The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1900-03-09
The Town Reprobate.

The day Lucius Mcknight came back
90 town, after term of six years and
four months in the penitentiary-he
had been a good-time mana number
of citizens made it a point to be at
the station. They wanted to see how
he would brave it out"
He swung off the platform almost
before the train stopped and lifted his
hat frankly but unsmilingly to every
body he knew.
mo covert chances there COM
mented one.
mo" said another, nor yet any
dragging of the left foot. Doesn't seem
to have any of the signs that you read
about by which convict may be de-
tected."
"Those weren't the government
clothes he had on, either" added the
first man. "He must have made the
raise of another suit
Meantime, the man of whom they
were talking was walking briskly up
the main street of his village, speaking
graVely to all whom he knew. He
passed the bank where he had once
been a trusted officer, and where he
had betrayed the trust reposed in him,
and he had looked up at its ungracious
N7facade with casual interest.
Hes got nerve all right enough"
agreed his townspeople, unable to de-
eide whether to condemn or to admire
this hardihood of demeanor. "If had
been he, you would never have caught
me back in this town again"
Mcknight went to a cheap hotel far
up the street and asked for room.
Some of the meaner spirits rejoiced at
this, remembering how in the old days
there had never been anything quite
good enough for him at Red Willow.
But after he had secured his room he
came out again and walked toward the
country, passing the pretentious house
r~and grounds which had once been his,
, ~ and which ne had sold for the benefit
of his unwilling creditors in the days
Of b disgrace. He looked at the place
with interest, appeared to notice with
satisfaction some changes which had
n. been made in it, and then he walked
on.
There were plenty to mark where he
ll0went Those who watched saw him
old outrageous road that led to the
H., ID, cemetery. He was going to his moth
ers grave. 1t was a fresh grave, but
there were no flowers on it. He went
to a neighbours and borrowed a hoe,
and made the ground around about the
mound ready for the reception of
z nlants, and then he went back to town.
3 AT supper time he appeared at the
table with the rest.
Some who had known him in the old
days tried shyly to make overtures.
~ "Glad to welcome you back, Nc
Knight" said they. IF we can be of
any service, call on us"
The thanks were made with a
III strange quietness which disconnected
i,oF those who received them. They felt
- that in some way which they could not
~ understand the soul of this man dwelt
apart. 1t had known peculiar and per-
70 haps terrible experiences. 1t was
brooding in some solemn place of its
a.. own, and for the time being 1t was un-
sd. approachable.
nc1g Mary Lester, the school teacher, had
a theory about it. 1T is not so easy
o,h 20 liberate the soul as it is the body"
=" she said 81 suppose his soul has not
yet got out of it's prison stripes"
Ia There doesn't seem to be anything
hang-dog about the man." observed the
isa one who was talking to her.
4. "Why should there be?' she in
~ duired, with some spirit. He made
~ what restitution he could for his crime
& before he went to the penitentiary at
all. He has been punished as he de-
served. suppose he reasons that that
70 helps to wipe out the score. After a
} child In my school has been punished
according to his deserts restore him
ITO his rights and privileges. A moral
coward would never have come back
TO this town again. But Lucius Nc
Knight has come back here where the