The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1891-02-12
A FAMILY AFFAIR.
BY HUGH CONWAY.
CHAPTER VIII (CoyrrNuEDl.

The prisoners face changed. He
scowled at her as darby as she had
scowled at him.
''When will your time be up?' she
asked sharply. Can you tell me ~
she added, turning to the warder
''He's in blue, so he's in his last year. -
Mrs. Miller shuddered. Her hands
elm he'd themselves invountarilv.
81 want to KNOW she said, address
ing the convict, 'what arrangements
on will be willing to make when you
come out. That is the object of my
VISIT
The man looked at her mocking-
ly. 81 have thought of nothing
as yet" he said, except the Joy shall
feel at once more returning to the arms
of my devoted wife"
The woman's dark eyes blazed She
leaned her face ainst the bars, and
glanced at the shaven face before her.
"dow much money do you wantP" she
viii pered
The convict shrugged his uninterest-
ing-looking shoulders. money is an
atler-consideration / am pinlng for
connubial felicity"
She turned and paced the narrow
space. The warder grew quite inter-
ested in the interview. As rule his
duties were very monotonous he
recognized the fact that the present
conversation was out of the ordinary
run The woman seemed to have for
gotten his presence. She stamped her
loot and turned iiercely to the convict.
Look here" she SAID; ''wiil you 90
to America, A stralia, anywhere
Money will be found"
Certainly not, said the polite con.
vict. Besides, SIR he added, turn
ing to the warder with an assumed air
OF difference, : / believe it is a sine q,ta
non. mean it is indispensable that for
some time must report to the police
once month";
The warder nodded.
"God help usr' murmured the
woman. Then turning to the convict,
she said:
You Il let me know when you are re-
leasedP'
"Oh, yes. I'll let YOU know fast
enough. You'll be one of the first
shall come and see. Now, if you've
nothing more TO say, II ask to be taken
back to my dinner. Good and plentiful
as the fare is, like it better warm than
cold "
The solid warder could not HELM
smiling. The time usually allotted to
visitors had by no means expired. 1t
was new experience to find convict
OF his own free will curtailng his priv
ie,gee. lie turned enquiringly to Mrs.
Miller.
Got anything else to say to himP" he
asked
No." she answered sullenly. The
convict made her polite bow as she
turned and walked to the door of her
own den. She stood outs de on the
gravel for moment and gazed moodily
after No. 1850 as he was conducted
by h s guardian across the open space
and vanished from sight round the
chapel on the way to his cell Then
she entered the waiting room, whore
she found the civil official who had at
first accosted her.
From him she ascertained the proper
Office at which the inquiry she wanted
answered should be made; and upon
applying there learned that No. 1850.
snpposing he continued TO conduct
himself as he had h therto done, that is.
earning the maximum of eight good
marks a day. would obtain his ticket-of
leave in about SIX months time.
Then what becomes of himP" she
asked. "Do you just put him outside
the gate and tell him to be offP"
The officer smiled .'Oh dear. no.
lie is asked if he has any friends to 90
to, or whore he wants to 90 to. His
fare is paid to that place. He is given
suit of clothes and a little money.
After that he must to the best he cam
Mrs Miller looked thoughtful. lis
there any one | could write to and ask
to be told the day he will come outP"
she asked.
Certainly. If you are a relation or
friend, and willing to look after him,
and wrote to the governor to that effect,
no doubt you would hear from him.
THANK you, said Mrs Miller Then
she gathered up her black skirts. and
left the prison. She found her cab, and
was driven back to the railway station.
IL was some time before a train left for
weymouth; so she cl mbed to the ton
" Chesll Beach, and sat down gazing
out over the sea. Her lips moved. al
though the rest of her body was motion
less. She was praying, and the petition
she offered up was that Heaven would
remove from earth certain convict
before the day came upon which he
would be entitled to demand his free
dom. cur GUS prayer for a religious
woman to make, but after all not
stranger than tn prayers offered up by !
site arm es.
Tho train started at last, and took
her to weymouth. Here she obtained /
refreshment, of which, indeed. she |
stood much in need Somehow, she !
made mistake in the time, and missed |
the afternoon train. The consequences /
was that it was past eleven O'clock /
when she rang the bell of that method.
establ shinent, Halle
wood House And the rule of Halle
WOOD House was that no servant should
d any preterse be ont Of doors aftor