Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-07-06

backward.
You are a hardened ruffian, sir! Do
/ you not hear me speak to you? l came
10 console you, man. l wanted to give
you some good advicew
on"
., was going to say, my good fellow,
tnat you have done yourself a great deal
OF INJURY by your ill-advised accusation
or Captain Frere, and the use you made
OF Miss Vickers' name"
A frown, as Of pain, contracted the
prisoners brows, and he seemed with
uimcuity to put restraint upon his
speech. rs there to be no inquiry, Mr..
Meekinr he asked, at length. What
stated was the truth. Are they not
going to ask her for her story? They
told me that she was to be asked. Sure
ly they will ask her."
L am not, perhaps, at liberty" said
Meekin, placidly, unconscious of the ag-
ony OF despair and rage that made the
voice OF the strong man before him
| Qulver, TO state the intentions of the
authorities, but l can tell you that Miss
Vickers will not be asked anything about
you. You are to go back to Port Ar
thur on the oath, and to remain there"
groan burts from Rufus Dawes; a
groan so full of torture that even the
comfortable Meekin was thrilled by it.
Come says Meekin, you can't com
plain. You have broken the law, and
you must suffer. Civilized society says
you shan't do certain things, and if
you do them you must suffer the penalty
civilized society imposes. You are not
wanting in intelligence, Dawes, more's
the pity-and you can't deny the justice
Of that"
Rufus Dawes as if dlsdaining to an
swer In words, cast his eyes round the
yard with a glance that seemed to ask,
grimly, If civilized society was progress
ing quite in accordance with justice,
when its civilization created such places
as that stone walled, carbine-guarded
prison shed, and filled 1t with such crea-
lures as those forty human beasts, DOOM
ed to spend the best years of their man
hood cracking pebbles in it.
Meditating that night in the solitude
of his cell, he almost wept to think Of
the cruel deception that had doubtless
been practiced .on her. 'They have told
her that | was dead, in order that she
might learn to forget me; but she could
not do that. l have thought of her so
often during these weary years that she
must sometimes have thought of me.
Five years! She must be woman now.
My little child a woman! Yet, she Is
sure to be child-like, sweet and gentle.
How she will grieve when she hears of
my sufferings! Oh. my darling, my darl-
ing, you are not dead" And then, look
ing hastily about him in the darkness,
as though fearful even there of being
seen, he pulled from out his breast lit
tie packet, and felt it lovingly with his
coarse, toil-worn fingers, reverently rails
ing it to his lips, and dreaming over it,
with a smile on his face as though 1t
were a sacred talisman that should open
to him the doors of freedom.
were prevalent upon the stone jetty at
Port Arthur when the schooner bearing
the returned convict, Rufus Dawes, ran
alongside. He sat with his head bowed
down and his hands clasped about his
knees, dlsdaining to look until they
reused him.
Halo, Dawesw says Warder Troke,
haltng his train of ironed yellow jackets.
$50 you've come back again! Glad to
see yer, Dawes, 1t seems an age since
we had the pleasure of your company.
Dawesw At this pleasantly the train
laughed, so that their irons clanked more
than ever. They found 1t often incon-
venient not to laugh at Mr.. Troke's Su-
NOR. "Step down here, Dawes, and let
me Introduce yer to your hold friends.
They'll be glad to see yer, won't yer,
boys? Why, bless me, Dawes, we thort
we'd lost yer! We thort yerd given us
the slip altogether, Dawes. They didn't
take care of yer in Hobart Town, I ex-
pect, eh, boys? Wen look after yer
here, Dawes, though. You won't bolt
any more
"Take care, Mr.. Troke," said a warn
ing voice, you're at it again! Let the
man alonew
By virtue of an order transmitted
from Hobart Town, they had begun to
attach the dangerous prisoner to the
last man of the gang, riveting the leg
irons of the pair by means Of an extra
link, which could be removed when nee
essary; but Dawes had given no sign of
consciousness. At the sound of the
friendly tones, however, he looked up,
and saw tall, gaunt man, dressed In a
shabby pepper and salt raiment, and
wearing black handkerchief knotted
round his throat. He was stranger to
him.
"I beg your pardon, Mr.. North" said
Troke, sinking at once the bully in the
sneak. 81 didn't see yer reverence"
"A parsonW thought Dawes, with dis
appointment, and dropped his eyes.
"I know that" returned Mr. North,
coolly. "If you had, you would have
been all butter and honey Don't you
trouble youself to tell a lie; It's quite
unnecessary. What's your name, my
man?"
,n&o