Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-08-15

''' ''iouSH TIC would have
gone on almost forced him to com,
inside. We all sat down in the din
ing-room. VII"
Hark What was that sound
Again! Again! The soldier grew
paie and started, but | knew wei
What II was, though seldom heard
IL was the boom of the prison can,
non, telling that a prisoner had es.
capped. Immediately all was alarm
we could hear the warders and
the horses dashing hither and thither
after the fugitive, and | went to the
uoor 10 ask who had escaped.
learned it was No. 2S5, a young man
DONG five years for forgery, his first
o1ense, and a prisoner | had much
pitled. His crime had been com.
mltted to save a mother and sister
from starvation, which could not be
Kept on by the Is shillings a week
ne had earned, and the Judge had, in
my opinion, been unusually severe
on MIN. BY his gentleness and at
tentlon he had gained my friendship,
out the Imprisonment was telling on
nm, and his mother and sister were
well-nigh heart-broken.
felt sorry he had tried to escape,
as it would go hard with him if cap.
tured, and | returned sadly to nv
room and companions. The soldier.
almost for the first time, lifted up
involuntarily his eyes and looked
straight at me. Good heavens it
was No. 2S5!
lie saw | recognized him, and re-
mained motionless. For a few sec.
onds, though indeed it seemed to me
Lifetime, l sat utterly Frustrated,
not knowing what to do. What
would you have done. Howson? I
could not call in the warders and
say, Here is your man No. 2S5, (,
Tor he was my guest. / myself had
invited him in, even against his
Will. Besides he had remained,
even at such fearful risk to himself.
to help me and Muriel in our neces-
sity! Could you have surrendered
him, Arthur? Moreover knew he
had repented-how keen his desire
10 see those two whose lives were
dlmmed forever. Yet my duty to
the country, to the government, to
the what about that? | sent
Muriel to bed, with an affectionate
goodnight to me and thanks to her
benefactor she went.
1t cost me a long struggle, Arthur,
and the clock hands pointed to
nearly II before my decision was
settled. Then, turning to the fugi-
tive, who had never spoken so far, /
said, as if ignoring altogether the
recognition, though | knew he saw
it all:
l thank you, sir. for your kind
aid. AS it is now very Iate'-I en-
phasized this you had better STAY
over night and go tomorrow; any
time you please'-another emphasis
-'and | trust your future career
will be as honorable and noble as I
should like it to be-
He bent his head solemnly, said,
Thank you very much for your
kindness, which / shall never for
get and followed me into the bed
room.
No one knew he was in the house
but myself. / attended to him, and
at dusk next evening he departed.
need not tell you that the search
of the prison authorities, Howson.
was all in vain, and of course in
short time No. 2S5 was practically
forgotten by everybody, the police
most Of all, though l myself had
always half expected to have a note
from him some day, saying how he
was getting on. But it was a vain
hope.
And now comes the curious part
of my story. / have begun lately,
certainly more so since my marriage,
to get somewhat tired of the dull
routine of prison chaplaincy and
most of all for Elias sake. She has
found it very disagreeable this last
year or so. So / have been looking
out for a benifice, Howson, but l
scarcely need tell you 1 never
dreamed of such a post as vicar of
s.. Ishould az soon have expected
being made archbishop Of Canter-
bury. Yet when heard 1t was va
cant, something within me impelled
me to apply for it, and / did 80.
There were, as you know, tremen-
dous number Of applications, some
from men whom had long learned
to respect as lights of the church,
and nobody was more surprised than
myself when l found / was one of
the eight selected candidates.
1t seems then, that a committee
was chosen to 60 and hear these
eight preach, without their knowing
it, at their churches. and some of
them heard me at st. POlycarp's
about three weeks ago. Thus two
of us were selected out of the eight
and appeared before the trustees
some ten days ago. After many
questions and explanations the trus-
tees voted, we being In the next
room, and it was found there were
four for the other gentleman and
four for myself. The mayor of s.,
who was chairman Of the trustees,
had been unexpectedly called away
that morning, and in his absence the
gentleman who had been placed in
the chair seemed unwilling to give a
casting vote under the circumstances.
The meeting was therefore postponed
for a week, and we were called up
again en- Monday. My opponent
had the first interview; followed.
The mayor was in the chair.
Naturally / felt somewhat nervous,
but you may imagine, Howson,
what l really felt when 1 saw that
the mayor of s. was No. 285! 1t
was not at first / recognized him,
but when he spoke the voice seemed