Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-11-18
BY efsbe Hopkins
3 copyright. 1908. BY tho S. s. Mcclure COMPANY
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for the lady also had name, and Mr..
Tollit called her Rosa-had no sooner
observed Turkey among the felonry OF
the oakum ward than her heart had
gone out to him. Not that 1t weakened
in any degree where Mr.. Tollit was
concerned. Miss Walkers interest in
Turkey was Of another kind. From
where she beheld 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 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 pinch Of dust
he rubbed faint mustache on his lip,
devoutly hoping she would see 1t, re-
moving 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 const1-
tutional enjoyed 1T hugely.
Then, to his extreme disgust, he
caught cold, and the weakminded
doctor confined him for three days to
his apartment and even threatened him
with the 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 flair, mild" the
meddlesome medicine man decreed that
Turkey should be employed for awhile
in the garden, a retired spot where no
drafts entered. 1t was place which
sensible prisoners petidoned to be sent
to, for the work was light and there
was little supervision, but to Turkey
in love it was Punishment in wilder
ness. No; he wouldn't hoe, and he
wouldn't dig, and he wouldn't shove
no blooming roller about, neither. He
hlN LID uS AS udus
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
desperate from the oakum squad and
had inquired for him. A mother-like
spinster of two and thirty, plump,
handsome and reveling in legacy
which meant afiluence for her lover
and herself, she was bent on trying
the power of money in the interests Of
Turkey. She had wormed from Mr..
Tollit, who wished Turkey in Khar-
tum, that If burglary failed Turkey
was willing to go down to the sea in q
ship, and she had brother who owned
a smack. A very little Of her legacy
would buy Turkey in as IN apprentice.
whom she wanted for her accomplice
In her scheme for Turkeys escape.
Give Turkey into her hands for twenty.
four hours, and she knew how to ar.
range for him. Mr.. Tollit said Turkey
had served two months Of his sentence
and would be out in another month
Miss Walker said that If he went back
to Drury Lane he would be in prison
again in week and that he must be
out before his time. Mr.. Tollit said II
would be as much Us his place was
worth, and Turkey began to be the
victim Of q plot.
Precisely at the same time he began
to revolye very fine plot Of his own.
A craftsman who had just come in on
a long sentence had attempted flight.
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 II
pleased him there, and he didn't want
any nonsense of gardening. What II
he were to show that he meant what
he said by giving them the slip!
An escape would make man Of him
at bound and set the seal upon bis
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 advantage. For instance, ne
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 Of
f Y who patrolled the gravel walk cir
Venting the prison, at the foot Of
eh, smooth faced wall, and who
ver absent.
BY could not, of course, be aware
e guardian of the path in this
fular walk was Miss Walkers Mr.
+ and 1t was equally impossible
Mould know how sincerely Mr.. Toll
wished him on the other side Of the
fison wall. Compelled as he was to
regard him as foe, Turkey neverthe-
less felt an instant liking for Mr.. Toll
lit, who was Of great stature and. with
his cutlass on his shoulder, rather ter
rible to look upon.
Approaching him on the second day
Of their acquaintance, he said:
.'Mr. Tollit-oh, Mr.. Tollit, if.youMas