The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-03-03

appointment of my successor, who
now in charge. 1 leave the prise
to day. In the meantime, I ha,
something to tell you that will inte
} est you. A few days ago man VII
! was discharged from the prison la
year, read what the papers have r,
Gently published about your case, an
: he has written to me confessing the
it was he who got your tobacco froI
the captain of the guard. His nam
is Salter, and he looks very much lik
you. He had got his own extra, an
when he came up again and called TO
yours, the captain, thinking it wa
you, gave it to him. There was n,
intention on the captains part to ro|
you"
The convict gasped and leaned for
" wrd eagerly.
Until the receipt of this letter,
resumed the warden, Il had opposed
the movement which had been started
for your pardon; but when this letter
came recommended your pardon
and it has been granted. Besides
| JOu hoNO q ScIlOuS ucdIb IIOuUle ~
you are now discharged from the pri
son."
| The convict stared and leaned back
speechless. His eyes shone with &
strange, CLASSY expression, and his
white teeth glistened ominously be
tween his parted lips. Yet certain
painful softness tempered the iron ir
his face.
"The stage will leave for the station
| IN four hours continued the warden
You have made certain threats
against my life" The warden paused
then, in voice that slightly wavered
from emotion, he continued, 81 shall
not permit your intentions in that re-
gard-for care nothing about them
to prevent me from discharging a
duty which, from man to another,
owe you. l have treated you with a
cruelty the enormity of which 1 now
comprehend. 1 thought was right.
My fatal mistake was in not uhder-
standing your nature. l miscOnstrued
your conduct from the beginning, and
IN doing so have laid upon my con-
science burden which will embitter
the remaining years of my life. 1 will
DO anything in my power, if it is not
too late, to atone for the wrong l have
done you. If, before l sent you to
the dungeon, could have understood
the wrong and foreseen its conse-
quences, [ would cheerfully have taken
my own life rather than raised hand
against you. The lives of us both
have been wrecked; but your suffer
ing Is IN the past-mine in the pre-
sent, and will cease only with my life.
For my life is curse, and l prefer
not to keep it."
With that the warden, very pale.
but with clear purpose in his face,
took loaded revolver from a drawer
and laid it before the convict.
Now is your chance" he said quiet
ly; mo one can hinder you"
The convict gasped and shrank
away from the weapon as from vi
per.
"Not yet-not yet" he whispered
IN agony.
The two men sat and regarded each
other without the movement of a
muscle.
Are you afraid to do it7' asked
the warden.
A momentary light flashed in the
convlct's eyes.
Mo- be gasped. you know am
not. But l can't-not yet-not yetr'
The convict, whose ghastly paIlor,
CLASSY eyes, and cleaning teeth sat
like mask of death upon his face,
staggered to his feet.
you have done it at ast!-you
have broken my spirit A human
word has done what the dungeon and
the whip could not do 1t
twists inside of me now
could be your slave for that human
word" Tears streamed from his
eyes.
He reeled, and the warden caught
him and seated him in the chair. He
took the convict's hand in his and
felt firm, true pressure there. The
convlct's eyes rolled vacantIy. A
spasm OF pain caused him to raise his
free hand to his chest; his thin, gnarl
ed tingers-made shapeless by long
use in the slit of dungeon door
clutched automatically at his shirt.
A faint, hard smile wrinkled his wan
face.
THAT human word" he whispered
IF you had spoken it long ago--if
but it's all-it's all right-now. I'll
go-Pll go to work-to morrow"
There was slightly tirmer pressure
OF the hand that held the warden's;
then 1T relaxed. Tne fingers which
clutched the shirt slipped away, and
the hand dropped to his side. The
weary head sank back and rested on
the cnair; the strange, hard smile
still sat upon the marble face. and q
dead mans CLASSY eyes and cleaning
teeth were upturned towards the cell
ing.
The last time Roland Reed wss jr