Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-04-26
Brooks No. 3Ol3 5
BY Jessie Llewellyn. Z
IIsSsHs(sSHssIsEsEsHsS
Copyright, 1901, by Authors syndicate)

the first time my position meant much
to me. This was owing to a romance
which had begun to blossom for me
within the austere prison walls. She
was the warden's niece, beautiful and
frail. who had but recently taken up
her abode among us, acting as secre-
tary to her uncle. The interest was
mutual, for Pauline did not frown
upon my suit, and was on my way to
the warden to ask his sanction OF our
union when i met him in the corridor
crumpling telegram in his hand. Per-
emptorily OBTAINING me, he explained
that he was leaving the city immediate
ly on urgent business, and that as the
deputy was i'll would be compelled to
act in his place.
Accordingly | started on my rounds
Of inspection at once with no word OF
the subject nearest my heart. went
first to the brush shop. where a new
man was overseeing the work. and was
detained there some time by the APP
parent unrest and disorder.
Thoughts of this place had, at the
warden's first instructions, caused me
misgivings which grew to positive APP
prehensions when Brown. the new man,
called me aside and reported a convict
by the name of Brooks for rank in
subordination. This Brooks was life
man and particularly bad one. He
had given us no end of trouble during
the ten months he had been in. He
was a mulatto and seemed to have all
the bad blood of both races in his veins.
All my qualms were confirmed that
evening when, just as Pauline and
we're leaving the building for a quiet
stroll about the campus. "trusty" in
formed me of Brooks escape. He had
removed one of the great flags in the
floor of the solitary and had slipped
underneath.
Pauline was pale and trembling when
! left her to begin the search for this
black monster. Fearing he would fire
the building before we could discover
him, | hastily summoned to my aid two
faithful TRUSTEES whom we had dubbed
Hanks" and Blonde"
| decided to go under the floor by
trap door in the farthest end OF the
west wing and to search every foot of
the ground as far as the new dollhouse:
from there We would have to proceed
more carefully, as that part Of the
foundation was cut up by many stone
cross walls. There was so little room
between ground and rafters that we
could not crawl on hands and knees
but for the most part had to wriggle
along on our chests and elbows.
Hanks carried lantern on my right
and Blonde carried one on my left,
while / covered the rough middle
ground between. 1t was not an easy
place to search, for the great steam
mains, which ran from engine-room to
kitchens and radiators, were every
where overhead. Then there were two
cross walls through which holes had
been drilled barely large enough TO
pass man.
AT last we reached the thick wall
which separates the new from the old
building. This wall was nearly two
feet thick. but had the usual opening
into the new dollhouse.
Pushing Hanks lantern before me. I
attempted to set II upon solid ground
on the other side of the wall. but found
to my surprise that the excavation was
at least is inches lower than the
ground where we lay. ASH reached far
out knew had missed my calculation
and felt the lantern slip from my fin
gers. could not regraspit. or course
IT did not stay right side up. ! hastily
started TO squeeze myself through the
hole, in order to set it upright, but the
opening was too small to pass my shout
ders. and soon the little blue and vel
low flames were shooting back into the
kerosene.
Just above this fame was the oil
soaked floor of the new dollhouse. IL
was about noon. and $50 men were
probably eating in their cells on the
second and third floors; there were
zoo more in the old building. Would
the guards discover the fire in time
TO get out the men? Who would let
them out? Would there not be panic
and men running like sheep over the
fields? Worst of all. what would be
the fate of Pauline among these des-
peradoes? ] closed my eyes, trying
to shut out the mental picture. Then
I calculated the cost of rewards to be
paid for escaped convicts, andlastly the
probable cost of property destroyed
and all this through my carelessness.
But l would not live to witness the
AWFUL consequences. ! resolved to stay
there until the fire was out, or to per-
ish in my struggle against it.
In the Pickering light of our single
lantern, the two anxious faces of the
silenced men stood out strangely
against the background of murky
gloom.
"Blondie," my voice sounded strange
1 r