Sunday morning globe., 1901-11-10


ears of her financee, who Immediately
started out to call the lying scoundrel
to account, finding him at last at the
Metropolitan Club, Of which he was a
member.
They met at the head of the stairs
leading to the hall, and the Westerner
faced his cowardly rival with the as
sertion that he, as well as others there,
knew we're true. The politician, look
ing around at some of his parasites,
who he thought would protect him, re-
peated the insult to the girl-just once
for as the lie left his lips, the West
err lad struck out with his right and
landed him fair on the temple. He
went down like an OK struck by the
hammer, and before any of his as
tonished friends could stay him. roll
ed heavily down the stairs, and strik-
ing his head on the marble floor at the
bottom, lay there-dead-while the
throng OF startled clubmen held the big
Westerner til the police came and took
him to the cell he only left to come
here after the trial.
"The trial, did I say?-the farce, it
should be called; for not one witness
appeared for this poor chap. while the
court was packed with friends Of the
dirty deceased, who clamored to avenge
the death Of their leader, and were
only mollihed when the sentence came
at last-"States Prison for lifel"
"The girl he loved so well came to
him every day, and remained till the
last, and every visiting day since he
came here has brought her, with her
white-haired father, to cheer the poor
fellow as best she can with the assur-
ance of ever constant affection. Poor
thing 1t would break your heart to
see her, always here before the doors
"a open; always the last to leave when
they close. She grew so pale and
wretched this spring that he begged
her father to take her away so they
went to Switzerland and now a letter
comes for him by every ship. I took
fancy TO the poor devil and as he is
one Of the best prisoners here, and in
special favor, I have him in the Office
with me, and we have become great
friends.
"But see, have made you sad; Pm
sorry. It's like my dundering stupid
ity to entertain a sweet young lady
with a tale Of woe that
mo, no" I cried, "only I am sorry
for the poor fellow" and tried vainly
to hold back the tears that were
streaming down my face.
Well, that was how l met Jim; and
that burst Of confidence brought us
together from the very first, and as he
wiped the tears from my eyes that day,
so he has continued to clear away the
sorrows that have crossed my path
since then.
AS / said before, Jim was the ward
ems son. and he kept the prison books
for his father We were fond OF each
other from the first day and when
ever I went to the prison to sing, we
walked through the grounds, as the
stroll gave us time for conversation.
Ny father had taken a violent dislike
to Jim. and forbidden me to ask him
to the house, as he was desirous Of my
making what he termed a good
match" which meant lots Of money,
and a supreme disregard Of what
might accompany it; so for a while our
Sunday walks through the prison were
our only chance for love-making and
I must say that we progressed very
we'll considering the gloomy surround
ings
l found that Jim had quite an affec-
tion for mo. 67,' the darkeyed con-
vct, and I felt great pity for the young
cnap and one day took him a bunch
of old-fashioned posies. Jim said he
fondled them like a child and said
they were like the flowers that grew in
his mothers garden, and then he talked
of her. and thanked God that the
gentle lady had died before disgrace
came to the one she loved so well.
At last the summer wore to an end,
and Jim became more impOrtunate in
his love-mahng. He grew despond-
net. and said that If really loved him,
the best way in fact lie only way
for our happiness, was to elope. /
cried. and could not bear the thought,
but I knew my stern father too well
to think he would change, and mother
and the rest Of the family were afraid
of him: so / balanced the thing in a
mental scale; on one side were the home
folks. and on the other-my Jim
and the "Jim side Topped down in the
balance, and the home-folks flew away
up out of sight. so / said yes, and then
Jim kissed me, and we sat down to talk
it over.
The penitentiary stood at the out
skirts of the town, just where the city
pavement began to disappear into the
green-edged country roads. Two of
these there we're, one running by the
scowling walls of the ugly prison, the
other crossing this, like a broad white
ribbon, rolled out into leafy woods,
over little railway bridge, past a
picturesque station and then on to the
next town, some four miles distant
Adjoining the prison grounds in the
rear, was an old estate, once one Of
the glories Of the country, now fallen
into decay vacant and deserted. At
the end Of the garden near the prison
wall. stood little pavilion, a summer
house OF lattice work, which Jim dis
covered, and where he and we're wont
to sit on a summer night, as no one
could see us there, save the prison
guard who paced up and down on the
wide stone parapet over our heads.
However, the night guard was big Den
mis- Rafferty,, one of Jim's fal,Aiul ad-
mirers (by boy was the pet Of all the
nrieOn ami n1Ovppe with his ohaarv wayg