Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-05-20
"A FIRST NIGHT
OUT UF PRISON.

/
| One night in November, on ST. Gather
ines eve, the iron barred door of the city
| Jail in Auberive turned upon its hinges
and a woman of 80, dressed in a gown
of faded wooden cloth, passed out. Her
PEASANTS cap of white linen made a
strange frame for the heavy face,
stamped with the unhealthy prison
pallor
Arrested for infanticide, it was just
six years before that the black prison
wagon had brought her to the Jail, and
now the peasant woman. La Bretonne,
as her companions had named her, was
once more set at liberty. She was dressed
in her own clothes again, and in her
hand she held the tiny bag containing
her hard won earnings and the stage
ticket to Langres. which is presented to
every prisoner. Then the door was
opened and she was free.
The coach for Langres had already
gone. Frightened, timid, the woman
walked, hesitatingly toward the principal
inn for the village and in a low voice
asked for shelter for the night But the
tavern was full and the hostess, caring
little for prison birds, told her roughly
to 20 to a cheaper place at the other end
of the town.
BeWildered, the peasant woman CROPPED
her way to the door If the second inn,
which VAS in reality but a paltry wine
shop for the common l;llorers. The land
lord looked at her with suspicious
glance, recognizing from what large
boarding house she had come, and finally
sent her away, pretending that the rooms
were full
La Bretonne did not dare to insist.
She turned away her mead bent low and
in her heart a sullen hatred for this out
side world which repulsed her. There
was nothing now but to try to reach
| Langrcs on foot.
Darkness had already fallen as the
woman started on her way and the cold
north wind shrieked gleefully as it tore
| the withered leaves from the trees be-
side the road, striking and peltimg her
with them. After six years of seden-
/ tary life la Bretonne no longer knew
| how to walk, the muscles of her knees
were like llEots, and her feet, accus-
| tombed to sabots, achcd YEARLY i'll her
shoes.
At the end of mile she sank down
utterly exhausted. Shiyering, she won
dered bitterly if she must die there alone
in the road, frozen with cold and raeked
with hunger.
Suddenly. in lull of the wind, she
raised her head cmiousiy. Somewhere
near her Il woman was singing, softly
and monOt0uously, as if to Il child la
Bretonnc rose and limped in the direc-
ton of the voice, until turning Il corner
she saw light shining among the trees,
II came from tlmbiedown cabin built
against a large rock aud covered with a
ROOF OF moss and earth. la Bretonne. her
heart beating hard, knocked timidly at
the door.
The song stopped abruptly, and a
peasant woman appeared on the thresh-
old Il woman Of the same age as the
discharged prisoner, but already worn
and hcnt with toll. Her Jacket, turned
down at the neck. showed her brown.
wrinkled skin and her red hair hung in
tangled MASSES about her thin checks,
Good evening she said lifting the
lamp she carried in her hand, what do
you WautF"
Il cannot 80 any further" m,mmured
u
OF WEAKNESS. The city is yerv far awav
and II YOU would let me stay here
Just for the night would he SO crate.
Iul have some money and l will pay
You for your trouble
2 Come IN replied the other, after a
, moments hesitation Then she added
: IN tone of curiosity rather than dis
trust: Why did you not spend the
night at Auberiye?"
They would not take me-"
And looking down, la Bretonne. grown
suddenly ~erupulous, said hmbly:
ON see. | am Just out from the
prison, and people do not trust Jail folk. >
All! But come in, just the same
am not afraid, for | have known moth.
lng int misery all my life. and it would
oe cruel work to shut you out in a bitter
night like this. l can give You Il bed Of
heather at least"
From an adjoining she'd she brought
mmulS of soft moss and strcwed them
IN corner, near the fireplace.
DO YOU live here all aloncg" inquired
Ia Bretonne, timidly
Yes. with my little girl who is roino
on Z, now, | earn our bread workinS
IN the woods.
Then Your man is dead?"
II never had one" said the vo,,,,,
sharply The poor little creature has
no father. All. well! to each his own
evils. Here Is your bed all ready for
j 4"a' ana two potatoes left from supper.
II Is al / have to offer YOU"
She was interrupted by childish voice