The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-06

ndu d real interest IN MIN. fOT
that matter, she had an interest
in all the prison, since she was en-
gagged to be married to Warder Tollit.
But Miss Walker-for the lady also
had a name, and Mr.. Tollit called
her Rosa-had no sooner observed Tur-
key among the felonry of the oakum
ward than her heart had gone out to
him. Not that it weakened in any de-
gree where Mr.. Tollit was concerned.
Miss Walkers interest in Turkey was
of another kind. From where she be-
held him, airing his graces in the
walled gray yard he looked just the
child he was, fair-skinned and fair
haired, and Miss Walker was panied
and even indignant.
Under the tender smart of love, Tur-
key grew into exemplary behavior. He
studied prodigiously in school, for
though he could read a little, he was
barely able to write, and he wanted to
send her a letter. He sought to polish
both his manners and his outward
man, and went short of bread for
few days to buy soap from the outlaw
next door. With soap and a pinch of
dust he rubbed faint mustache on his
lip, devoutly hoping she would see it,
removing the ornament as he took his
last turn round the yard. He lived
solely for the hour of exercise. Every
day, passing under the wall at the end
of the yard he cooked his cap and threw
up an eye, and he was certain she saw
him and smiled on him. The oakum
party sharing Turkeys constitutional
enjoyed it hugely.
Then, to his extreme disgust, he
caught a cold, and the weak minded
doctor confined him for three days to
his apartment, and even threatened
him with infirmary. 1t was absurd the
way that felon was pampered.
Still worse; when the three days
were spent, the barometer having gone
round distractedly to "fair, mild" the
meddlesome medicine man decreed that
Turkey should be employed for a while
in the garden, a retired spot where no
drafts entered. 1t was a place which
sensible prisoners petitioned TO he sent
to, for the work was light, and there
was little supervision; but to Turkey
in love it was Punishment in a wilder
ness. No; he would hoe, nor he
wouldn't dig, and he wouldn't shove
no blooming roller about neither. He
had his rights as criminal, he had,
and why didn't they send him back
to his own party? Take his gorspel,
he'd never had no cold in all his born
days.
Now, Miss Walker had missed the
had, inquired for him. A mother-like
spinster of two and thirty, plump,
handsome and reveling in a legacy
which meant aff1uence for her lover
and herself, she was bent on trying the
power of money in the interests of
Turkey. She had wormed from MIR.
Tollit (who wished Turkey in Khar-
toum) that If burglary failed Turkey
was willing to go down to the sea in
-k,f -I,1 No.
owned a smack. A very little of her
legacy would buy Turkey in as an ap-
prentice. She had it all out with Mr..
Tollit, whom she wanted for her ac-
complete in her scheme for Turkeys
escape. Give Turkey into her hands
for twenty-four hours, and she knew
how to arrange for him. Mr.. Tollit
said Turkey had served two months of
his sentence, and would be out in an
other month. Miss Walker said that
if he went back to Drury Lane, he
would be in prison again in a week,
and that he must be out before his
time. Mr.. Tollit said it would be as
much as his place was worth-and Tur-
key began to be the victim of plot.
Precisely at the same time he began
to revolve a very fine plot of his own.
A craftsman who had just come in on
long sentence had attempted fight.
and venture of that kind is apt to be
initiated. Turkey. for his part, was in
no great hurry to put prison behind
him, but he did desire to do as il
pleased him there, and he didn't want
any nonsense of gardening. What if
he were to show that he meant what
he said, by giving them the slip!
An escape would make a man of him
at a bound, and set the seal upon his
fame. The daring outlaw had broken
prison to join the woman of his heart.
He would be chased, would have to lie
in hiding; she would shelter him, and
when the police had abandoned the
pursuit they would fly together, and
perhaps set up as robbers.
With these high thoughts to hearten
him, he saw that the garden was not
without advantages. For instance, he
was practically his own master there.
A warder occasionally went the rounds,
but nobody showed any special interest
in Turkey. The chief obstacle was the
man with the cutlass. This was an
officer who patrolled the gravel walk
circumventing the prison, at the foot
of the high, smooth-face wall, and
who was never absent.
Turkey could not, of course, be
aware that the guardian of the path
in this particular walk was Miss
Walkers Mr.. Tollit. and ii was equal
ly impossible he should know how sim
cerely Mr.. Tollit wished him on the
other side of the prison wall. Com
PEELED as he was to regard him as a
foe. Turkey nevertheless felt an in
slant liking for Mr. Tollit. who was OF
great stature, and with his cutlass on
his shoulder, rather terrible to look
upon
Approaching him on the second day
OF their acquaintance he said:
Mister Tollit. o. Mister Tollit, II
you was to see a criminal cove a-shin-
in up that there wall, wot 'ud you
jest about do?"
"Hey?" said Mr.. Tollit We'll II
you were the criminal cove should
say, Come down off that. else I'll
warm you II IL was anybody else /
expect | should carve HIM"
"A-course you would, Mister Tolliti"
said Turkey delightedly. An" he add
ed with JUNCTION. Il lay you could
carve 'imi'
To himself he remarked;