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

In mere gayety Of soul, she tripped up the
| heels of old Mrs. iPringle at exercise next
morning. was repbrted and suffered loss
| of marks.
at isn't good enough" was Miss Rod
wells comment. You'll be In chokey II
you don't look out.
Miss Pocket resolved to curb her emo
prudent outlet. Fer another week she was
very quiet and self-contained; then she
! went into chapel one morning with a gieam
Of inspiration in her eye. Morning chapel
| seldom lasted beyond twelve OF fifteen min
| utes-time enough, however, for surprises.
| Presently began the hymn:
| The world is very evil.
| The times are waxing late
| In the third an6 fourth lines. high above
all the others. rose the voice of a woman:
Answer if you know me;
I've just nine weeks to wait
The voice was so loud and clear and the
phrasing so nice. that the words were heard
over the greater part of the chapel; and the
effect upon the congregation was electrical
The oldest prisoner present had never ex-
perienced the like. Nobody laughs aloud
at awning that happens in prison, because
1t entails consequences; but the male side
of the chapel grinnsd in large quiet way
and on the other side of the baiZe curtain
| where the ladies were. many pairs of eyes
sought the chaplainS with a furtiye gaze
of inquiry. Every wardrass tried to control
her own particular charges. but none anew
what prisoner 1t was who had addressed
herSef to space In that unusual manner
The governor at morning chapel is gen.
efaHy the deputy governor: and that popu-
lar officer looked exceedingly angry, but
could say nothing. Nothing, in fact, had
happened, Tor the service went on to its ap-
pointed end. and nobody answered. Miss
rockets eXtravagant appeal Bat Miss
Rodwell and Mrs. Pringle could not cutie
contain themselves as they marched hack
to breakfast. Little Miss Pockar who
walked between them
possible.
We'll, you've got invention, Iovey if
ever see. whispered Mrs. Pring!e
What price chaplains report % said Misc
Rodwell @'N A'-'''
But there was report. for the chaplain
mad no idea who had outvoiced the rest of
his congregation.
Chapel came again, as usual on the fol-
lowing morning. Nobody looked for any
developments in the hymn, and it opened
quietly:
Brief life is here our portion.
Brief sorrow, short-l we'd care
Then rather nice tenor voice tonned the
congregations:
got your message honey:
When times up. I'll be there
This time it made a kind of scare 'Tbere
was evidently more in it than eve might
read. and a risk that morning chapel the
chief relaxation of the day. might be sus-
pended The warders, on their raised seats,
scanned every BENCH from the governors
gallery to the red baize partition. hut
CLEANED nothing
Il amt seen the like since took service
under her blessed majesty" said Mrs prin-
gle. at exercise.
IT'S record.' said Miss Rodwel.
What's the next move. darlng?'
Put Miss Pocket palpitated, and said
nothing. She had found her man and h r
man had found her. She was in the Jap of
fate; prison had transformed itself IN 10 a
Dover or love. There was hymn at
morning chapel for a week. but there We're
two hymns on Sunday The first passed
without interruption. though there was a
feeling in the congregation that any Inc
in any verse might be followed by a novel
variant. The third verse of the second
hymn made a tempting opening:
BLESSINGS abound whereer He rccns:
The prisoner leaps to Lose his chains,
Shrill and clear as at the first of these
moEentous mathis. rose the woman's voice:
When you and me have lost chains.
Address to Windsor Turrace, S:arrs.
As before, no wardress was able 20 race
that Grant voice. Miss Pockets eyes were
glued to her hymn book, and if Miss Rod
well and Mrs. Pringic chnckled above their
breath. it was no more than all the other
ladies did. This time. of course an answer
was looked for, and it came:
Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar h"nnrs to our King
And the invisible tenor responded:
It's easy if you Ia that.
But first well try the parsJn's hat
How the service ended that day no one
could afterward have said. At the close,
and as the officers were preparing to take
out their several parties, the governor rcse
in his pew in the gallery, piped shrilly for
silence. and said: If it occurs again, and
the offenders are not reported to me. the
entire prison will be placed on punishment
diet for week.
Now in general. honor among the in
mates Of Jail is a more or less fictitious
virtue, but whether through voluntary COM
plicity or because very few were in the
rret he ctr tapy Of ha mai In
whom the red baize divided was not re-
vealed.
The last message was a teasing problem
for Miss Pockets understanding. How in
the name of magic should she TRY the
parsons hat?'' 1t CHANGED that the chap
lain visited her the next afternoon and 50
absorbed was she in contemplation of the
rusty college cap which the good man wore
on his prison rounds that she lost his eX
cellent homily The chaplain used to place
his cap inverted the floor of the cell,
and generally threw into it his handker
chief. There It lay under Miss Pockets
eyes, and almost at her feet; but of what
to her she knew not. All at once an
Idea took her.
80. Mr.. Cole she said Just look! The
lining of your clerical cap wants mending.
Now, do let me stitch it for you. sir.
They've left me nedle and thread; l can
do 1t in a minute.
The chaplain had a suspicion that Miss
Pockets sewing materials were contra
lap and was studying the rent. That rent
had caught the eye of John Stacey not
many days before. With dexterity that
Miss Rodwell could scarcely have bettered.
Miss Pocket withdrew from the lining
tiny morsel of paper and pushed it be-
meath her wristband. Then she stitched
up the lining.
THANK you. SIR" said Miss Pocket. as
she gave back the cap. 1T isn't often we
are able to return your kindnesses.
The chaplain took the cap and thanked
Miss Pocket. without glancing at her work.
There was never an officer of the prison so
blind to its little intrigues. and never
prisoner anxious to be rid of her Wis
tor. The chaplain gathered up his lank
frame, smoothed his hair. said he must
talk with Miss Pocket about her future and
left her to the examination of her prize.
At stated intervals the governor doles
out sheet of paper and an envelope to
every prisoner and allows him or her to
write letter under the eye of an officer
of the prison The letter cannot be posted
until 1t has passed the scrutiny of the gov
ernor or his deputy, and 1t is the only le-
Ultimate form of communication. The mis-
sive appropriated by Miss Pocket was what
Is known as "stiff''-a surrept1t1ous note
generally written on the margin OF leaf
torn from a book belonging to the prison
library. 1t is seldom written with pencil
and never almost with, pen.
Miss Pocket waited only for the chaplain
F