Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-11-01


overture to the prisoner. had
cursed and cUffed him for n sulky dog,
and SO taken leave Of him for the
night. Not q word had Erichsen utter
ed In all these hours. He had an
swered no question, replied to no taunt
nor yet once raised his eyes from the
ground. There he sat with n damp
blanket about his torn body and his
rough yellow head between his hands.
Food had been put before him and re-
manned there still. A pannikin Of tea
stood cold and sour and black with
drowned flies upon the ground. The
flies were the worst Of all his outward
Ills. But the shocking torments of a
brain cruelty cleared by pain and weak
ness were worse than the flies.
And now he was alone for the night.
The key had been turned in the pad
lock and put in its place on the beam
above. The sergeants buster had
died away. and the sergeant's foot
steps followed suit. Across the yard
there came n laugh. m oath. n good
night ironically shouted, then q throw
Ing Off Of boots that jingled and a
shutting Of doors. Now all was still,
and In the lookup the stiffness was as
unbroken as elsewhere. He never stir
red but to shrug away fly. The moon
shone in through holes In the tin lid
roof, through crevices in the match
wood walls, and In the soft sifted light
he sat immOvable. 1t was such n
prison as n man Of spirit could have
broken with preposterous ease. But
this one had no spirit left. He was no
longer man. His precious manhood
had been beaten out Of him like dust
from a carpet. And the sense Of that
irrevOcable loss bit deeper than the
glutted flies.
Was 1t n horse outside against the
brushwoOd fence? The sound was the
first Tom seemed to have heard for
many years. In his blackened brain 1t
struck first inappreciable spark Of in
terest. He listened. Then came an
other and a nearer sound as Of some
thing torn. He listened eagerly. What
could 1t be? Minutes passed. There
were no more sounds until the paddock
was tried and hand went feeling for
the key. Tom raised his head for the
first time as the moon streamed in
through the open door, when he per-
ceived that 1t was Peggy's bare feet
which had made no noise. With that
he lowered his head again, for there
was no place in 1t even for surprise.
Ruf npcnncc{nuSIv bo yo vo N ,ooor
She went upon her knees beside him
and flung out her arms, but drew them
back, with n shiver, from that loose
spread blanket. "Tomw she whisper
ed. Speak to me. darlin'. It's Peggy
come to see how y are"
He never spoke. never looked up nor
gave any sign that he heard her words,
unless 1t was that his bowed head
hung more heavily than before.
'It's Peggy O'Brine," the girl pur-
sued. with q sob in her throat. "Sure
an we've not forgotten Peggy the
cook? It's to comfort We I've come.
d0Nrie. an haven't I the right? All,
then. an wasn't 1t ali through me 1t
wasp
The sob got loose, and she was
wringing her hands and gazing ut Tom
through her tears as though her heart
would break for him. In return he
stared heavily at her. but shook his
head as her meaning came home to
him.
Indeed an it was." persisted Peggy.
"Only for me you niver would have
struck IN at all. An to think 1t was
meself that warned ye in the beginning
an went an drove 70 to 1t in the tndi
II only you had let IN strike me dead
at his feet! 1t d have been Bother
than that-an' thisr"
Still he looked at her without u word.
and still there was no light, no life, no
feeling In tho look. but only dumb and
dead despair.
you thought liked lint! exclaimed
Peggy wildly. They've been tellin'
ye their black lies in the huts. It's
little they know how it's been between
us from the sthart. I'll tell We this,
Tom. betther hundred times be the
man he's q spite agin than the girl
he's his wicked eye upon. That's Mr..
Nat for We, an / hate I'M loathe
limits Gods truth I'm telling We.
Tom. dear, he cot me out there last
night niver whit out wild i'm. He
cot me prOwlin' about as he said. on
that's the truth, too. though he tould It.
I couldn't sleep for thinkin' O. the two
o yez. It's well 1 knew he was up to
some divil's work at last. I'd seen i'm
talkin-an' what do you suppose he's
up to now!" asked Peggy. going Off at
a tangent. What do you suppose
he's dom Mt this moment? Lynn
dhrunk on his bed-lyin' de'd dhrunk
Tor the shame Of It! You knocked I'M