The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-07
THE ADVERTISERS .s .s ?
 , = s DAILY SHORT STORY.1J
sBY OCTAVE rHANEr.
Copy right 1900. by Daily Story Publishing Co,
EXPIATION OF A SIN.

EAflAll UT A SlNs The chaplain looked worried. He was a good little man, who loved his dinner and his fellow man.. When he was in q regular parish (which he had T exchanged for the penitentiary, ow- ing to dissentions and the bishop hav- ing more applications than vacant places) his flock had criticised him for preaching his old sermons at too short intervalss they said that he was lazy. But, the conyicts and the warden found him willing enough to work for them. They liked him. The convicts. of course, imposed on him to the limit of. their Nits;. but they listened re- spectfully to his sermons, and always wanted to see him when in the hos- pital; and the three men who had been hanged as well as the two men re- prieved at the last moment, bore pulp lie testimony to his consoling minis- trations. The fourth man to be hanged the chaplain's faint eyebrows at this moment. He had seen the chaplain daily since the verdict: and each day | tleaying. the cell the chaplain had |l drowned . moro anxious frown. A re- II fiection of his frown was on the war den's face today.
 q wish l knew." murmured the chaplain.
 The warden threw his keen glance about the chill. clean. empty passage. and shrugged his shoulders. When l think of the evidence I am sure he did it." said he; "when I see nim. end especially, when I see her. I don't zee how he could--"
 Herr" interrupted the chaplain. .' "Yes, his sister. There's pluck for you; and. good God. how she loves hint'
 "she does seem fond of him-in a very quiet way"
 Maybe quiet--but do you happen to remember what a pretty plump, rosy sort of girl she was the first time she stepped inside here?'
 Yes. remember" The chaplain sighed She's the ghost of herself. poor girl. Is she coming today? The warden nodded.
 "But--not tomorrow nnorning!"
 NO. she wanted to. though. She thought. I suppose, that 1t would hearten him a bit. 1t might. too: he Is braced up by every visit she pays him. And 1t is a pretty lonesome per- formance. that tomorrow"
 The chaplain shivered. II must con- fess. Gaines. hope you Sive the poor CT eatures something-ah--bracin
 I'm not revealing the secrets of the trade" said the warden, with the grimnest of smiles. "but--well, help the poor devils all can"
 Do you know, think his stoical composure gave way bit today; he seemed moved when I begged hlm not to go into the presence of his Maker with a lie on his lips. It seemed to me he was affected"
 "I think he was."
 And did you observe he vented very much tp see me this evening again"
 Come to think. he did. Made quite point of it. too. wonder if he Is going to break down at the last?'
 What an awful position" said the chaplain. dying that way in sin and shame. God pity him! The more il he's guilty
 "He had some provocation. The woman was a little devil who had spoiled his life first, and when he had turned around and was trying to run straight and had nice girl en- gagged to him, shooed her off with hef stories. But 1t was a pretty ugly mur- der. after all For his sisters sake and that poor old mother of his. would rather think he was innocent. lady. Nice people, who had had lots and lost 1t; and had had trouble dog them like-like-"
 "The man in the Raven" interpolat- ed the chaplain, as he hesitated "whom unmerciful disaster followed fast and followed faster"
 Precisely. There were only three of them-this boy. his twin sister and the mother. Father was dead, lucky for him. The girl had something to do on a newspaper. and there was some property of hers left that she used. They made a wonderful fight against the evidence. Derby was great! But 1t did no good; and the Governor. like a wise man, slipped out of town. and couldn't be seen. She tried. I'm told, but he was too smart for her. It's pretty hard having to deal with that sort of people. l feel sick over the whole thing"
 "A private execution. that's Gns comfort"
 Harder on the man, though: all audience is a kind of a brace, don't you knowt What strikes me about all this new tangled way is the ghast- ly loneliness of it. Nobody but strang- CTS. a man wants his kin around when he comes to die; unless it's in a fight, and then he wants his friends. At least. that's the way we feel in Kentucky, where I was raised-s-s- ! ph' AAAG Wot0Ou VSS e00NChty obL0Ch dumb. and gravely lifted his hat to a young woman in black. The chaplain followed his, example. She returned the silent courtesy as silently, and passed them, her black skirts brush ing the white walls and her sombre figure as she walked after the turn key conducting her, making a shadow that fingered when she was gone.
 She walked rapidly, and there was no Quiver of her set and pale face as when the man sitting with bis head bowed on his arms, raised 1t on her approach and she saw his wan face with the plain traces of weeping on it.
 "Oh. Nellie dear!" he stammered, and flushed red.
 "Will you let her sit down here by me?" he said to the guard in the gen tie manner that had won all the at. tendants of the prison.
 She kissed him and sat down by him. and held his hand tight in her own. But the rigid composare of her features did not change.
 70. it's so good. so good to see you" he breathed. Last night was so lonesome"
 She patted his hand with hers. You won't break down." she whis- pered; mot before them! I've been so proud of your courage"
 Its gone. Nell. Nell, supposing should-should break down tomor- row"
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