The Van Buren press., 1897-05-01

as though no other world than that con-
tanned within them existed. The prison
nell changed, startling him into state
of wakefulness. The governor had fin
ished reading the offieial-looking paper,
and with The conclusion of the formal
part of his duty he added a few words
of congratulatioB. Harborde seemed 10
have no comprehension of their mean
ing. He remained standing IN the cen
ter of the narrow cell speeches.. At
last the chaplain made him understand
the import of the document which had
Just been read over TO him.
"Freel Free 1t is impossible" he
exclaimed, and then he threw himself
on the bed in an agony of joy. The
Changing of the bell afresh. the slam
ming of doors, the eehoing OF footsteps
down the resounding corridors, recalled
him to a sense of his position. a warder
entered with suit of clothes. With
trembling fingers he removed his prison
earb worn, soiled with weather and
labor and intolerable. The trousers
felt chilly after the thick, tight-fitting
isnickerbockers, and rough, thick, wors-
ted stockings. The coat seemed to fit
him nowhere. With one look round his
cell, on the walls of which he had done
iHnumerable calculations to keep him
self from insanity bred by the terrible
silence and sense of loneliness, NO. 81"
now no longer mere figure, machine,
but human being, stepped into the cor
ridor.
There was a breakfast for him such as
he had not tasted for nine long years,
but he had no appetite. The one idea
now possessing his mind was home,
escape whilst the governor was willing
Tor him to depart. He swallowed few
mouthfuls, drank few gulps of cocoa,
and then with the allowance money in
his pocket hurried to the gateway.
He was free. Free to go wherever he
liked. Free TO start for home as fast as
steam could carry him. Free to stretch
out his arms to the placid gray-blue wa
tiers of Western Bay now denuded Of
their mantle of fog and sparkling in the
sunshine. Free to breathe the pure air
uncontaminated by companions GRIM
inal and vicious. But the waters, the
hillside, the lovely stretch of verdant
country extended before his eyes, had
re charm for him save that they spelt
freedom. Behind him lay the prison
house, the flagstaff from which no en-
sign of dread fluttered to tell of his
escape. Before him lay freedom.
He rushed down the road, waving his
arms with the reawakened instincts of
boy escaping from school, oblivious
alike of the sympathetic gaze of women
, he passed, and the half-eontemptuous
! remarks of the men. He dashed into the
bleak, shabby little railway station,
only to learn that there was no train
for an hour. Already his limbs, unused
to such riotous movements and still feel
ing the lag of the chain, had begun to
fail him, making the half-joeular sug-
gestion of the solitary porter. that he
should take little exercise and walk
10 Weymouth" out of the question.
I'll have to watt" was all he could
think of to say.
"Doin' time amt altogether exilter-
attn nor strengthenin' work." the por-
ter remarked.
Harborde nodded his head, yet longed
to tell him that he was an innocent man.
The porter, however, had vanished, to
return in few moments with paper.
Here, mate" lie exclaimed, with
rough kindness. you won't know all
yesterdays news, I'll go bail"
Harborde seized the paper. No! he
knew nothing of yesterdays news, nor
that of thousands of days which had
once been yesterday. He could see
nothing at first. The print swan in a
confused tumble before his eyes. When
his sight cleared he commenced TO read.
How strange it was He used to be a
great reader before he became NO 81"
And now he seemed to know nothing
of the world. New names confronted
him everywhere. Names of those in
authority. names of towns, names even
Of countries. Where was Mashonaland
and Matabeleland? He was confused.
/ He read on. This delicious new-found
turmoil of the world, how good it was
after ALL
At last his eye caught small par
agraph slowed away at the bottom of
the third column on page six of the
paper. He read it and rercad il over
and again. Her majesty, the queen,
has been graciously pleased to pardon
/ Thomas Harborde, who was convicted
of forgery at the Winchester assizes
some ten years ago, and who is now
| completing his sentence of Is years
penal servitude at Portland. Harborde
vii, be released this morning. The step
has been taken in consequence of the
/ dying confession of a man at Bristol. -
Nothing more! Now he knew why he
/ had been released. And so death had
taken Edward Tilwell out of the hands
of justice. 1t was hardly fair of death.
The porter came up whistling to tell
him the train would start in ten min
utes. He got up, thrust the paper into
the mans hands, and pointed to the
paragraph.
That's me-"
"Iou Thomas Harborde?" exclaimed
the man. Then all I've got to say is it's
hanged shame the queen didn't send a
coach-and-six for you. Let's have your
hand, man, to wish you good luck. Got
q missis? No? SO much the better;
poor soul. if you had, it would cut her
up terrible"
mo" said Harborde, as though
speaking to himself, 81 was to have
beeu married; but that's years ago now.
and I'm an old man."
Odd" interjected the porter, you're
no more than fye-and-thirty, I'll go
bail. You do look older. 10 he sure