The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-09-15
Tom Stanley's Ad.

THE lights were low in the cell
house corridors and galleries /
as Tibbs, one of the night
guards, paused and looked in
at cell No. 1904
"Well," said he to the man within,
"I suppose you'll be leaving us next
discharged, Ell ?"
"Yes," replied Stanley, "next Wednes-
day. I've been counting the days late
ly, somehow it seems to make the time
shorter"
"What you goin' to do when you get
out?" was the time-worn query of the
turnkey.
"I've got one chance" returned Stan
ley, his figure stiffening little in his
chair, as if already the battle were on;
zone chance" he continued, "if only
can make them believe in me. You
see, none of my people know where l
am, and l don'tswant them to, nov at
least. I've just one old friend over in
the Twin Cities; the last heard of him,
he was on the st. Paul Hummer doing
Sunday feature work. If his faith in
me is as great as it used to be in the
old days, Tm all right. When we used
to play ball together, and were up
against tie, or the bases full, with my
turn to bat, his confidence used to
nearly rattle me at times. He'd quit
coaching then and there" laughed
Stanley with self-depreciatory shrug,
"hike over to the bench, wad his sweat
er under his ears and sing out: Now
Tommy, boy, just simply line her out
for three bags, only three bags. and
then. then we'll all go homer l feel
down in the mouth sometimes when
try and look into my future, and then
think of what I've got behind me, and
the pull it's going to take to shake 1t
off and live it down; but Pm going to
give it this one try. I'll call on Remy
over there the first thing, and get him
to give me lift; OF at least help find
All entree for my scheme somewhere iE
newspaperdom. Upon the success Of
it depends my future-my future for q
good, clean honest life. l know one
mans life or salvation exists but as 6
!. scintilla among the many; my life, my
little world, it's all I've got, and wan
to better it if possible-we all do, NJ
matter how low we get. Then if il
, spite of everything, fate hands nj
more than can grapple with, and i
[ all goes the other way and here hi
voice trailed off into note of mocl
/ solemnity, that would have been al
| humor, but for the little minor chort
OF pathos running through it; "why,
he continued, "as Esther hath it, If
, perish, 1 perish"
Tibbs raised his head from the han'
! on the bars, as he replied in a tone o
| suddenly awakened convictions: "Yol
t 60 over there, and tell 'em just like yo'
: did me, and that scheme'll 60 throug
Q yes it'll 60 through"
: "A few days later, an entirely differ
: ent scene from the foregoing was be
: ing enacted over in the Hummer's OF
flee at st. Paul. Calm, the managin
}. editor, and Remy were closeted in tn
Q formers private Office. Calm wa
Q talking and talking fast. "ReEy, tn
, whole thing is focused on just on
) point: he's an ex-convict. 1 admit tha
scheme of his is good-excellent. 1t
9 entire conception Is what we have bee
: looking for; but you see the difficult.
II we can't let him carry it out-not pei
q sonally. If he's willing to take S
much for the idea, and let us manag
q the whole affair,-all well and good. 1t
q simple enough, we pay cash for hi
.. brain product, and there's an ent
IS But as for his conducting that trl
It down the river, never! IF we did, don
II you see the responsibilities we wOul
q be assuming2 Yes, l know, you ca
o shake your head. Responsibilitie
there are, not mere risks. I tell 20
,e they are dead certainties. With sue
g credentials as we would be obliged I
b, give him, man. imam! he could skin o.
d cry town on the Mississippi. Sainte
n memory of Gatenbergl don't you Sc
n how it could be r. and thousand scil
t. tillating electIons, each tagged with
sight draft, and backed by every new