad, wandering
Just now in disgrace, none knew width
er, and all the more tenderly loved by
Marion because of his sad ways. zzslel
One day as she leaned on the window
sill, looking with wistful sadness into
the yard ut 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 were yet some
what 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. Hh.ivlb {lssrps sd 'liu I'd . ,at
1t was Aymer Preston oi,t. H..
The pext she knew OF him he was in
the sick, ward. f''t gus s'''
For few weeks she saw him there,
hut 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; rand
the prison physician told Marion that be
was dying OF sheer inanition ss5g %
"Isis 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. iaa bae lsaa sd 1ile5
B But she might as we'll have talked.te
the blank wall, for all sign he gave o.
having heard her.
Marion left the ward with a shocked
and anxious face. Hsi'3e@a8o keTaM
'Let me know if there is any change
or you think of anything I can do,r shs
then said to the doctor.
But at dusk the doctor was called
away by serious illness in his own fami
~, and near midnight the assistant, GO
ing his rounds, found Aymer Preston
dead in bed. gl t,lroE ,s..-,s !,
sits either make. believe or heart
break" DR.. Putnev said sharply, wheI
word was brought him, and be ordered
that Preston'st body should besskep
wrapped in blankets and not removed
til. he saw it. soJis.4 s,.r g
The order was obeyed, but when thre,
days saw no change in the form, DR.
Putney having meanwhile examined it. i
was removed to the dissecting room t
await the DOCTORS verdict as to the caus,
of death. ,,,.-
That very night DR.. Putney himsel
was attacked with violent indisposition
and his "suhject" was left to the solitar,
occupation of the dissecting-room. 4
Marion Hyde's window commanded
view of this mysterious and horror in
spring apartment. As she stood at be
window that night she thought, With ,
vague thrill of pain, of the one cold,stil
tenant of that terrible room. = ,es, as
She was not timid, superstition
creature,nor by any means given 10 ner
vousness; so when she saw the wiado,
Of the dissecting-room slowly lifted, an,
gaunt, wild face appear at the opening
instead of screaming or running away
she stood still. She knew that her hear
was threbbing wildly, but she knew ais,
that it was no phantom she looked upon
DR.. Pntney had been right all the time
Aymer Preston was not dead, and thu
he was making one wild effort for libel
tX Marion Hyde stood and watches
him A''' : - p
She could not have called out jus
then il he had been the most desperat
and hardened criminal within lhos
walls. Besides, the poor wretch wa
only mocking himself. He could no
escape even now unless by a miracle =
She saw him stop presently before win
dow, which opened into an upper hall
and after long effort raise it, and slo "
ly drag himself through, qg,g Of ssftin
Obeying an impulse which she coul
not at the moment control, Marion soft
| ly opened her door and passed out with
out her crutch for fear OF the noise. Sh
reached the hall just as this poor waste
creature, after brief rest. was urgin,
his half,psraly ed limbs to renewed ei
fort, At the sight of her he gasped an,
dropped in swoon snd Marion hurrie,
to his side She dared not leave hin, 81
she waited, rubbing his cold hands be
tween her tender palms, till he at las
opened his eyes. and she made him CON
prehend that she wanted him to com
| with her.
Il won't go back to prison. be whis
pered between his set teeth. spdRS
b"You need not" she said simply, an
led him to her own chamber. u & Us
There was positively no other plac
that was safe from the strict search tbs
she knew would be instituted as 500
as he was discovered to be MISSING
She procured him some garments whic
had belonged to her brother, and sh
got him such food as would be safe fo
him to eat after his long fast. 4 edi' ''
He regarded all her movements wit
the incredulous wonderment of child,
"What has been the matter with me 2
be asked after q while. ~ could nc
stir any more than though I was dead
but knew all that was going on abot
me. Ugh! it was frightful waiting ther
in the dissecting room. p l believe it wa
only the horror of ithelped me to brea
the frightful spell "gofg 30 diaa
81 suppose you were in a sort (
trance" Marion said, thoughtfully. sr
"What are you going to do with me
be asked again p ia9a.ao 9ti halBra
s"I don't t know, am sure" she sait
with sigh; "but you are safe here till