The Columbus journal., 1893-08-30
A MODERN ARDEN.

A MODERN ARDEN.
George Crowley. cabinet maker OF
the firm of Wentworth & Myers. fur
niture dealers, received his pay reg
ularly the first Saturday Of every
month; and just as regularly the
senior member, Mr.. Wentworth.
would say:
well, George. shall take out the
life insurance."
And George would mutter a ''yes.
and then with the rest of his money
hurry across to Jimmy Sullivan's.
where the boys were waiting for him.
1t could not be said that he was
much troubled by remorse, for his
headache bothered him a good deal
more. Still he had some pride left,
and when he thought how his little
wife, by washing and sewing, and
Tom, by his work in grocery store.
supported the family, he would be
troubled somewhat. but would com
fort himself with the thought that
he was keeping up a life insurance
of which they knew nothing. That
life insurance was his only redeem
ing feature, and for 1t Mr.. Went
worth was mainly responsible.
During the month George worked
hard and skillfully at his trade. He
was very quiet man. and always
seemed, as in reality he was. to be
merely existing till he could have an
other drink.
At breakfast one morning one
of the children was unfOrtn-
nate enough to tip ever a
dish. George promptly boxed the
child's ears and sent him bowling
away. Tom brought his fist down on
the table with a bang.
ats a shame" he said.
Instantly both men were on their
feet. The little wife ran screaming
between, and George drew back as il
to strike. but before he could move
Tom had caught him round the
waist and thrown him. The strug-
gle was short. The father, feeble
with drink, was no match for the
athletic son who held him down and
reprOached him fiercelv. Finally,
Tom let his father get up, and white
with passion, George took his hat
and rushed from the house.
He tramped all day. The one
thought that was always uppermost
was that his son had .shamed" him,
and he must leave. But he had no
money; he had lost it all at Sulli-
vans me always did. He couldn't
remember the time when he had
brought any home from there. He
knew, however, that his wife had
some. but could he find it, He
thought he could, and he made up
his mind that he would try it that
nighr.
A friend gave him some dinner; for
supper he smoked his pipe. About
IL he sneaked into his house. and
found that his wife. who had sat up
to wait for him, had fallen asleep be-
fore the fire. He blessed his luck
and went upstairs. Fifteen minutes
afterwards he sneaked out again and
ran to the depot to steal ride on
the through freight
A week later he obtained situa-
tion in big furniture store in Chi
cago. He had wandered round the
city for two days first, and when the
clerk who enrolled him asked his
name he had replied. for no reason
which he could assign, "George
Crawford. He had also found a
lodging place-very cheap and hardly
respectable, but it suited him. for il
was over a saloon. In his new place
he was paid once a week, and conse.
uuently his former monthly sprees
were superseded by weekly ones.
1t was six months after this that
at } o'clock one Sunday morning q
policeman heard some moaning in an
alley near Georges lodging. and, on
hurryinS to the spot, found George
leaning dazed and Mortified aga MS,
a door post, while before him lay 9
man dying of an ugly stab in the
breast. On the ground was a bloody
knife. At the trial no outside testi
mony of Importance was produced.
George Crawford, as he persisted in
calling himself. testified that he had
met the man, who was a perfect
stranger to him, at salOOn-tha,
they had drunk together. that the
man had insisted on accompanying
him to his lodging, that on the way
the man had tried to rob him, tha
they had fought, that the man hat
dra wn the knife and tired to Kill
him, but that he had wrenched i
from him and struck in sclf-dcfcnse
The body was never identified, ant
as George refused to give any testi
mony whatever concerning his forme
life. he was sentenced to six years a
hard labor.
When he first put on his prisol
suit he awOke to mis- situation; ant
day after day, as he mcchanicall
swung his hammer upon the stones
he thought of his life and to what
had come. A limited amount O
thinking Is good for a man. At tn
end of two years his mind was in
healthy state. He was repentan
AMI had won favor with his keeper
by his industry and good behavior
At the end of six years he was man
times as bad as he Lad ever been
His thoughts were murderOus. Wha
had wrought the change? An unjus
accusation and punishment by ne,
taller had reused the evil in him
stolen conversations with his com
rades. more villainOus and desperat
than himself, had nutured it. an
four years of sullen meditation ha
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