The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-28

throat troubles. sat down in his office one
hot day TO rest. In little while queer
figure presented itself TO him. 1t pore
some resemblance 10 the human lOIh'
but everything about the creature was
distorted and misshapcn. Its features
were distended IN a malicious leer max
ing prepOsterous outlines.
''yVho or what are yOu?" exclaimed the
doctor, starting back from the strange
intruder though at the same time IL oc-
CURED 10 him that there was something
familiar in the appearance OF his singu-
lar visitor
"Ohl I'm q good friend Of yours" was
tho reply. in a thin. squeaky voice. on
Oueht not TO object 10 my presence loi
YOU know your business has greatly IN
creased since ! set out on my IaNcis.
Besides. you ought to recognize me with
out an Introduction. You have often
examined members Of my family with
the microscope. though / dare say TINS
Is the first time you have met me since
I decided TO assume my full size. Usually
10 is more convenient for me 10 move
about i'm sort Of atOmy incognito- Some
times large party of US start out 10
eether. but to-day / thought ] would take
"a jaunt by myself / have been on the
rampage all morning. and now ! feel hkt
having a sOciable talk with somebody.
| know l can speak freely TO you. IT IS
10 your interest not to repeat family
secrets. or tell tales out Of school
who the mischief are youY' SAID the
physician. drawing back still further. as
the weird voice ceased and the uncaAh4
thing thrust its lccring face closer TO
him" and where did you come from
"NNcll" eOuoakcd the voice. u might
give YOU a long scientific name. ana ten
YOU my title and origin in Latin but
there is no use, i'm putting on mysterious
airs among intimate friends, and IN pam
English j viii say that ] am prison
germ and / started from the pcniten-
tiarv.
There are millions Of us i'm the walls
Of those old cells. that were built more
than a hundred years ago, and have been
crowded with criminals. many Of them
horribly diseased and full of degradation
and wretchcdnoss all this time. Merry
armies of microbes are collected th'It'
assure you" added the stranger. win
a grin and chuckle. and detachmehts oi
us are constantly leaving those crowded
regions for fresh fields and pastures new.
We think IL best 10 scatter ourselves
abroad. and once in a while / prefer 10
try my luck alone. In case J should leei
lonesome or lose my way. ] brought
few packages OF my relatives along.
"They are snugly tucked IN these pays
I have secured about me.
Owe are a queer race. When II suits
us we can put ourselves into lnhmteN
small space. and If we DO not IKE o"i
surroundings we may remain in sOmno-
a
find ourselves I'm a convenient atmosphere
however. we promptly come out ana eX-
pand ourselves wonderfully. You see
/ had gotten tired Of staying al the pen.
Life IS so monotonous there, ana Wahleu
TO have some variety
"pid Won start from Richmond alone2
said the doctor. who was greatly puzz'ee
by the appearance and conversation Oh
his eccentric guest. and spoke rather lot
the purpose Of gaining time 10 u'Clue
a.rafrr al
be. than with any special desire loi 'i'
answer to his question. ., G..
Dear me. no." pipcd the small hgure,
porching himself on the cage OF siii"'
table near his host. AS l toid you,
came into existence I'm the Walis Oh Wy
old building at the state prison; anu
neither nor any of my ulpe Woulu ma NJ, ~
known where 10 20 If We had set out py
ourselves When ] first saw the hsht'
and very dim light IL was. l louhu NY
self lowering over the DUNK OF II sOul's
HACK man. who had been sent 10 prison
for five wears for stabbing another man.
/ heard from the talk that was carried on
between him and the other conNlcis, VINO
silent i'm the berths fixed one ABOVE an
other i'm the narrow little cell WIN one
window the histories OF the dllereiil H ..,s
The man in the upper bunk salu nc M"9
"A farm hand and had been used 10 an
outdoor life before he came TO the penn
Tertiary. From what he said OF ms niue
cabin home and the pretty country lVuHu
n thought 1 should like TO see the pace
49, ,,,,.solf lie had steady work and did
well until what he called an elecuvI'
co1o on. don't know what that ls'
hint he said the white people down lh'lo
wanted TO have things tner own 49,
so they gave all the black men l ocS,i
niantv of whisky for their votes. lnt,
Inv, man got drunk and had nght WIN
one Of his fellOw-workmen ana Wouhu'u
bir, hodlv and YOU see that landed my
friend i'm the pen. He was q Dig suohs
man when he came there, but soon 49, 49,,
ne was shut up in that hlsle 49, 80
half a dozen other men sleeping III l'us
below him. he began TO IAN OIL anu 49,,
80, dreamy. Ny family took a EIeat
interest i'm him. and quanutles ot uo
settled in his throat and lungs as we
had done with some OF the o.n'i9 ""0
were i'm that cell when ne came. .,-
on tried 10 get rid Of US by setting up
n cough. but we had seen that 9ouse 'i ~
hefore and we managed 10 hoiu o"i wv"
with him, | assure YOU 49,, g.. ,oo1,
'Wen that big fellow eesaH -, ~ Lo
,.erv weak and shaky. Sometimes ne
vrn,,ld lie i'm his bunk and cough all d,y,
and ali night. too. for that matter. we
STAYED bv him all the time. SOne.lhIvs
when he felt stronger, he would so 10 ny
work shop. which Is IN me new pu'lu O-
inc and has plenty of light and AR IRON
The big windows lie liked that place, but
II ana not suit us as we'll as the old, DARK
cen we had always been used 10.
AMER a while, when our pet had ne
come too feeble to walk by himself the
man they called the doctor came one day
with a stranger. and they made careful
examination Of the sick man. and we
heard them talking to each other about
'phthisis' and tuberculosis and using
other big words we could not understand
"'The next dav one of the guards came
10 our cell with a paper that had the
state seal on IT, and told the sick man the
Governor OF Virginia. whoever ne may
he ! don't know. had pardoned nm, ana
he was to be sent home at once.
II tell YOU that made a stir IN the camp.
The other men In the cell were enVlous
of the man who was going away ana as
for our tribe. we were lust Wild! AFTER
talking IL all over a million or so or US
decided to 20 along with him, as II seem
ed such a fine chance 10 see that pretty
place he had talked about when he frst
came. and TO ramble about the world
bit. -..,,.-- -
$50 we began right away settling our
selves all over him and his clothes ana
all the things he was going TO take away
with him When we reached ms little
cabin. with green fields and woods all
round Il, thrgs seemed very strange 10
us for time.
'The sick man revived at first and i'm
proved for a little while, but he soon
grew worse again. and then we heard
the people who came 10 see him WINS
perng TO each other that he was dying
This excited MS very much because
we knew, of course. that our career was
ended as far as he was concerned.
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