Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-22

The man bethought himself that II Lis
sentence had been only five years he would
have regained his liberty before this; and
Kept out of trouble since, expect"
pursued the warder,r "YPu weren't the sort
to come back to u.s. WHY. remember you
ters' party for soodfsh bit. Did your
time well, too; though you gentlemen lags
often give deal Of trouble"
All this time the convict was in q very
agony Of tremor; shbuld the warder's men,
cries carry him Bbint br two further he
might still be unmasked. He must quit the
train at the next station.
He had now no notion where he was, but
his main hope lay In the distance to which
the train must by this time have carried
him from the prison, G
AS 1t slowed once again. he viewed the
scene beyond with all the hope that he
could muster. Below the line of railway,
on one side, long street stretched, yellow
with faring lights booths and stalls on
and bustling. On the other side all lay
dark, as though fields began there. Sud
denly the warder said: There's no hope
for Gladstone. I suppose?'
"Gladstone?" said the convict, rs he
in?'
"Ahaw exclaimed the warder. II thought
80. Gladstones dead and buried last year.
+ just began to suspect something. MY
man, you've got loose from Wardlock!
You'll come with me.
The prisoner wrenched open the door and
leaped from the carriage. The platform,
as he alighted. was perfectly quiet. but he
thought It swarmed with people who had
rushed to help the warder His senses mao
left him. his plan had been to make toward
the left in the direction, as he supposed.
of the open country; instead, he sprang
across the line, flung himself over the
wooden barrier of the platform, and shther-
ed down the steep bank into the teeming
market.
His name was Kissed into his ear at every
step; he felt all about him the pursuers
whom he could not see. The market, as
he thought, was thronged with faces hos
tile to him Under pretense of buying, the
people had come out to look for the con-
Wet who had escaped. Yet how should
they know it, at this infinite distance from
the prison? For now the flaming streets
with it's huddled. noisy market had taken
on the Iineaments of little town, leagues
away in the dark north country, where he
had lived a boy.
He looked at no one, yet he saw every
body The people put themselves in his
way as he walked. for he did not dare to
run; they were afraid to arrest him, but
they were doing this to hamper him, until
the warder should come up. His mind ran
wildly on the best means OF getting unob-
served into the country: he knew the mar
ket street should terminate in bridge
across a river and just over the river were
fields, and there was wood not mile
away But the market extended much far
ther than it used to do, and the people
kept putting themselves in front of him
known in the town; 1t was so odd there
should be no one friendly to him. Then he
remembered what disgrace he was in; he
had brought shame upon his family; he
had no business out of prison, they ali
wanted him to be sent back.
He burned with shame; 1t was monstrous
of him to have returned where he was so
well known on the very night that he had
broken out of prison. just then he caught
a glimpse of man whom he knew, and
tried to get near him The man was stand
Ing at stall. and as he turned half round
the convict recognized the tramp he had
spoken to in the cemetery. Perhaps If he
were to give the tramp the sixpence he had
found on the path he would be friendly to
him again, and help him away. He pushed
forward and touched the tramp on the
shoulder,
The man turned and stared at him. then
shouted: This is him. , This is the man
that's wanted. He robbed me, He stole
sixpence off me. Stop him. Stop him."
For the convict had taken to his heels
and flying through the market be
tween the double line of booths and stalls.
In an instant the cry was caught up, and
! the whole market ran with the tramp be-
hind him. Fast as. he went, he scarcely
seemed to move. and it amazed him that
he kept always in front of the crowd. But
the voices at his heels gradually died away,
| the blazing street melted on either side of
him and he was coursing through fields
again.
He began to sob and choke. his tears
were like rain that blinded and impeded
| him: they made the ground slippery under
his feet, ana he cried aIopd to the night for
shelter and for- safety. The night lifted
and vague black form Of stone that filled
the whole horizon rose and grew In front
of him; he, saw Il rising up out Of the
ground as he ran helpless, toward 1t. He
knew what it was. He had returned to the
prison. and he fell feadong under the
coming tower with scream.
Waking IN sweat, he Struggled up weak
1y. The room was full of sun. and his
mother stood over him stroking his face
| and grooming to him as she had done when
he was a child. 1t broke slowly on his
mind that he had been released from pri.s-
on the day before.