The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1893-09-09

day after day, as he mechanically
swung his hammersupon the. stones,
he thought of his life and to what it
had come. A limited amount of
thinking IS good for a man. At the
end of two years his mind was in
healthy state. He was repentant
and had won favor with his keepers
by his industry and good. behavior:
At the end of six years he was many
times as bad as he had ever been.
His thoughts were murderous. What
had wrought the change? An unjust
accusation and punishment by new
jailer had reused the evil in him;
stolen conversations with his COM
rades, more villainous and desperate
than himself, had ~nutured it, and
four years of sullen meditation had
perfected it. He had lost the favor
of his jailers, and instead of getting
| the usual allowance for good behavior
he was obliged to serve his whole
term. A week before the time for
his dismissal an epidemic of typhoid
struck the prison, and ''Crawford''
was the second victim. He was re-
leased and taken to the city hospital,
where he lay for weeks, and no one
knew whether he would live or die.
At last the crisis came and he passed
it safely. He was conscious that he
was. no longer plunging and tossing,
that he was sleeping peacefully that
he felt rested and quiet; and then he
felt spoon between his lips, and
opened his eyes. A sweet face, sur
rounded by wavy hair and the white
cap of nurse was bending over him.
''Don't speak," she said. :sGo to
sleep again"
He felt very weak and sleepy, but
before his eyes closed he saw that
he was in a small, very plain room,
with the curtains pulled down.
When he again awoke, they were
up, and the room was full of SUM-
| Besides the cot, a chair and small
table, theres was absolutely nothing
but the picture Of man in flowing
robe, sitting on a stool, on his head
wreath of thorns, on his face
wonderful expression of suffering and
resignation.
Another day, when he was nearly
we'll, she told him that in his delirium
| he had told many things, and she
asked him to tell the rest. He did,
and she talked to him long time,
and finally made him promise that
when he left the hospital. he would
go home, and spend, >the rest of his
life in being good husband and
father. His story elected substantial
sympathy, and when he was finally.
dismissed as cured, he had $50 in his
! pocket. =
The next afternoon he stepped from
the train at his native village. It
looked as it always had. There was
/ a handsome building, evidently a
hotel, which had been built since he
| left, but this was the only change.
He walked rapidly towards his home.
presently a grocery wagon drove by,
with tall, tine-looking man on the
seat. 1t was Tom. George started
to shout. but one of the men who
were walking in front said something
! that made him stop.
"Big thing for Tom and his mother
that the old man got out of the way."
''fes,' said the other, .sgood rid
dance. and that life insurance gave
'em good start, too"
Life insurance! life insurance!
George was stunned, and like a.
wounded animal instantly ran to
cover: He summoned all the self
possession he had, and then, thinking
that he was so changed that no one
would know him, he turned and went
back to the new hotel and went in.
Thank God! the landlord was no one
whom he had ever seen and was alone
in the office. George made remark
or two about the trains, and then
asked the landlord if he knew fellow
named Tom Crowley.
why. of course, who don't?''.
''What sort of fellow is hep"
:'fine, finest we've: got" and he's
going to be taken in: partnership
| with the biggest grocer in this sec
ton OF the country next week. Yes,
| fine boy D.,
''Didn't he, used to have father?''
''Yes; never knew him., but I've
heard he was a regular bum, never
did but one: good thing in his life,
and that was to take out a life in
surance and then die''
.'s:Die?"'
"Yes; he disappeared one day, and
about a month later they found his
body in a gulch up by the mill road.
Then Wentworth, the man he worked
| for. came forward with a life insur-
ance for 5000 that, it seems, he'd
| got Crowley to run, and with it Tom
and his mother got a fine start, and
have done well ever since. Did you
know Crowley pr. ?''' III - ,
"Yes.'"' said George. "I used to
know him." and he walked out
On the crest of bluff overlooking
the village he spent the afternoon.
Should he make himself known? If
he did, he supposed the life insur-
ance would have to, be paid back, and
the fact that he had been a felon
| would soon be found out, and Tom
would be disgraced might not be
able to get into that partnership,
I M