The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-05-03

P. 81 will write you a longer letter
mex: time.
Bob, in his delight, shows the letter to
his two cell mates, Tom kilyan, q veteran
criminal, and Tom Hatton, a Younger man.
kilyan urges him to reform and make
himself worthy of the girl, while Hatton
suggests that he assist In a bank robbery
he has already planned to put into execu-
ton as soon as he is released.
Tim Flynn, the keeper, is also shown the
photograph and seconds kilyan's advice.
Bob declares that upon his release he will
make his way 20 New York and win the
girl.
The aunt, Mrs. Sprague, learns of the
correspondence through the girls conf
dences. ard reads Bob's letter. The scene
concludes:
You know YOU told me never to have a
sweetheart who either swore or smoked
cigarettes. Now, what was | to do? Ev-
cry boy l know either smokes cigarettes
or swears, or both; and you know l want
a sweetheart. All the girls nave sweet
hearts-all but me. So | wrote my name
and address inside of one of the paper shoe
boxes just for fun
Auntie smiled. The words of her favor
lite niece had transported her back to the
years when she was a girl like Hazel and
when, like Hazel, she longed for a sweet
heart.
Yes, dear" she said. there is room
enough in this house for three, and you
can answer Bob's letter. / nope he is a
good boy, and if You marry him you can
have this house"
But there is trouble and gossip at the
factory. Hazel writes, asking if 1t is true
he is in prison, and Bob replies frankly,
admitting the truth, in the following:
Jefferson City, Mo.
Dear HAZEL received your letter and
4 of 2nn1J,,cn ,r-rS .y1oJ TO loo,, f,-. 1900,
but l am sorry / have to confess to you
that | am in prison. You asked me to
tell YOU the truth, so / will tell you all. /
suppose you Will never write TO me again
after this, and if you don't l will be
mighty lonesome. for / have no friends in
the world-not one, unless it is you, Hazel
and MIR. Flynn, the superintendent of the
factory where l work. He said it was
wrong to send me to prison and that
ought not to be here.
/ Will tell you how l get in prison. l
nave light months more to stay, and then
! will be free, and l will never get in pris-
on again, because its awful here.
When | was a little boy. ten years old, /
was brought TO Missouri with a lot of
Other orphans from New York city. and l
was lett Will q farmer in Pike county.
close to Bowling Green. This farmer and
his wife had no children of their own.
and from the day | was left With them
Nntl they sent me to prison they made me
work like a slave. They never sent mo TO
school. and all / ever learned was by
studying at night. They never gave me
no money nor let me SO TO town. and /
could not go to church because had no
clothes, The best L ever got was jeans
pants and a duck coat, and the only
gloves l ever had was a pair of husking
gloves, 50 ! could shuck corn. They used
to braS about what a good worker was
to the neighbors, but hot air like that was
the only pay | ever got for the nine wears
| put in on that farm.
l tell You. Hazel, L got mighty tired of
living that way, SO one day when they had
gone to town took $50 and lit out. /
thought | would get back to New York
somehow. but l hadn't got ten miles away.
hardly. before the sheriff caught me. He
got the none and gave it back to the
farmer and his wife, but they were dead
sore because | took it, and they both in
tended to testify against me in court. but
l saved them the trouble by telling the
judge | was guilty. The judge said he was
mighty sorry for me, and all that. but that
the law must be respected, so he sent me
here for three years.; And just think of it
y spent my 2lst birthday in the peniten-
tiary.
1 will be out of here in eight months
from now, but 1 amt going back to Pike
county, can tell you that. Just as /
told 4lr. Flynn, l am going to New Jer-
sey, II L have to walk every step of the
~way-that is, if you ever answer this letter
for am dying TO see you.
superintendent Flynn said l ought
never to be here. II those people
had paid me a little wages / would
have had some money saved up, like you
have, Hazel, and If they had bought me
some Sunday clothes so / could go to
church, l would never nave run away. /
would have stayed there till 1 was 81 years
old and l wouldn't be in prison now.
BUT a help 1t now. | am sorry,
for 1t will be mighty Lonesome If you never
write to me again. But / nave told you
the truth, Hazel. and l reckon that's best.
So | will tell you goodby. With best
wishes, Bob Rogers.
The letter was a great shock to Hazel
and her aunt, though both condoned his
fault and believed his punishment too
heavy.
HazeIs fear Of the of her fell
low-workers when she confesses that her
romantic correspondent is a convict moved
her aunt to the sudden determination tosee
BOD, and, II possible, obtain his pardon.
She and Hazel journeyed to jefferson City.
There is an extended description of their
journey, including a sightseeing stop over
In Chicago, but at last they reach the
prison.
Have a seat. ladies. He will be here
directly said the warden, turning to at
tend to his other duties.
Aud sure enough, in a few minutes. in
walked Bob Rogers. The poor fellow
gaspad for breath, sunk INTO a chair and
mid his face in his hands. So faithful
had he studied Hazcl's photograph tn. /
he recognized her Immediately, and in
stinctively he knew that this must be the
aTutie of whom she had written so affec-
tioaately. The thought of his disgrace
and his prison garb almost overpowered
him. For several minutes he could not
look vi.
Hazel hardly knew what to do, but
auntie walked over and laid her hand ON
Bob's shoulder.
Don't you know us, Bob?" SIZE asked.
o~Acou1asinsly This is Hazel, and l am