The Van Buren press., 1897-10-02
nv mother. bsea se.ss

L.
Mot here-not while l am Ike tbs
locking down at his prison garb Nth
shame and aversion
He was a changed man- No one neE
more docile; no more faithful workman
within the walls thzn he lis ehildss
f affection filed his solitude. softened
+ him 70 repentance. neTEed hin 10 e.
durance. Steadily, month , month,
the daYs won b good conduct rolled p
! against his sentence. The word dan
rerous= left his reeord-the word
s.trustYs was written there instead
+ Then came = final. unexpected test
: supreme monent-thzf set is seal oa
months Of patient effort. and The mza.
E once criminal. became a hero.
Convict Number Sexeuty-three. priz-
i fighter. burglar and general tough. :
F doing hzs third term IN the PeniientiaFF.
{ lad been reported seTerzl times to the
warden by Guard Joseph for dis0bedi-
F ence-
You'd better watch ont for Seventy
three. fheolder keepers warned Joseph.
5u1 as the man had appeared tractable
! and gn5d-nsfured for weeks. the vigil-
snce O. the guard gradually relaxed.
He wzs sloae. in charge Of half =
dozen prisoners. Seyeaty-Ihree among
E he number. ore morning. as they were
engaged IN cleaning their cells. and
F ezrelessly turned his back. Instantly
f The ex-burglar was upon him. struck
him down with . terrible blow, aaa
ssoOped 70 possess himself Of the pres
f-zte man's revolver. But Number SIX
fT-nins had seen the assault. aad boldly
faced ard seized the ferocious convict
Alarmed by pistol shots. The other
eaards hurried n 10 ind the two mea
struggling fercely over the insensible
bc5y Of tie keeper. Tie other prisoners
Lad retrzzted . their cells. bat sixty
nile. thuagh severely wounded, eluns
/ his antagonist til fhe latter was dis
armed ard fetfered- TIE keeper and his
s1Tior we're both taken 70 the hospital
Joseph wzs about his duties N . couple
e days but SixfF-nine hoFerrd between
life and death for ss many weeks
He ro1sed from the long thrzIl Of n
seBsibizi7y ard delirium 10 see the war
den al his side With paper bearing tie
great sal OF the couuoBHealth-f3
know himself 70 more a prison number.
but nan. and lis first feeble cry was:
Denny. Tel Denny."
The orders are he's 10 be fetched in
the moment he shows his face" sad
Guard Joseph, forgetting that the hand
he held belonged to a sick man, ard
shaking i vigorously.
He did not think il best 70 mention
that one Saturday had gone by without
Denny's appearance al the prison; and
when the second came and passed with
a like result, il was hard telling which
was the more disappointed-Guard Jo
seph or the inyalsl.
But it's a terrible rough day" the
keeper assured Denny's father. Nigh
about take the little fellow off his pins
to cross the bridge. Next week'll fetch
him."
Next week" did not fetch him."
however. though the day was fair.
Hes got tired of eoming-no won.
derl" said the sick man, turning wear
ily upon his pillow.
Don't you believe that" urged Guard
Joseph, speaking more confidently
than he really felt. He'll be along next
week, sure"
Privately, Guard Joseph determined
that If the lame boy did not then APP
pear he would go in search of him.
The fourth Saturday came-a lovely,
mild spring day. Guard Joseph began
making trips TO the gate at an absurdly
early hour. Behold. as he swung il
cPen the third or fourth time, there
stood a boy, leaning against the prison
wall
''Whoopee." cried the keeper delight
edly. Come right along in, sonny.
Nhere've you been all these weeks? !?
Your fathers crazy 10 see you"
Then he saw that il was not Denny,
but the older lad who had accompanied
him that first morning; and Guard Jo-
ssph said zftsT1Esrd that he felt as il
some one had -dowsed" him into ths
r5Fer.
Where's your mater be demanded.
Hes dead answered the boy.
uso1rrfulIy.
~Dezds- echoed Guard Joseph.
YES; and wish you'd tell his father
that we eouIdn't hardly keep him in bed
somerinea-wheneVer he'd think ii was
SATURDAY and want 70 20 across the
river. I must 20. Daddy amt got no.
bc5y but ne he kept a-ssyin'; and
about the very last thing: Tell Daddy
IFe come You'll tell him. won't You,
uister7~
Give me ten days in the dungeon
first said Guard Joseph. THE Lord
help the man! somebody'n have TO tell
him. I s'pose.7
The boys eyes filed. denny was a
good Kid be said, and went away rub
bing bis coat sleeve across his face.
Guard Joseph went straight to the
warden. ~No, sir" said that official.
promptly; no. sir; / simply can't. I'd
rather lose months salary than take
that news 10 Menly. Let the parson do
il It's more in his line"
20 u was the parsOn who bore the
tidings, and when the interview was
over the good man looked as if he had
lad q weeks illness.
When Horace Menly. free man and
citizen once more by the governors
grace. left the hospital. be asked Guard
Joseph TO so outside Of the prison with
him.
"Will you show me where" He
choked over the name, but Joseph un-
derstood, and silently pointed out the
SPOT where he had so often seen the
B,r,s l.r.- ..-af+fre, r,st-e-.Tr- g. 81