The leader., 1897-09-15

ity under his care.
First, south, east, thirty-four."
Second, north, west, thirty-one."
Third, south, middle, twenty-seven."
Meaning the first, second or third
range of cells, north or south side, east
or west end or central portion.
Then they disappeared and the night
guard came on duty-Guard Joseph it
CHANGED to be--wearing shoes with
thick. soft soles that he might make his
rounds in utter silence. But something
went gracefully by him that could step
more softly even than he, though it
had four feet to his two.
"Oho," said Guard Joseph to himself,
shat puts me in mind of the kid that
sent his love to Sixty-nine."
Up one flight of stairs after another
went the great, tortoise-shell cat, the
warden's own especial pet, clear out to
that end of the fourth range known as
the "murdercrs' wing" where he sat
gravely down by certain door. A hand
stretched itself through the bars to pet
and stroke the creature, that responded
with purr like growl.
Two years before the inmate of that
cell was placed there in solitary con-
finement for murderous attack upon
fellow-prisoner For two years the
warden's cat had made him this nightly
visit-the wretched convict's only
friend.
"Sixty-nine's rather the best off,"
thought Guard Joseph, watching the cat
in its upward journey. Hes got boy,
and boy beats cat, even if he is
lame one"
lie walked along the corridor, and in
moment he was standing before the
cell numbered 60. Whats up?" asked
the convict, gruiily, as he saw the guard
at the grated entrance.
You've got u boy, haven't you.
Menly?"
'Yes-one." The prisoner answered
moodily. "Wha. about him?"
Anything the matter with him."
''He was lame" And now there was
a momentary, anxious culver of the sui
len face.
"Well, he was outside this morning
wanted me to tell you that his aunt
had moved to town; that he was COM
ing over to the prison every Saturday,
and that he sent you his love-"
Absolute establishment expressed it,
self in the mans every feature.
Denny. That kid! Why, the child
wasn't much more than five years old,
when" lie seemed to lose himself in
painful reflection, and Guard Joseph
went on.
He had made the round of the ranges
second time, when, passing the cell
again, he saw Sixty-nine peering anx-
iously through the bars, and asked,
"Well, what is it?"
The answer was whispered: us he
very lame?"
"Who? Oh, the boy. Not SO very.
He gets about pretty brisk"
The prisoners face worked strange
ly. Hell never come again." he said,
bitterly. "They won't let him.
IF he does, you'd like to see him.
wouldn't your" said the guard, prepar
ing to move on.
NO, no." cried Menly, mot here. My
Godl not here" He sat down on the
edge of his cot and hid his face in his
hands.
The guard in the brush shop was
agreeably surprised next day to find
that there was no need of reporting
Sixty-nine for punishment. The i'm
provement in his manner and conduct
continued until Saturday, when he was
noticed 10. be restless and uneasy; his
eyes constantly followed Guard Joseph
now OIL day duty-whenever that otii-
Ger ca'ue withih their range.
"Umph!" said Guard Joseph, sudden
ly recollecting the lame boy. 81 guess
l know what that means" And moved
~ the dumb entreaty in the prisoner
eyes, he went down to the guardhouse.
The moment the gate swung open,
there was shrill, joyous cry. Denny
popped into view all a-tremble with de
light.
II hoped it was you, mister. l just
hoped it was YOU. Tell daddy I've
come"
When the message was carried back
to Sixty-ninc, he said almost humbly:
"Thank you, sir. / thank you"
The guard heard him groaning in his
sleep that night, and he woke himself
calling on the names of wife and child.
The season rapidly advanced. Down
from the frozen northern seas swept
winter, with his storms of snow and
sleet. The turbid river shivered under
its icy sheet, or swollen by rain and
ttaw, carried il crashing against the
bridge piers, and almost tn its floor;
but storm or calm, ice-bound or rushing
river, little Dennis Menly toiled across
it each recurring saturday, and waited
in the shadow vi the prison walls for
chance to send his weekly message to
his father.
Sometimes it was Guard Joseph.
sometimes some of the other guards or
workmen. Once or twice it was the
warden himself that heard the cry:
"Please, sir, tell daddy I've come"
sounding hrskily from the folds of
woolen comforter. Quite frequently
there was little gift with the message
an apple, rop corn ball, some candy;
once, brief, ill-spelled poorly-written
letter that the warden coughed over
for of course it was read before it was
given to the conv;ct-and that Sixty
nine bid away in the bosom of his
striped jacket.
"Well, sir, it is actually making the
old man right over" the warden said
10 the cLaplaip;~a the chaplain re-
spouded that Sixty-nine was certainly
a changed man IN more respects than
one,
But it's a long, cold walk for you,
nv lad" the warden said to Denny on
one of their meetings. II wonder your
mother let's you come.
.'Oh, this amt bad" cheerfully re-
piled the husky voice, sinking to gravity
as it added: MY mothers been dead
long time"
"Don't YOU want to see the little fell