The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-06-26

somehow"
81 am afraid, Smith,, said the clergy
man, The does not realize his sad position.
| will try and awake him to it. Mean
while, be IS lenient with him as you can
without neglecting your duty. 1 know
him. that is, l met him, years ago, and /
feel an unusual interest in him"
"Just what he told me this afternoon
after you'd gone, sir; only he put it in
rather queer way" replied the warder.
"'Warder, says he, you know that good
gentleman Yes says l. We'll, he's
an old college friend of mine, and would
be much distressed if he heard was I'M
der punishment. l know you wouldn't
| like to trouble him. so pray let us hear no
more about reporting Talk about cheek
o prize pig amt in il with him. suppose
he was only a kidding of me about the
college, sir"
"Alasl nc" replied the clergyman, This
| story is true; we were at college together.
What has brought him to this 1 cannot
imagine. Does he seem to you at all
| mad ?'
''No, sir; not a Bit" said the warder
promptly, "as eggsentric as you like, but
not mad. 1 was attendant in an asylum
before | came here, and know lunatic
when see him. Bless you, sir, he feels
IL moro than he pretends."
"Pm glad TO hear it, Smith; very glad.
But be as easy with him as you car"
"All right, sir. Trust me for that. He's
rot one of the sort to give real trouble.
! I've read his case and fancy he really was
precious hungry when he broke them
| lamps. Starving men have done worse
things to get meal before now. Good
night, sir"
Charley Micklereed had always had a
| peculiar knack of enlisting the affections
of those about him. AS sort of human
| cork floating on the sea of chance he
never seemed to have any aims, and con-
| sequently he had no interest to clash with
| those of others. Therefore his acquaint-
| ances had always looked kindly upon him
and been ready to do him small favors.
Mr.. Bamlett had several other inter-
| views with his friend, and strove, to all
| appearance In vain, to exercise the spirit
of Indifference from his breast. Its no
use, my dear fellow" said Charley to him
one day; Il don't believe your theories
| about responsibility and all that. Wish
did, but | don't. The serious troubles of
! life to me are hunger, cold, and illness
| Should soon have been in for all three if I
hadn't smashed those lamps. AS it is,
with my moderate appetite, Tn fairly
and I'll bet you what YOU like there's q
| philanthropist waiting for me, when I get
outside, with the offer of a situation"
"But will you stick to work If YOU get
it?'' asked the clergyman
'Of course / will, if the work will stick
to me, replied Mr.. Micklereed. Il don't
pretend to be in love with work like so
many humbugs nowadays, but 1 bow to
the necessity Of it. Honestly, l tried all
could to get job before l came here"
But what character had you" be-
gan his friend.
Character! what has character to do
with it ?" interrupted the prisoner. ''Isn't
the RICH; to labor the pet theory of the
day? Besides, there was nothing against
my character. / didn't drink. l didn't
steal. didn't even lie. The last head
master saw. after seeming satisfied with
my answers to ali his questions about my
competence, had the impudence to ask
what were my religious opinions, and he
showed me the door when 1 said hadn't
any"
"Do you really mean TO say, MCKEE
reed" demonstrated the clergyman, that
you can't see that your boast of indiffer-
ence in religious matters was rightly fatal
to your chance?"
"0f course l can't see it, replied that
perverse individual "unless you maintain
that he who fattens oxen must himself be
fat. ] gave up the schools, though, after
that and tried the docks. but they
wouldn't have me there. Then it was
prison or workhouse to get meal, and
chose prison as being easier to get into
than the other place"
Mr.. Bamlett sighed and gave it up for
the present. ''Haye you any complaint to
make?" he asked mechanically as he pre-
pared to leave the cell.
'Yes, by Jove, I'd almost forgotten"
exclaimed the prisoner "Smuggle me IN
a bit of tobacco the size OF a small pea the
next time you come. 1 can't sleep with
out it. Wish l could, for it must be I'M
commonly nasty to swallow"
the GOODNESS of the request took away
Mr.. Bamlett's breath. He told his friend
he would not on any account commit such
a breach of the trust rePOsed in him. For
five minutes they argued the point The
clergyman pleaded conscience; the pris-
oner pleaded the duties of friendship. The
question was LETT unsettled, but next night
the prisoner, with a morsel of tobacco in
his mouth, slept better than the man who
had supplied him with it. The Rev. Mr..
Bamlett's conscience was tender, and
though he gave way to the opportunities
OF his friend on two or three subsequent
occasions, he was very glad when the day
came for No. Il9 to leave the prison.
One thing alone somewhat lessened the
bitterness of his self-reproach. MCKEE
reed, during the last week of his time,
showed some faint signs of repentance, or
rather of consciousness, that he might,
after all, have made fool of himself. The
Rev. Joshua was neither proud nor en-
vious, and did not scruple to acknowledge
TO himself that nicotine had perhaps sue
ceeded where he had failed. As smoker
he knew its soothing effect on a troubled
mind. The rules of the prison were
meant for the prisoners good, and if by
good-but he dare not follow this Jesuit
zeal line of reasoning any further.
Micklereed had promised that when re-
leased he would come to his friends lodg-
ings, but greatly 10 that good mans disap-
pointment he did not put in an appear
ance. Warder Smith, who saw him leave
the prison, said that 'lawyer-looking
gentleman" had met him and taken him
off in hanson. Also that No. 1l9, MOTTO
ing him outside the gate, had borrowed
sovereign from the "lawyer-looking gen.
tleman" and gave it to him, saying, Tell
Mr.. Bamlett he shall hear from me, and
thank you, warder, for your kindness"
Three months passed away, but Mr..
Bamlett heard no more of his unfortunate
friend. He hoped his relations might
bova cOuna n bia holm Tho readiness ~