The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-04-01

OF cOn9ratuiatl0n. HarDofde seeineu 10
have no comprehension of their meaning.
He remained standing in the centre of the
narrow cell speechless. At last the chap
lain made him understand the import of
the document which had Just been read
over to him.
Free! Free 1t is impossible, he ex
claimed, and then he threw himself on the
bed in agony fjoy. The changing of the
bell afresh, the slamming of doors, the
echoing of footsteps down the resounding
corridors. recalled him to sense of his
position. \ warder entered with suit
of clothes With trembling fingers he re-
moved his prison garb, worn, soiled with
weather and labor The trousers felt
chilly after the thick, tight fitting knicker
bockers, and rough, thick worsted stock
ings. The coat seemed to fit him nowhere.
With one look round his cell, on the walls
of which he had done innumerable ealcula-
tions TO keep himself from insanity bred
hy the terrible silence and sense Of loneli-
ness, "No. - now no longer mere
figure, a machine, but a human being,
stepped into the corridor.
There was a breakfast for him such as
he had not tasted for nine long years, but
he had no appetite. The one idea now
possessing his mind was home, escape whilst
the governor was willing for him to depart
He swallowed few mouthfuls, drank a
few gulps of cocoa, and then with the al
lowance money in his pocket hurried to the
gateway.
He was free. Free to go wherever he
liked. Free to start for home as fast as
steam could carry him. Free to stretch
out his arms to the placid stray-blue waters
Of Western Bay now denuded Of their
mantle of fog and sparkling in the sunshine.
Free to breathe the pure air uneonimtai
mated by companions criminal and vicious.
But the waters, the hillside, the lovely
stretch Of verdant country extended before
his eyes. had no charm for him save that
they spelt freedom. Behind him lay the
prison house, the flagstaff from which No
ensign dread huttered to tell of his escape.
Before lay freedom.
He rushed down the road, waving his
arms with the reawakenei instinct Of boy
escaping from school, obliyious alike TO the
sympathetic gaze Of women he passed, and
the half-coniemptuous remarks of the men.
lie dashed into the bleak, shabby little
railway station, only TO learn that there
was no train for an hour Already hr
liabs. unused TO such riotous movements
aud still feeling the lag Of the chain, hac
| begun to fail him, making the half. .joeulal
suggestion Of the solitary porter, that hi
should take little exercise and walk Il
4 WEYMOUTH, out ofthe question.
aFn have to wait, was all he eoulC
think of to say.
Dom time ain altogether exhilerat
ing or strengthenin work, the pOrtel
/ remarked.
Harborde nodded his head, yet longec
/ to tell him he was an innocent man. Th'
porter, however, had vanished, to retun
in few moments with paper.
Here, mate, he exclaimed, with rougl
kindness. ''You won know ali yester
days news, I'll 90 bail =
Harborde seized the paper. No F! h
knew nothing of yesterday news, nor tha
of thousands of days which had once beeI
Yesterday. He could see nothing at first
The print swan 10 confused jumble be
fore his eyes When his sight cleared h
commenced to read. How strange il was
He used to be great reader before h
became No. % And now he scenes
to know nothing of the world. New name
confronted him everywhere. Names Q
those 10 authority, names Of towns, name
even of countries. Where was Mashona
land and Matahelelandg He was confused
He read on. This delicious news foun'
turmoil Of the world, how good it wa
after all
At last his eye caught small paragraph
slowed away at the bottom of the thir
column on page six of the paper. He rea
and reread it over and over again. He
Majesty, the Queen, has been graciousl
pleased to pardon Thomas Harborde, VIII
was convicted Of forgery at the Winehes
ter assizes some ten years ago, and who
now completing his sentence of tftee
years' penal seryitude at Portland Har
borde will he released this morning. tn
step has been taken in consequence of th
diving confession Of man at Bristol.
Nothing morei Now he knew why h
had been released And so death ha
taken Edward Tilwel out of the hands 0
Justice. 1t was hardly fair Of death
The porter came up whistling to tell hir
the train would start in ten minutes. ii
got up, thrust the paper into the man
hands, and pointed to rhe paragraph.
That me,
.sYou Thomas Harborde? exelaime
the man. Then all L We got to say is it
a hanged shame the Queen didn't send
coach -and-six for you. Lets have you
hand, man, to wish you good luck. &c
a missis? No? So much the better; poe
soul. if.you had it would cut her up tel
rible
"No,' said Harborle, as though speak
inc TO himself, 81 was to have been mai
ried; but that years ago now, and II
an old man.
"0ldr' interected the porter, you !
no more than tve-and-thirty, I'll go bail
You do look older, to be sure. But wal
till YOU We been out bit, you II soon ru
of them lines and look a bit more uppish,
The engine at the end of the short tral
of carriages relegated to the Portland lin
after becoming too thoroughly out of dat
for even the Somerset and Dorset local SCI
vice between Weymouth and Dorchester
gave thin, wintry squeak, and Harborde
in a fever of apprehension lest it shoul
start without him, tumbled into the frs
carriage that came handy, ticketless.
The porter came to the door. You '
got no ticket Here, give me shilling
and I'll get if for you. Book to Wey
mouth?'
eyes, said Harborde, fumbling in hi
pocket for the money.
sNow you re all right, the porter ex
claimed, returning couple of minute
later; here's the ticket and the change
No, thanks; you'll want all you We got
Good bye, mate, and good luck.
! With bump and a groan the trai
moved out of the station and ambled aloni
tho limo rpnnino at the back of Chesj