Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-11-03
THE Least
OF These
BY LULU JOHNSON.
Copyrighted. 1908. by Associated
Literary Press.
BY LULU JOHNSON.

gates clanSOu Dehihc hSi anu Shc Aeui-
lied that she was actually within the
prison yard It was her first visit TO a
penitentiary. and, though she found it
not half so forbidding as she had an
ticipated, the atmosphere sent chill
through her whole girlish figure.
Instead Of rock piles, with convicts
monotonously breaking the stone, here
were flower bordered walks and
swards of softest green. But for the
high walls and the barred windows she
might well have imagined herself in a
municipal park or on million dollar
estate.
When she reached the Office her bas-
ket of delicacies was consigned with
others brought by loyal friends for the
delectation of other convicts, but the
keeper looked curiously from the tag
on her basket to Betty's face.
mo 1896 hasn't had visitor since
he came here five weeks ago." com
mented the man significantly. "Are
you relative"
mo" said the girl simply. 'He was
just good to me when ! needed help"
"He was good to lots Of folks"
grunted the warden, but somehow
they seem to have forgotten it. He's
in the hospital"
The warden made sign to trusty,
and with fast beating heart Betty fol-
lowed the man in the direction of the
great gray building, in one wing Of
,,-cs- io.o TOD fbo hOenifo1
Moreton, ex-boss of the til district,
was propped up in bed, and at sight of
Bessie vynne he smiled radiantly
Five weeks he had lain there fighting
grimly for the life that he had begun
to think was hardly worth the saving.
for Moreton had indeed been through
the valley of political humiliation.
Less than two years before it had re-
CURED two husky men to guard the
door of his headquarters and keep
back the crowd of importunate callers
who wanted financial help. influential
word or perhaps just the chance to
fawn upon the powerful political
leader.
Moreton had been the boss of his
district, ruling with rod of iron. He
had controlled the machine through
sheer force of will power.
His enemies both without and with
in the party had fought doggedly to
break his sway. but the boss had
gritted his teeth the harder at each
fresh attack and beaten the malcon-
tents into submission.
But there had come an end to his
rule, as to almost all one man control.
The opposing party had secured the
services of a political reviyalist. ''In
the interest of good government" they
had explained, but the whole city
knew that it was ruse to rid the dis
trict of its dominating boss. 1t meant
turning the district over to another
clique as bad, but less experienced In
municipal villainy.
And the political world had sat back
and watched the warfare with grim
smiles. Perhaps, after all, the boss
would win again. But In this they
were wrong. BY a mere quip Of fate
the wheel spun the other way.
The boss lost, and after loss of power
came scandals and lawsuits. The lat
ter took most of the fortune he had
filched from the city, much of which
he had spent on the care of those who
needed it more desperately 1. than the
taxpayers from whom he had flched 1t
so remorselessly. In reality the boss
when the blow fell could have counted
his fortune only in thousands when
his enemies ran it up to tens Of thou
sands.
When he left the civil court room al
most penniless he found himself face
to face with criminal charges. Stole
ally he had accepted his sentence Of
! five years in the penitentiary. Stole
ally he had accepted his desertion by
those who had fawned upon him in
prosperity and power. A child of the
streets who had started carrying the
water bucket for the marching club,
he had become a ward heller, lieu
tenant and finally the boss without the
/ aid of family ties or family influence
Stoically he had accepted the decision
of the hospital staff. He had an incur
able disease. He probably would not
! live out his sentence.
/ Yet at sight of Betty Vynnes face
his stoicism vanished, and after the
radiant smile of welcome came a ten
derness almost pathetic.
"What are you doing here, child?" he
asked as he stroked the hand that
clasped his "Sing Sings good way
for a girl to come who's only making
her eight a week"
( The girl laughed. but her voice was
shaky.
"Just listen to the man! And I'm get
ting ten-right in this town read In
the aper-about-about your being SO
lonesome The man smiled grimly.
So the papers were commenting on the
fact that he was a deserted as well as
deposed leader Of men. "And l saw
the ad. of lawyer up here who want
ed a stenOgrapher, and l came and
got the place. l like it much better
| here than i'm TOWN And I can come