The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-08-22
The Obsolete Man
BY ALBERT z. HUNT.


Wardens words it was not premedi
tated. and neither he nor his parting
guest perceived il. The conditions III
which they stood were not favorable
for the perception of fine shades And
the hand-clasp was hearty II eX-
pressed the Warden's sense OF loss.
For eight years he had known and
liked this man, and now he was going
away.
Ideals, in the common definition.
/ the Warden had not, but in the ethi-
cal code of prison keepers he knew
what was right and this man had
/ Appropriated very near to it. His re-
signed and tractable spirit in confine'
ment had bespoken the position he
once had held
Before their hands parted the War.
den had considered this, and more
He recalled the noise of exposure, the
Justification of the books, flight, ar
rest--then the plea OF guilty. and the
sentence-since reduced by good be-
I hayior, He remembered, too that
there had been political elements IN
the case and much talk about scape.
goats suffering for other mems sins
But that was all so long ago and these
other men. sinners and saints, We're
. dead and gone TO rewards or reckon
ings
The little wicket in the monstrous
studded doors of the prison closed
silently and the man stood in the
world again 1t was early morning in
summer, and the sun was sailing list.
lessly over from the east with only
promise of the opulent splendor OF his
midday Weakening.
Originally the penitentiary had
been on the outskirts of the town. bal
now it was environed by rows OF
small clearinghouse and cheap
stores, Once 1t had worn a duingly
penal air Of sequestration, now tho
sombre dignity of its great gray walls
was tioured by the tawdry brick OF
these interloping neighbors Yet i'll
lOomed so far above them that its
granite spaces seemed informed with
a sardonic ridicule which relieved The
incongruity
There came to the free man a
vague recognition that during the ST
lent eXpanse of time which had wild.
esed-wdened-on the other side OF
these walls the world here. only a
step from them, had been ceaselessly
whirling away, with all it's wonted
clamors and contentious, needless as
ever of the individual atom II was d
shock to realize that only within
there, in that still and separate world, /
had there been no change.
Presently he found himself walking
He did not realize this until the pre-,
emptory clang of 2 gong sounded in
his ears and he started back in sud,
den panic. When the car had whizzed
by he was yisibly quakng. but in a
moment he was going on again.
Although without purpose in his
route, this oyerpowering fear of tie
electric cars delayed his progress so
that the morning was well advanced
when he stood at a corner in the
heat of the business section and
watched the crowds press past him
He shrank in the half shelter of a
post, with the surreptitious air Of enc
who Las no right TO be seen. Indeed
he vaguely felt himself alien and ir-
relevant, and his forefnger went raj
teringly to his lip with a motion be
come habitual,
M a fbaca l.oi.ste v.4t-Hfpog b i'm,
none so much as glanced in his direc,
ton, and he wondered why they did
not seem TO know that he was a lately
released felon. He might have found
the reason when he fen to studying
their faces. The habit of observation
had once been keen in him. as it is In
many men who constantly handle
large sums of money, and even now
It is not quite gone.
He saw that only the children wore
absolutely placid countenances. All
others carried look OF preoccupauon
often exhibiting writing lips and
flashing eyes or muttcrlng their
thoughts in halfaudible sentences
Once a woman, quite alone. passed
near him. and he heard her exclalm
TO herself. oh, my, oh, my" II
might have meant only a forgotten
Z pocketbook or a tight shoe. but the
/ tone had a tragic ring Again. a man
/ talking vigorously 20 himself swept
by. frowning.
None looked toward him; all were
I ignorant of his existence. and a great
/ loneliness rose within him.
Suddenly an impulse 10 escape
seized him lie felt bound. stuffed
rs though-as though he were in
prison. He turned and hed-hrst with
a rapid stride into a side street, after
ward breaking into a run when he was
away from the crowds
The impulse became uncomfortable
on. on. he sped. throwing startled
looks over his shoulder. once he fan
] cied shat a crowd was rushing after
/ him Nith a great hue and CRY. but no
one followed At last. painting and
. GREATNESS. he drew mp In front Of his
goal. In "a subconscious way he had
an the time known whittier he was
making his mad fight 10 escape cap
TUE.
For a moment he leaned weak
AGAINST the little door Then. with
another look over his shoulder. be
brought all his strength together and
bounded hercely upon d.
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