Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-06-12

ASNGEsFE4J hisface that might
SgM(SS.SS have been caused
Gs@Sg@ by remorse, but
which, more prob
ably, was caused by dyspepsia. There
were certain inhexible lines about his
mouth which showed him to be man
of great determination, and his firm
set lips were lips that appeared never
to smile. His sharp eyes had clear
and steady look in them that went
through man, and few of those
around him cared to meet those eyes
when there was spark of anger in
them.
BE was such an unerring judge OF
character that he had come to believe
he could not make o mistake, which Is
dangerous state of thinking for q
man in his position, because o mistake
made by him might mean death to
somebody, Nevertheless, he trusted
people that no one else would think of
trusting, and his trust was rarely
taken advantage of. This man was j.
S. Flint, the head of Tall Mountain
Penitentlary.
The black man who stood beside
him, and who was receiving some in
structions from him, had simple,
trustful, childlike face which is 80 Of
ten found in the race. He seemed co
have difficulty in kee1ing his broad
mouth from relaxing iLtc a smile {;
and only the fact that he was talking
with the master of the penitentiary
kept down his exuberant good nature.
No convict woIld take the liberty to
smile while Jackson Flint talked to
hir, but this one was privileged
character even if he wore the striped
suit of an inmate of the penitentiary.
He was Sunshine johnson, in for
life, yet on his arm rested Jackson
Flint's little curly-headed daughter,
aged six, and her arms were round his
black neck, and her fair cheek was
murderer was one of the convicts that
Jackson Flint trusted. He had cer-
tainly had an easy time of it; he wait
ed on the table, took care of the chill
dren, end die any odd job about the
house. He was called Sunshine" by
every one around the camp.
Doubtless he had not been chris
tened that name, but he had been
called by it before'he entered the peni-
tentiary, and by that name he was
known on the books of the institu.
ton. II visitor, attracted by his
name, or his beaming countenance, sc
full of good nature and love of oil hui
manity, asked the superintendent who
he was, Flint's brows would knit to.
gether in O frown as he answered
shortly:
ga lifer."
If the visitor still pressed for infor.
nation as to his crime, the frowr
grew deeper and tine answer gruffer
ga murderer.
Most people gave q gasp at this
piece of information, rs they saw the
convict playing with the pretty child
of the superintendent; but Jackson
Flint was not man anyone would
care to ask personal questions of, and
if the astonishing stuto Of things
caused look of surprise to come over
the VISITORS face, the look WAS seldom
translated into speech. Sometimes
the inqulsltive visitor sought informa-
tion from Sunshine himself. When
asked about his crime Sunshine al.
ways looked embarrassed and gener-
ally cast IN appealing glance at his
questioner. He stood on one bare
foot. and slowly rubbed the ankle Of
it with the toe of the other foot, while
q look of perplexity came over his
countenance.
"Foh de Lohd, boss, 7 dunno much
about it, dat's dc truf. I 'spects ]
killed the man. He's dead, anyhow,
and somebody done it; dey said it twas
me; yes, dey proved dat at de oohts.
You see was drunk at the time, and
I dunno anything at all about it.
'Spccts dat's de reason dey didn't hang
me at the time. rs very sorry done
it If did do it.. And then Sunshine
would make On excuse to run away
and play with his little charge.
The penitentiary was little more
than camp composed ofrough wooden
buildings, and was situated on spur
Of the mountain overlooking the great
deep valley, from the bottom of which
the turbulent little river sent up M
unceasing roar. All around were the
high peaks of the mountain range,
closing the place in apparently with.
out break, although there was an u n,
seen narrow gorge through which the
river escaped, and along whose banks
tho single line of railway track ran.
The mountains all around were densely
wooded, and not building was in
sight anywhere, except large hotel
at the bottom of the valley, which was
O sort Of summer resort, with broad
vernndns.
The eternal silence of it's location
was broken only by the braWllng river
that ran beside it, and by the occa-
sionnl trains which passed close to the
hotel, es part of the big house was q
station Oh the line. Passengers on
the railway coming to this hotel, when
they first caught sight of it, away down
in the valley below them, generally
made motion to get their small bits
of baggage gathered together prepara-
tory to leaving, but the conductor used
to say to them good-naturedly.
"We are not quite there yet;
wouldn't make move for 6 minute or
two if I were you. Just watch that
hotel"
Then, looking out of the car window
into this incomparably grand valley,
k,Iy