The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-06-19

The last few days had been the
strangest # his life. He seemed to
have lost all control over his power Of
reckoning time. Before that he had
counted and reckoned. and added day
20 day m~etlodically. He knew exactly
Ito the hour how long he had been
there. He knew exactly when the time
would come for him to go out again
into h world through the great gate.
Ehe counting Of the days and the add
Ing them up into weeks and months,
and then adding up again of the
months into years, had become a ma
MA. It was always with him-this
reckoning vi He had counted slowly
The days and put them behind him. He
had counted SO slowly, so steadily. SO
surely. And then all at one the power
of his mind broke. He had lost the
grip OF his sense Of time. His mind
became confused and shaken. All that
The remembered now was that once
long, long ago-he had been sentenced
Ito prison for ten years.
For ten years!
How cold were the faces in court
when the sentence had been passed up
on him! He had thought Of it long at
forwards in the silence and gloom of
his cell. And how self-righteous was
the tone Of the Judges voice! And then
he was carried off into a harsh, terri
bic life. where everything that was hui
imam in him was degraded and at last
a%eadened. And it came to pass that he
had forgotten the life he had lived out
In h world. He began to reckon the
days. Always to reckon the days.
When he was working-When he was In
his cell-even when he slept, he reck-
oned the days.
On the morning!
What would happen to him on the
morning when there was no longer. an
other day to reckon? On hat morning
he would be free to go out again into
the world. But he had grown to feel
no sense Of citation at the thought OF
freedom. The years he had spent in
prison gloomShad killed its meaning to
him. He looked forward to the morn
Ing with only q strange feeling of GU
riosity in which there was bingled a
vague n Of fear and dread. On that
morning there would be no longer an
other day to reckon and to put behind
him.
And now the time was at hand-o1
he thought 1t was at hand-and sud
denly the power Of his mind was con
fused. and shaken, and broken. AL
long, long ago-he had been sen
fenced to prison for ten years,
So 1t had come at last. The great
black gate had opened and let him
forth. He stood for an instant, and
then walked ~unsteadiIy down the broad
path.
The sun was shining brightly. The
morning was clear and beautiful.
It had ceme at last. The morning
had come at last. The bright light Of
hi u confused and dazzled him. II
surrounded him and made him fee,
strange. Surely he had never seen sc
much light before!
His gait grew steadier as he got tc
the end OF the path. But he wa afraid
Where was he going and what was he
going to do? Maybe 1t was all a dream
He might wake up and still find him
self IN his cell. He would be glad II
he did awaken and find himself In his
cell, for out here he was afraid, He
trembled as he walked. He was afraic
Of the sounds.
Suddenly some one came in front Of
him n spoke. But he shrank away
and turned ava his eyes. He was
afraid. The words he heard had ne
meaning for him. And he turned tt
the left and walked swt ~ down the
long, straight road. He was afraid.
AS he walked the tones of the voice
that had just spoken to him came bach
to him. They We're not the harsh, colo
prison tones. There was in them a Ger.
tain quaIity-the quality of warmth
kindness; But the man who hearc
them was afraid, for he was no Longer
a a He was only a thing of the
prison. The humanity had been blotteC