The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-10-16

young men drew away. The young host
flushed angrily.
"What do you mean?" he asked. ''You
know very we'll that if you're the son of a
convict we can't associate with you, and so
I'll tell the coachman to have the carriage
ready for the five o'clock train.'
His young hosts plain speaking did not
seem to give the other any uneasiness. for
he answered with a short laugh:
''All right-as you please. But you may
change your mind about my not being good
enough to associate with after you've heard
my story"
Frank looked uncertain at this moment,
and then sat down and looked uneasily at
the other, who began:
my father was arrested twenty eight
years ago on the charge of killing his uncle
and tried for the murder. The testimony,
which was entirely circumstantial. was not
sufficient to hang him, but was so damaging
that. in spite of his most solemn protesta-
tiOns of innocence. he was transported for
life to the penal settlements of Australia.
He was taken there. and for ten years
worked like slave. with chain and ball
dragging at his heels.
''At the end of that time another convict
died in the same prison. where he had been
sent for highway robbery, four years after
father was transported. On his death bed
he confessed that he murdered my fathers
uncle. and gave minute details of the crime,
and even told the place where he had hid
den the knife which he had used in the
crime, and also where he had hidden the
murdered mans watch and pocket book.
"Of course my father was released and
everything done for him by the government
of New South Wales to show how deeply
every one regretted that an innocent man
should have suffered for so long.
''In year he married the daughter of a
merchant who had visited the prison very
often and had been ministering angel to
him and to the other convicts.
AFTER living short time in Melbourne
his dislike of the city as being the place
where he had suffered so much unjustly
drove him to move away. and with my
mother he went far up into the interior, in
the brush. miles away from any human be-
ings. except the natives, and there built a
log hut and lived for twelve years.
II was born soon after our new home
was finished, and in less than two years
after my brother came. We grew up to-
gether. with no cOmpaniOnship but each
other and the few natives who lived in the
mountains near us. From them we learned
how to throw the boomerang and draw the
bow. until, young as we were. we excel!ed
even them in their use. We could bring
down the kangaroo with the bow at one
hundred yards, even if it was running at
full speed, and smash bottle set behind a
tree one hundred feet away with the boom
erang.
when was thirteen and my brother
eleven, father discovered gold on his farm.
which by that time had grown to thousands
of acres, and in two months the country
was flooded with miners and he was worth
$780, 600.
my mother prevailed upon him to move
to Melbourne. where he is now the Cover
nor of New South Wales and one of the
richest men in Australia"
Il beg your pardon. my dear fellow"
exclaimed Frank, eagerly extending his
hand, while the others crowded around him
with equally prOfuse apologies.
But to their establishment and chagrin,
he did not seem to notice any of the prof
fered hands. but, with a quiet smile. he
turned to Frank.
Now that you know how came to
handle bow so well-aS also how man
can be a convicted felOn and yet be innocent
of any crime-it would make your stock of
information still more complete if you
could learn that even if father is guilty of
crime it does not make his son any the less
honorable or fit to associate with the world.
Every mans honor is in his own hands. and
is not affected in the slightest by what Others
may dot is by mans own deeds that
he will be judged by his Maker! And now,
my dear Frank. will go to your house and
pack my valise, and if you will have the
carriage ready for the five o'clock train
will relieve you of my presence"
And. in spite of his friends prOtestations.
the boy that afternoon shook from his feet
the dust of the Hows0n estate.
Those who think exactly alike do not
make the best friends. People who move