The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-01-12


WENT ABOUT POURING ITS GLOW
on EVERY WALL AND CORNER OF
OUR CELL.
We lay back on the straw in silence.
/ did a lot of thinking that brought me
little hope Thoughts of Louison and
Louise soon led me out Of prison. After
a little time l went philandering in the
groves of the baroness with the two in
comparable young ladies. l would will
lingly have stood for another bullet if
I could have had another month of
their company. The next thought Of
my troubles came with the opening of
the iron door. had been sound asleep.
\ guard came in with water and a pot
of stewed beef and potatoes.
"Thet air S all right" said D'ri, dip
ping. into it with a spoon.
We ate with a fine relish, the guard,
a sullen, silent man with a rough voice
that came out of bristling mustache,
standing by the door
LUX a-here," said D'ri to the guard
as we finished eating, 81 want t asst you
question. Eff you he'd a purity COM
f'table hum on t. other side, n tew
tECUsan' dollars n the bank, n bosses
n ev'rything fixed fer a good time, n
all NV a sudden ye found yerself N
sech a gol-dum dungeon es this here,
what nd you dew?"
The guard was fixing the wick Of
his candle and made no answer
Want We t. think it all over" said
| D'ri. See eff We can't think o. suthin'
soOthin' L say. God knows we need
it."
The guard went away without an
swering.
Got him thinkin'," said Dri. as he
lighted the candle He can help us
some, mebbe. Would mt wonder et
he was good ct cipherin'."
If he offered to take two thousand,
l don't see how We d give it to him, y
said |. He would Mt take our promise
Cor it"
Tibet ain a-goin' t bother us any,"
said D'ri. He'd tibet all fggered out
long ago"
He gave me the candle and lay down,
holding his ear close to the stone floor
and listening. Three times he shifted
his ear from one point to another.
Then he beckoned to me.
Jest hoP yer ear there n listen"
he whispered.
| gave him the candle, and with my
ear to the floor l could hear the flow
of water below us. The sound went
away in the distance and then ont of
hearing. After a while it came again.
What does it mean?" l asked.
"Cipherin' a leete over thet air."
said he, as he made a long scratch on
the floor with his flint. Then he rubbed
his chin. looking down at it, "Hain'
Jest egglac'ly med up my mind yit,"
he added.
We blew out the light and lay back,
whispering. Then presently we heard
the coming Of footsteps. Two men
came to the door with a candle, one
being the guard we knew.
Come, young fellow" said the lat
ter, as he unlocked the door and beck
oned to me; they want you upstairs"
We both got to our feet.
Not YOU" he growled, waving Dri
back. Not ready fer you yet"
He laid hold of my elbow and
snapped a shackle on my wrist. Then
they led me out, closing the door with
bang that echoed in the far reaches
of the dark alley, and tied a thick cloth
over my eyes.
Good luck!" D'ri cried out as they
took me away.
For BOTH" answered as cheerfully
as l could.
They led me through winding pas
sages and iron doors, with that horri-
bic clank of the prison latch, and up
! flights Of stone till felt as lost as one
might who falls whirling in the air
from a great height. We soon came
out upon a walk of gravel, where l
could feel the sweet air blowing into
my face. A few minutes more and we
halted, where the guard, who had hold
OF my elbow, rang a bell. AS the door
swung open they led me in upon a
soft carpet. Through the cloth could
see a LIGHT
Continued merit lCeekl