The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1895-04-25

to any soul outside tho prison. This life
had nothing to do with the world from
which he came, and he meant that IL
should not.
So perfect prisoner was he that the
warders protected him from visitors,
and he was never but once or twice
stared at, and then he saw nothing,
heard nothing. He had entered his pris-
on a wild, eXcitable, dissipatad youth,
and he had become a mature, quiet,
cold, brooding man. Five years had
done the work Of 20 He lived the life
of tho prison, yet he was not part of
it, nor yet was be part of the world
without And the face of the woman
who looked at him so strangely in the
courtroom haunted him NOW and then,
so that at last it became part Of his
real life, which was lived largely at the
window where he looked out at the
pigeons on the roof of the hospital
tShe was sorry for me- " he said many
a time to himself He was sorry for
himself, and he was shaken with misery
often, so that he rocked to and fro as he
sat on his bed, and warder heard him
cry out even i'll the last days of hisstm-
prisonment, 80 God, canst thou do
everything but speak," And again,
THAT hour, the memory of that hour
in exchange for my ruined life!"
But there were times when he was
very quiet and calm, and he spent hours
in Watching the ways of the pigeons,
and he was doing this one day when the
jailer came to him and said: IN. Con-
verse, You are free. The governor has
cut of five years from your sentence.
Then he was told that people were
waiting Medallion and the
little chemist and his wife and others
more important-but he would not go
to meet them, and he stepped into the
old world alone at dawn the next morn
ing and looked out upon STILL sleep
ing town. And there was no one stir
ring in tho place, but suddenly there
stood before him woman. who had
watched by the prison gates all night,
and she put out hand in entroaty and
said, with breaking voice, You are
free Mt LAST
He remembered her-the woman who
had looked at him so anxiously and sor-
rowfully i'll tho courtroom. He looked
at her kindly now, yet he was dazod,
too with his new advent to freedom
and the good earth.
why did you come to meet me?" he
asked
Il was sorry for you, she replied
But that is no reason. 3"
Il once committed crime, she
whispered, with shrinking bitterness
That's bad, he said. Were you
punished?"
She shook her head and answered,
"No."
That's worse, he added.
81 let some one else take my crime
upon him and be punished for it, . she
said an agony in her eyes.
"Why was that" he said, looking at
her intently
81 had little child, was her reply.
And the other?"
''He was alone in the world, " she
said
A bitter smile crept to his lips, and
his eyes were all atire for a strange
thought came to him. Then he shut his
eyes, and when he opened them again
discovery was in them.
81 remember you now" he said. 81
remember ! walked and saw you looking
at me that night Who was the father
of your child?' he asked eagerly.
Jean Nigot, " she replied. He left
me to starye "
q am innocent of his DEATH" he said
quietly and gladly.
She nodded. lie was silent for a mo-
plent
1.-The child still livcs?" he asked.
She nodded again. well, let it be SO, 50
he added. But yen owe me five years
and lost reputation.
u wish 10 God l could give them
/ back She cried, tears streaming down
! her checks 1T was for my child, he
was so young!'
1T cant ho helped now, 50 he said,
and lie turned away from her
Won't y9u forgive me- she asked
bitterly
Won't you give Eve back Those five
years. he replied meannely
If the child did not need me,
would give my life, she answered Il
owe it to You. Her haggard, hunted
face made him sorry He, too, had suf-
fered.
It's all right - he answered gently.
''Take care of your child.
And again ne moved away from her
and went down the little hill with a
cloud gone from his face that had rested
there five years. Once ho turned around
| The woman was gone but over tho
prison a flock of pigeons were flying
He took off his bat to them. Then he
went through the town looking neither
to right nor left and came to his own
house, where the summer morning was
already entering the open window,
though he had looked to find the place
closed and dark. The little chemists
wife met him in the doorway. She could
not speak, nor could he, but he kissed
her as he had done when he went CON
demned to prison. Then he passed on to
his own room, and entering sat down
before the open window and peacefully
drank in the glory of new world. But
more than once he ehoked down a sob
that rose in his throat. Gilbert Parker
IN New York Herald
Napoleon's Manners.
Napoleon was rude. His manners
were coarse and when at table he ate
AZ fast as he eould chew aud swallow