Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-10

| her choice. The young gentleman was of
| uneXceptionable appearance. and carried
| his suit of drab and its broad arrow cmbel-
| lishments with style which Miss Pocket
| thought suggestive of service in good fami-
| lies. Miss RodWeil'S experienced eye had
perceived by the b.ue facings on his Jacket
| that he was 1irst-class man.
Her friends We're afraid. however. that it
would take Miss Pocket 'all her time to
| improve the acquaintance. Miss Pocket
| herself was sanguine. for she had just
made another discovery which she thought
/ might be useful to her. 1t was that the
| principal wardress of wing, well-favor-
ed young woman not wanting in heart. had
| become engaged to a junior warder on the
male side of the establishment. Some
| thing ought to come Of that, you know,
| said Miss Pocket. and old Mrs Pringle re-
piled: well, I should think So lovey' So
| Miss Pocket took the occasion of the next
| visit of Wardress Winsome to her cell to
say something respectful and pretty on the
! subject.
Law, Pocket. and pray how did you
| know that?" said the wardress. and added.
but there-if you want to know a thing.
| come into the prison. That's what always
| say and there was truth in 1t.
| Wardress Winsome was not offended,
| though, which point gained. Miss
| Pocket followed it up as deity as might
be, and then, as the wardress was about
| to leave her. sat down on her stool and
began to cry in the most natural way In
| the world Wardress Winsome must
| needs put a good -natured question, but
Miss Pocket would only say that she
1 didn't w-wish to take advantage of-of
| Miss Winsome'S. Kindness. She was very
| g-glad Miss Winsome was so h-happy.
| But I don't why it should make
you cry. Pocket" said the wardress.
| mo. miss-only lin in l-love, too
| sobbed pretty Miss Pocket.
| What could the wardress do but proffer
such a word of comfort and coincidence as
the free woman would naturally find for
| a captive sister in a situation of the sort?
| The pripcinla Of government differs much
| on the male and female sides of prison:
| you can coerce the man where. in the last
| resort, you cannot possibly coerce the
| woman; and wardreSs VINO knows her
business does not miss a chance Of concil
! Eating one of her charges. Wardress Win
some, of course. supposed that Miss Pock-
| left in the free world. Miss Pocket. weep
| ing softly, undeceived her. The wardreSs
was dumfounded. She would have laughed
| next, but Miss Pocket. checking her tears.
! said it was the simple truth.
| And what makes me feel it so serious.
| Miss Winsome, dear, If you'll pardon the
liberty, said Miss Pocket in conclusion,
! lis that 1 never. no never. thought about
u young man before To think. Miss Win
| some. that l should have come to place
like this to find my heart. It's hard. isn't
it? And you so f-free and c-comfortable
| with your own man, miss, and no one to
hinder YOU
Them amid the breaks in another little
shower. Miss Pocket insinuated modest
request.
| Wardress Winsome nonpussed. Be
tween her natural sympathies and her re-
! spect for the rules of the service she
| found herself in dilemma to the like of
which her experience did not offer par
! allel.
| ITS against all the rules. you know she
said, but Miss Pocket caught the tiny note
of indecison in her voice. and her hand
| kerchief was at her eyes again
| Very well, Miss Winsome. t-thank you
| kindly" she said. Were both in love.
| and I'm the unfortunate one, that's ALL
| Wardress Winsome gave in. She would
find out who the young man was, what he
was ''in for" and how long he had to re-
! main.
Lights In the cells We're extinguished al
| most Immediately. and Miss Pocket kicked
off her slippers and danced in the dark
| ~.
Though she prided herself on This sue
cess, she was generous enough. in the in
| terests of the wardress. to keep secret the
promise which had been given her.
| Impossible, however. to be silent respect
ing the result What could be happier?
The young man, John Stacey by name was
| a bachelor and unattached, to begin with.
Then the offense which had consigned him
to her majesty's keeping (for the first time)
was quite as venal an affair as Miss Pock-
cts. who was also a first offender. 1t
would be ungenerous to set down the par
ticulars in either case He had been valet
to a baronet; SO that the pair stood on a
nice footing Of social equality. Lastly, he
was to be free to resume conclusions with
the world at about the same date as Miss
Pocket herself
This grateful informa ton was not given
to Miss Pocket in lump. as 1t were, but
item by item. as the wardress herself
CLEANED 1t on the other side of the wicket
of division. 1t was altogether about week
in the te..lng. and during these days Miss
Pocket did not enjoy sight or glimpse OF
her hero. The repairs to the laundry wall
were finished by the time the ladies were
withdrawn from the exercise yard, and no
kindly accident brought John Stacey on the
scene again. But something as good az
this happened. or something better. Miss
Pocket made the discovery that John
Stacey had taken notice of her. This threw
her into such a transport Of pleasure that.