The Washington times., 1909-06-17
By ROBERT CARLTON BROWN
-AUTHOR o.
1.-THE BURDEN OF PROOF"

I paper they had medium of exchange,
and ne had no doubt that he could
contrive some means to get at Bob
| story.
paper each morning. instead of every
other one. Every body welcomed the
| change, and Bob now read the sheet
with as great interest as the Others.
! Does anybody know shorthand
| asked Phil one morning.
/ There was silence. Daring had learned
| shorthand with Bob when they first
went 10 live with their uncle He knew
| that Bob had not forgotten the lessons
and also that he would disregard the
question. as he had consistently ignored
! PhiFs presence in the place.
We'll. as long as NOBODY knows + :.
going TO conduct a correspondence
/ school on the subject
| The idea of a correspondence school
/ made a hit with the prisoners. They
were very enthusiastic. and saw pos
/ sibilities in the ideR from the start
The attendant, a sort of advisory
board. was asked II he saw any objec-
ton.
Guess there's nothin' against learn
in anything I'm here. You can take up
/ Esperanto as far as am concerned.
was his reply.
Then TN start the first lesson to-
| paper higher tone"
/ The men were all eager for any new
| departure in the publication. and they
Z awaited the first lessons I'm the short
| hand correspondence school with eager
! ness.
So that morning the paper came
out with one column devoted TO short
hand. Phil laid down the first prin-
| ciples, and then made a sentence or
/ two at the bottom II the lesson, TO
show how the figures looked in actual
use.
of course. no one could read the
/ example eXceot Bob. The others
| looked upon II as great curiosity.
and tried to master the details of the
When young stevens received the
| paper he glanced down the column
denly his eye stopped at the sentences
/ Phil had written below.
/ To his great surprise he read;
| "BOb-Tell me how you come
| to be here. You can write 10 me
| on the margin of this. or below
/ IT. It's perfectly safe. PHIL"
1t was an ingenious scheme and
che thing looked so simple and harm
/ less that the attendant suspected
| nothing. merely glancing at the lines
/ of writing as though they were great
| curiOsiues.
The issues of the Murderer's Fire
side Companion never fell into any
/ outside hands except those of the
guard. So Phil felt safe. Even IL
any body cOnversant with shorthand
| should happen on copy of the paper
1 they probably would not know the
same system or writing that Phil
and Fob had learned,
But when the paper was returned to
Darfng's cell TO be filed away there
was no answer from Bob.
Phil was a little discouraged at this
but he persisted. feeling that he would
be able to nit upon something that
would finally make his cousin reply
For several days ne wrote different
messages TO Bob, giving them all a.
though they were examples to his class
but no answer cane to them, although
along the margin we're various attempts
at shorthand made by the other pris-
oners.
Phil tried every scheme he could
think Of TO force his cousin TO reply.
But they all failed,
Then the attendant stopped at Oar
ing's cell one morning with a worried
How long does It take to learn 10
write shorthand" he asked
"Oh. two or three months. according
to how hard nan works at It" an
swered Daring.
The attendant looked dubious.
want so learn" queried Phil
mo, but 7 was just think'n, II hadn't
come 10 me before, because / like the
IDEA as a novelty. But are you sure
game2"
Don't see what game there can be IN
/ teaching the men to write shorthand"
replied Phil There's no law against
Yes" went on the guard. But sup
p0sin' that all you feliers should learn
| the language and / didn't know II.
| or some other guard was put on here.
You'd have a cinch then 20 plan most
anything through your paper.
what good would IL do 10 plan any
thinge" asked Phil. There's no chance
Of a man getting out Of here. is there %
None ever has was the attend
ants reply
But ne stHl looked worried.
Guess you'H have to cut that out
he decided abruptly Il think fits in
nocent enough myself. but I'm afraid
the authorities wouldn't agree with me
If they knew about IT,"
"Al right. answered Phil.