Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-14
Fairfax Follows "oId" Remnant.


When a Irisoner has escaped the governor
and his staff expect to be busy. The small
percentage of dangerous convicts, found N
every prison. grows very warm. II is angry
and envious, ripe for mutiny. and sore in
clined to follow In the footsteps OF the
fugitive. And every class In the prison -
except, perhaps, that OF the blue dress
men" whose release Is near-feels the dis
turblng influence of a bold escape.
Great that day, amongst all the brother
hood OF the broad arrow, was the fame Of
"Od" Remnant
Fairfax was a prisoner OF approved be-
hsvior. He kept himself a man, as far rs
one may do under that Egyptian sway; and
having sense enough TO ignore the waspish
incivilities OF the type OF warder who likes
to put the gentleman lag in his place" It
was rare for him to be in trouble. In two
years he had not once tried to find out the
weak places in the rules-a fayorite sport
In that unsportive arena.
But Fairfax had a livelier and more per-
sonal relish Of "Old" Remnants flight than
any other man In Longstaff. since he alone
had been privy to the design; and Fairfax
the self-contained had the hdgets as badly
as anyone that morning. He hoped he was
not going to lose his head
A man in one OF the quarry parties struck
work and said they might as we'll let him
out as "old" Remnant. No one except
Fairfax believed that he had broken unss-
sisted out OF Longstan.
"well run you in instead" said the war
der Of the mutineer, and off they marched
him.
Fairfax himself was twice hidden to be
brisker with his work Fairfax the dillgent.
IL annoyed him, for he was working below
his form.
All the warders were inclined TO show
their teeth and when a much-fretted warder
does this 1t may be nasty for the lag within
his reach. Fairfax lad no mind to take
fire II he could help It, but all tempers wers
touchwood that morning and the pricklng
heat did not soothe them.
Keep step there. won't you What's
come TO you this morning."
This was addressed to Fairfax on the
march off from the quarries. Fairfax was
aware that his step was perfect.
BE hanged to you!"
The imprudent answer had left his tongue
almost before his mind had framed it.
Very well, my boy!" came the ominous
retort.
Early as II was the chief warder had
dealt with a number OF petty cases (the
temper, too was on the down grade. "Abu-
sive language" to an officer. as striking too
deeply at discipline, is never condoned in
prison. But Fairfax had very clean bill
OF conduct. and the gray-bearded chief
warder, despite his unwonted irritation, was
not disposed to make this a case for the
governor.
"A prisoner Of your station and educa-
ton" he said, "is expected to keep a civil
tongue in his head. even when his temper
is little tried. Perhaps twenty-four hours
solitary confinement with plain fare will be
long enough for you to get this lesson by
heart"
As penalties are meted out this was a
mild one; many a man has been tied to the
triangles for hot retort upon warder.
Fairfax, then. instead Of returning to his
own cell, was hauled away to 'chokey."
Chokey, the punishment cell, is no longer
the black hole OF the old days, but 1t
is very still and dismal. and twilight reigns
there through all the gaudy Moons OF sum-
| mer. A deal plank is the only furniture,
there is nothing to read and plain" is a
generous description OF the fare. Chokey
was unusually full that day (thanks, in the
main, to "Old" Remnants example, or the
apartment which had been assigned to Fair
fax might have been sealed, for particular
reasons.
AS he took in its solid proportions, his
eye growing reconciled to the mark his
spirit within him did obeisance to the
genius OF "Old" Remnant What a man, to
| have eluded such a fastness! Fairfax ex-
amined the iron plated door, sounded the
| cement flooring with his foot and smote the
| walls softly with his hand. How was II
| done? Had "Old" Remnant bribed his
warder after all? II not. then the annals
Of prison-breakng held no feat worthy OF
a place with this
| 1t struck Fairfax as curious that the wall
| facing the door, which appeared to be OF
| granite, was not whitewashed like the other
walls, but he remembered that these cells
were scarcely out OF the hands OF the con-
vict builders.
A trap in the door fell inward and dinner
was served: One pound OF bread with water;
the sybarites in the ordinary cells were
feastlng on stewed mutton and hot potatoes.
Fairfax stretched himself upon his plank
and contemplated the luxury OF a mondays
sleep. He had eaten only half his bread and
| he was hungry; out he was also wearier
than he had supposed and sleep came easily
| As he slept he dreamed that a voice rose
| from beneath him, and even in his dream he
was conscious that he turned over and
strained his ear. Then the voice grew
| clearer. ard 1t said close TO him and quite
plainly: Remnant old Remnant"
stu dres ming, he beheld "Old" Remnant
| lying in a swoon on a narrow, spiral stair
way, between two walls and It was pitch
dark. Dreaming. he arose and groped his
way downward, touched Remnant and
passed him, until at a bend in the spiral
passage, he saw, far below a point OF light
like pin hole. He cried aloud cheerily and
awoke
He must have slept away ten hours of his
! sentence, for the cell was as black as the
stairway OF his dream, and he could see thu
twinkle OF the gas in the corridor. Hearing
the warGer coming on his round. he lay still
upon his plank.
II he had known at that moment that h,
was in the cell from which "Old" Remnan
had escaped the night before!
The warder passed and returned along hi
beat.
Then Fairfax sat up and listened, certain
that call was coming. II came, rising a.
it had risen in his dream. from some spo
beneath him. Scarcely audible at first, 4
mounted higher and became a distinct or,
Of
Remnant! old Remnant
ITS the man himself" said Fairfax
under his breath.
A pause and the cry was repeated:
Remnant! old Remnant"
| IL was no spook Fairfax knew the WHOA