The Brookhaven leader., 1883-06-21

safe; and that was the way he got
into prison.
He suffered dreadfully when he was
shut up and made to work hard. and
never allowed to walk out except in the
tfreary prison-yard. He tried very
hard to escape. but he and all the othe,
prisoners were too closely watched for
that; and so, after awhile he gave up
trying to.get away, and worked faith
fully, partly because he was happier
when he was very busy, and partly be-
cause he won the good wfll of all the
prison officers by so doing, and once in
a while obtained little favors from them.
such as a little longer walk in the yard
on Sundays, and, after a while, work
that was easier for him to do.
SO two years went by, and one bright
summer day one Of his fellow-prisoners
came to him and told him of plot
among them, which, if successfully car
ried out, would give him and several
more the liberty they so longed for.
But to carry out the proposed plot il
was absolutely necessary to kill one OF
the prison officers; then they would take
his keys, and, before. the alarm could be
given, get safely away.
What temptation twas to Williams!
He wanted so much toget out to breathe
the free, fresh air again, for somehow
the air even in the prison-yard.. did not
seem fresh to him, and he was only
there for such little while every day.
But to kill the turnkey! That was a
dreadful thing to think of even! And
vet there was no other way to get out,
L. 10 hn
So he agreed to the plan, and the last
night came. At the cell three doors
below the one occupied by Williams the
keeper was to be stabbed, and then
within an hour twelve men would be
free again.
1t had been a very, very warm day;
the air was close and heavy and sultry.
Williams lay on his bed, thinking cit
is the last night" when he heard the
turnkey coming down the corridor on
his evening round of locking doors.
Every step took him nearer to death.
Williams knew it, eleven other men
knew it, and he knew that these men
would if. they could kill the man who
should even offer to .betray them. But
the keeper came on, whistling tune as
he walked. The tune was common
place enough, and worn threadbare by
endless repetition in singing, whistling.
and n-grinding-only the old tune
of 4" My Mary Ann but it saved his
life.
For, as the keeper came whistling on,
Williams listened, and then noiselessly
sprang off his bed, while great drops of
perspiration gathered on his forehead,
although he no longer felt the heat, but
seemed to have grown suddenly ice
cold.
He saw once more little face look
ing in between the bars of his cell-door,
and heard sweet young voice that
said: "Well, you're going to be good
now?'
Why did he think of that little innO-
cent face just at that moment? Because
on that day when Tommy had been to
see him, and just after he had passed
out of sight, with his yellow curls and
big hat and faded dandelions, an organ
grinder in the street had stopped and
played that tune, and he had heard it
very faintly-but clearly enough to for
ever associate it with Tommy and his
visit.
"Going to be good?n Yes, he had
said he was ''going to be good And
yet that very night he was going to be
bad-ave, worse than he had ever been.
Tommy's little face grew more and
more plain before his eyes. "Going to
be good-going to be good now
seemed to be shouted in the air as Will
Jams stood leaning against the wall of
his cell. The keeper. came on; he was
the next cell but one above-at the next
as Williams own; in a second he
would be gone-it would be too late.
He had already shot the bolt and turned
the key, when Williams, standing in
the shadow, with his finger on his lips,
whispered: "Stopn The keeper heard,
and halted with his hand on the lock,
bending his head slightly to listen, while
Williams, tremblingly and half under
his breath, told him all the truth. Then,
as the low whisper ceased, the keeper
stared wildly for moment, but recOv-
ering himself, said aloud, in careless
tones: "I'll get it for you," and with
quiet, steady step walked back the way
he had come.
There was nothing strange in that,
for he had often went back for book
or to attend to some question of pris-
oner, as it was his last round for the
night; and so the men farther down the
hall, who were in the plot, thought moth
ing of it, and waited. But when he
came back there was tread of many
feet, and he had brought a strong
guard with him. The eleven men were
put in solitary confinement, and Will
liams received from the Governor OF
the prison his most hearty thanks.
Within month he was pardoned out
and once more free, and he really did
become a good man. He went away to
foreign country, where no one knew
his story, and from that day to this he
has led perfectly upright life. And
this is what came of Tommy's visit to
the Jail; and the story is true ONE
: Kate B. Foot, IN st. Nicholas.
Boiling Broth In the Higher Andes.