Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-10-11
NUMBER Al.

know that. am ready to spend my
} Las, dollar to help you out of this, and
then we can legin life again together
Perhap. IL We had kept closer togsther
this would no, have happened"
II don't know; guess ] wasnt cut
out to walk quite A. straight A. you. !"
returned the other carelessly.
"wsll. we won't talk ~ the past. Let
us ~. what we can DO for the future"
III you are going to DO anything. i
hOI- IL will H. SON. can't stay here
forever. am tired enough of the place
now"
II must have time 10 think. There
must L. some way. Perhaps shall try
the board u parions. At any rate
shall not desert you; ! will bs here
again soon"
"You will find there Is but one way.
Money Is the only key that will unlock
this place"
They were standing MP now. and Chal.
mes noticed that they were Just the
same height aud seemed to have about
the same spread ~ chest and shoulder.
Again be- wondered II they would It'll
look alike Ia that dress. and bOth closely
shsSen.
And thi. thought took roo, and grew.
lie hal had his chance al life, and had
made precious little % it. Why not give
the chance now. such ~ remained ~ II.
81 George. and let him try IL over There
wAs no r-a-On why this could no, L.
done: u would H. simple enough to ar.
range the details, AMI though be hal
triei a. encourage George with the hUTe
that b. could yet secure his release, he
could -. no other way Ia which IL could
H. accomplished.
With Chalmers to think wss to plan.
and io plan Wa to act. lIe made nasty
Journey 90 New York and put his affairs
there into Necessary shape. Then b.
Cleveland. and made certain that his
compact with Laura Leonard bad b-.n
carmel out. Then he went 10 see Lima
Tenant again.
II can do nothing" !" he said. In answer
"a her look of inquiry. II shall 20 away
anil wait until his term Is out. Then
perhaps ! can help him"
II hal not expected much" shs an.
.wered. II felt how difficult Il would
D.. But am glad You have tined, AMI
I am sDrry that You are going away. ]
hal hop~l You would remain here.
where should -. you sometimes. IL
will L. a long while to wait"
For moment his determination wa
ysre.l. IN he remained beside her, what
opportunities might not time brngi
This thought had REQUIRED 10 him again
and again. II would not stay down.
and th. fear tha, be might yield to !,
In the end made him snly the more de-
ierminei In hi. plan. He would make
Il impossible to H. near her. impa~sibl.
tha, be should 10 anything-howeyer
much be might i. tempted through
'hes. long years-to lessen Georges
''chancc" Ia any way. In thee year,
love might die and love d. born again.
Without effort Or the exercise u yoli.
tion on his part. by only remaining near
her. by dong the Offices that friend
might. by si-adfast but unobtrusiye de-
yotion. might not change be wrought
And II IL wcro thus wrought would lac
not have ben unfaithful 10 his brothers
causci would he not b" a supplan,eri
With other men the temptation might
have been s,run, lrt to him u was not
~. For II under such circumstances
her love came to him II would not -
satisfying. not having boen fairly won
In fair held He would take no al
vantage ~ her nor - him-that other
whu hal won her love from him before.
And - he answered her gently, "a
though speaking 90 child;
1T will no' H. so long You arr both
young yet. You will still L. young when
b. come, back.
"Yes. You are not very old yet y0nr.
self" She smiled AZ him sadly a. she
went on; "Yon are not - old as We
shall b. then. and you look ~ much like
George tonight-as be did when be- was
a hoy. Why .he cried, with little
start - surprise. II did MT notice L.
fore. you have hal your bearl AMI mus
tache taken of. You 10 look - much
| like Georgr
After thi. they naturally fell into
quiet. friendly talk - old time--when
they hal been just three friends together
and keeping away from al or danger
on. topics. they talked on until Chalmers
felt more at home with her than h. had
with any woman for years. Les like
. wanderer he felt-and more A. N life
might yet have some purpose In it-ihan
-. A. Al AM. l.fa
Lima Tennant hal said that she carci
Inorc for his brother than for him. Yet
now, Just A. there was beginning 10 Is
value In life-in this life-again, he was
deliberately making ready to 80 away
and leave II all.
Tweniy.four hours later Chalmer. was
hack at the prison again. u was after
hour. and George Chalmers, with the
thousand and half u other wretchel
inmates who were housed within n.
gloomy wall. was locked securely in his
own narrow cell.
II was against all rules, but by the
use Of liberal fee Chalmers oyercams
the scruples - the guards and was AL.
mitted NO, only to the prison. but taken
straight to where hi. brother was. What
. place the prison was at night. Tier
uIon tier ~ cells; corridor after corn.
dor; and all built mp % solid, forbiifing
masonry that seemed meant % outlast
the destroying hand ~ time itself. The
| lights burned dimly In the tombliks
halls. the silence was heavy, ominous.
eIcrpt when broken by the lsborei
breathing of men sleeping on comfort.
les- cots behind the grated bars, and
now and then to this was added th.
means ~ one. the curses % another and
the regular footfall % the guards as
they pscel their rounds.
Chalmers followed his conductor
through this dreary place, and panied
only when they had reached the upper-
most tier. almost the fArthest cell.
Then the guard st0pped, unlocked AMI
threw open heavy, grated door. and
mo,ioned him 10 enter.
II the corridors had seemed tomblike
this seeme,l the yeritable tomb itself. dug
In the solid rock. But u was only ths
home. ,afe. snug and secure. that the
state had provided for one of her erring
.ors. Chalmers entered. and A. he did
80 slipped another bill into the guards
hand and motioned him away. The man
nodded. closed the grating behind him,
turned the key and went back along the
corridor.