The Washington herald., 1910-08-01

dead. man has been arrested, CORE
spending TO your description, and we are
going down to the prison to see II you
can identify him" | stared at father.
and my only feeling was one OF vague.
incredulous wonder Martin Rood. the
fine. sleek gentleman whom l had seen
swinging out Of his gambling house in
the late afternoons-could that have been
he, that huddled heap OF clothes in the
gutter?
Quickly. Ellie" fathers voice remind
ed me. I went stumbling upstairs in a
burning excitement. think 7 had some
wild notion OF locking myself into my
room and defying the house, for the idea
OF facing that terrible man with his wild.
terror-stricken face threw me into a
panic. But Abby screamed at me that
l was treading on my rufHe as I came
upstairs. and captured me; and let her
put another gown on me and my turban
and heavy veil without lifting finger
10 help her. as II had been a child
knew father was waiting for me at
the foot OF the stairs, and there was no
| escape. / must go down. When I got
into the hall I saw that Mr.. Dlngley's
buggy was standing in front OF the
| house, though II was but a few blocks
down Washington street TO the prison
on Keaney.
But we did not drive as I had expect
ed straight down Washington. making
! instead a detour OF several blocks. and
finally by means Of little alleyway
| coming 10 the back door OF the prison
/ The only people I'm sight were a couple
Of policemen. but. Mr.. Dingley on one
side and father on the other, fairly lifted
me out by the arms. and hurried me into
! the building. as If they were afraid OF
being caught by some one.
! The first thing was aware OF was the
cold gray light falling on as from high
overhead. and a faint. sickly odor. very
faint but very penetrating. the like OF
which / had never breathed before. We
were standing in n tagged hall looking
up through a great well. past gallery
after gallery. 10 a skylight covering the
| top Of the roof II was the sunshine
altering through the dull. thick. green
ish glass which gave that cold. sad-col-
ored light Within the galleries I caught
glimpses OF men AT work az desks: and
over the ratings lounged figures, peered
faces. disheaveled. sodden. disreputable:
AID sometimes near these a policeman's
star twinkled. I saw Il all in one up-
ward glance, for I was hurried on. our
steps clattered over the flags Of the hall
| and then. turning to the right. we began
to go downstairs. / took tighter mold on
fathers arm, for we seemed to be des-
cending into a dungeon. That sickly.
scrid odor grew heavier, making me
think OF Gagged animals. and yet what
made II worse. II wasn't quite like an
animal either
The hall we came out into was smaller
and darker than the one above it. and
empty except for a policeman standing
by door. To him Mr. Dingley handed
MS card, and. after few minutes. We
were admitted 10 small Office. II was
divided in half by a railing: on the IN
ner side was desk. at which a man
with star on his coat was writing I'M
der the light Of green-shaded lanp. He
came forward. opened a gate in the rail-
ing for as to enter. shook hands with
Mr. Dingley and father. and then was
introduced to me His name did not
reach me, but I understood the words
chief Of police" Then all three talked
together in low voices. while I sat where
had been hidden. in a chair close 20
the railing. Once or twice the man with
the star glanced at me. and then. pres
emily. they all looked at me. and I
couldn't distinguish one face from an
other. My head was whirling so with ex-
element I felt as e I were living in q
dream. Yet when the man with the star
began speaking I heard him with curl
Gus distinctness.
All that is necessary for YOU TO do.
Miss Fenwiek. IS 10 tell me whether Won
recognize the person you saw this morn
ing"
/ sat forward on the edge OF my chair.
I tried to draw a deep breath. but the
sicSly atmosphere seemed choking me.
There was the tread OF feet outside the
door; II opened and two officers came in.
stopping one on each side Of the door
way; and then. with a queer shocl, 7
saw not the one man had expected
but file of men, shutting one behind
the other, and linked together by what
seemed a long steel chain. from wrist
to wrist. into the seeming Of a single
thing. This thing halted opposite the
railing, and faced about before me
where II appeared tc me as a line Of
heads and moving arms and legs and
shutting feet. But among them all I
saw only one individual II was absurd
II they had expected TO confuse me with
/ these other creatures. I saw him in
stantly and I knew him past hone OF
mistaking. His clothes were all torn
and disordered; there was a cut on his
forehead and a bloodstalned bandape
showed on the wrist beneath his sleeve;
and the bitter way he held his head IN
and stared straight past me at the wall
made him seem quite grim, and vet
somehow, very forlorn. A lump rose in
my throat. I heard the chief OF police
saying, rs there any person here vou
recognize?" swallowed hard and Omen
: ed my lips. but the only sound that came
was like a sob.
QuiclIl,- the prisoner turned his ewes
on me. There Gro 5sed his face again 2
look like the faint shadow Of that look
which had transfxed me, as he burst
, out Of the door But in a moment /,
, was gone. and he smiled. Such a smile
so warm and kind, as IL he were reas.
suring and encouraging me to go on
II transformed him from a terrifying
Z presence into something beautiful. Il
made me forget the others and the room
! and, curiously, in their place. came the
: confusing memory of ballroom and a
slim boy with black brows whirling down
| the polished floor with his splendid part.
ner, both in a gale OF laughter Those
? long white hands. now linked tcRethe,