The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-13
R,CE TO HER OWN PEOPLE.
1ur TRIXSFoRMiTIoN or THE
~" nITGHTER or 4 THIEF

,.,,,Lcd so lovely from the second
IL. If the main hall OF the penitenlary
t ,ro swaying trees sending fantastic
WA" ,.oss tho dawn, and n robin hop
,,,, oycr the flower beds; the con-
., vos so aluring OF sunshine' crisp
,,d ycrdure. with white-washed gloom
., wont, acrii atmosphere that tne ola
os constrained, despite his dread
~, ,,r,ous steht .scers, to avail h>mseh OF
-, ,o,,or's permission to take an hour
,v.rcise in he prison-yard'
o-d down the tagging by the main
,.,,,,,,, marched the old Colonel. fifty PAGES
,b,s way. fuy PAGES that on one sioe
..,o,d,l the gray. stone structure, broken
-, ,,yh. grated windows on the other side.
,s,1 the lawn, the uneven line OF the
,o,,,,rg forth whirr of industry,
,,o,s,ng At one end of the walk
1.,.,bed the prison wall, running back to
49,, .,rol with a guard rife on shoulder,
I'D, ot the angle. At the other end
usre sundry small offices, the Kitchen the
,o,Ier. room. and one stored aHair' "hicn
,o one had told the Colonel was the
,,oorakcr's shop. nut overhead arched
49,, ,,,, uuroufned limitless: and. as the
-, ,,o, raised his eyes. his thoughts. too.
,...,,,, free from duress He threw back
-. .to,Ii,rs and stepped out briskly and
n military carriage. He was far away,
:, both time and place. back in the old
d,vs when men had been anxious TO see
,,r because they had been anxious to do
him nouor.
~, sound ot hat, meaningless laughter
brought a quick end to pleasant revery
r,own hy the doorway OF the furthest shop
os q mass OF bright colors. Evidently
n Marty Of visitors were about TO return
70 the main building In another moment
,toy would motto" him, the one grotesque
esrrc in the yard In another moment,
,bov would point and question, as needless
., his agony, as il 1t were wax form In
n chamber Of horrors. With one startled
glance the old Colonel fled precipitately'
= Mack and gray streak, for the nearest
aoorvav and plunged headlong into the
,,,t,e shop where Donald the shoemaker
uos sewing a pair OF shoes which he was
surreptitiously making for an opulent TIA
Ian.
Donold a citizen OF the neither world.
Was a character In his way. An onsprins
n, the Manchester Jail and graduate OF
,he four English prisons. he had follow
cd his wits wherever they had led him.
and had put a girdle OF criminality around
the world task by the way, winch haa
taken him forty years for his detentiohs
had been many. His speech. which at
times showed traces OF education, betray-
cd few native or local peculiarities; Tor
the most part it was cosmopolitan jargon'
tho survival OF the unfittest His face
was round and ruddy. with tiny bright
eyes having a sideways glance. ana cum
ming lines around the mouth. Under any
and all circumstances. he was good-natur-
Cd an attribute which had often gained
for him some mitigation from the oench'
That this quality was generally deemed I'M
1udcuce 10y the prison officials MADE no
difference to Donald he would continue TO
be good natured II he got bread and water
Tor IT,
The man was similarly persistent In his
purposes, which were commercial Some
where concealed in the folds OF his dirty
blue shirt was a leather bag, half h!led
with small coins, which in one way or an
other he had collected during his term.
He was continually trading and haTtering
among the men His sharp eyes would de-
tcct decent shoes gaudy handkerchief or
a stout pair OF suspenders belonging to d
newcomer, and, by hook or crook, unmo'ed
by rebuff or delay, he would get that par
ttcuar article for half its value soon to
be parted with for twice the price paid
He was skful at his trade, which he never
practised except when under duress, and
could patch up a hopelessly bad pair OF
uppers in a way to gladden. the heart OF an
economical warden. Hence he was retain
ed in his office, despite repeated infractions
ut any and all rules, and to his high con-
tent for his freedom to pass in and out OF
the buildings and about the yard afforded
many chances to offer and decker.
Sure, this is an honor, Colonel" pro-
tested Donald as he busted off and rendered
a three-eggcd stool. Il was watchin 80,
through the dure. and said to meself tina
not since | was in the British Army had
seed such step Not but that your shoe!
arn't bit stiff that off one must rub, In
hcttin'. How would you like, now. to giv'
ne nifty cents and take these CATERS?
got them of cg-legged Johnnie. before thu
sawbonetses had their sport with him."
Il shouldn't like to at ALL" SAID the Colo
mel
'Of coorso not; you gintlemen are al
alike, YOU care more for your inside tina