The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-06-05
By ROBERT CARLTON BROWN
-AUTHOR OF=----
1.-THE BURDEN. OF PROOF"

pushed their WY through the eager,
throng that awaited their coming.
The train was in and they we're
aboard in three minutes.
Two hours later they arrived in The
city distinguished in that State as the
place where long-term prisoners were
kept.
skirts of the town and they soon came
out upon a road at the end OF which
doomed up a cold gray group Of build
inss They were all the same, all stone,
all forbidding in their gloom.
Phil made out high wall surrounding
them, as they approached.
We'll, there's your new nome, said
the sheriff. cluckirg to his horse.
Phil made no reply; his eye had
caught a motion at the top Of the high
wall He watched with fascination. It
was sentry. pacing up and down the
broad stone. In the mans hand was
gun.
Daring's mind Ieaped back to the only
other states prison he had ever seen.
That was I'm his boyhood This place
held the same weird fascination for him
At turn in the road they came
suddenly upon man trudging toward
the Jail with a package under his
arm.
a shudder went through Phil.
Tie man wore prison stripes,
What's he doing outside of the
By that time they had reached the
''IIeIIo. 7711T cried the sheriff. pull
ing in his horse. Want a lift?
The man wheeled abruptly. There
was the look that Phil remembered
through all the years-she convict
There was something more than
that in the mans pallid face. A
| Shiftv mouse-eyed quickness that
showed he belong Z TO separate
| class of cOnvicts.
seen the same look in the TRUSTEES
a the old prison when he was a boy.
/ He used to fear the TRUSTEES then
more than the ordinary conVicts. For
thew were trusted by the prison au-
thorities and allowed certain liberties
/ in return for their lynx-eyed watch
fulness Of the other men and each
yes. guess I will hop aboard
/ Jones" said the trUsty. coming as
/ nea- to a friendly smile as his drawn,
/ le8thery face would permit.
| He clambored in between Phil and
/ stV emf to town for the captain OF
/ the yard No. 6001 is sick today. Hes
/ doin' my old work, you know. I'm
/ bath trusty now, with few other
4 duties"
mans voice. as though he had been
rs that SOP" said the. sheriff. with
years since I brought you here. Well
| that's pretty good pro gress. Here am
! 1 holding the same old job.
| Trouble with you, you amt poll
/ ticfan." and a laugh twisted from the
/ corner of the convict cracked lips.
/ Guess you're right.
by tie way" said No. III, turning
/ to flash a keen look into Pills face,
/ What have we got hereY'
| Thirty years. was the sherlmS Ia
| comic reply. Then he qualified IL With
should o had murder, but they rail-
roaded him through."
! That's what they done with me,
said 77n. Then he repeated contemptu-
I ousiy fThirtysVe He'll An 7 was
/ innocent / got life
We'll. +nat's better than death" The
( burlY sheriff gUffawcd at his own crude
( joke
at IS when yer gets to be a tTusty
I an has a chance TO get an easy time
! OF il II yer keeps yer peeps open
. Phil listened to the C"nE erSation with
/ strange emotions vibrating through
him. he han caught the CLEAN OF
/ JEALOUSY in the trusty's eyes when il