Smyrna times., 1910-08-17
The Warden'S
Daughter

for all of that she was beautiful.
Her father was warden in a prison.
Among the prisoners was one at
the registering of whose name at his |
entrance Marion had been present,
and something in his youthful though |
sullen face attracted her pitiful |
glance. He had stolen repeatedly |
from his benefactor and finally had
admitted into the house in the night
time a gang of burglars, who had
secured considerably and made off
with it in safety, save one, after
severely wounding the proprietor of
the house. This one who was not
able to escape, betrayed the COM
plicity of the young man in the affair.
He was tried, convicted and sentenced.
There was no redeeming feature ap-
parently to the story. but somehow
that face haunted the girls gentle
thoughts. Perhaps it was because
she had young brother who was a
wild youth, wandering just now in
disgrace, no one knew whittier, and
all the more tenderly loved by Marion
because of his sad ways.
One day, as she leaned on the
window sill looking with a wistful
sadness into the yard at the prison
ers, one of them looked up, and
changed as he was in every wan, thin
feature, she knew again the black,
sullen eyes that yet were somehow
like an angry, obstinate child s. Her
glance followd him as though fasci-
mated, and as he passed from sight
she sighed softly and went in to
look at the prisoners record for the
poor lads name. 1t way Aymer
Pestoh.
The next she saw of him he was
in the sick ward For a few weeks
she saw him there, but the gloomy
eyes never softened-only gazed
straight before them from their hol-
low sockets, or hid themselves OBJ
stinately behind their wasted lids.
He never spoke; he scarcely ate
and the prison physician told Marion
that he was dying from sheer inani-
tion
. "It's my opinion he's trying tc
stsrve himself to DEATH he said.
: Marion drew near the sick lad
She bent over him and spoke with
gentle tirmness. But she might as
we'll have talked to the blank wall,
for all the sign he gave of having
heard her. LET me know if there
is any change. or you think of an!
thing can dc" she then said to tn,
doctor.
But at dusk the doctor was callet
away by serious illness in his owl
/. family, and near midnight the as
sistant, gong his rounds, found Ay
mer Preston dead in bed
| "It's either make believe or hear
\ break, - DR.. Putney said sharply
| when word was brought to him, an
he ordered that Preston S body shoul
| not be removed till he saw it. TIL
| order was obeyed, but when thre
days saw no change in the form, DR.
Putney having meanwhile examine
| it, it was removed to the dissectin
| room to await the Doctors verdiC
| as to the cause of death.
| That very night DR.. Putney wa
| himself attacked with indispositior
| and his subject" was left to tn
| solitary occupation of the dissectin
Il room. Marion Hyde s wirdLw con
| manded view of this mysterio,
| and borrow inspiring apartment.
she stood at her window that nigl
she thought, with a vague thrill {
pain, of the one cold, still tenant
tnat terrible room.
She was not a timid, suspicion
creature, nor by any means given
nervousness, so when she saw Il
window of the dissecting room slow
lifted, and a gaunt, jwild face appei
at the opening, instead of screamir
or running away. she stood still
She knew that her heart throbbt
wildly, but she knew also that
was no phantom that she look,
upon. DR.. Putney had been rig
all the time. Aymer Preston WI
not dead, and thus he was makil
one wild effort for liberty. Mari,
W stood and watched him. She cou
~ not have called out just then if
had been the most desperate al
hardened criminal within tho
walls. Besides, the poor wretch W
~ only mocking himself. He cou
l. not escape even now unless by
miracle.
no She saw him stop presently besi
+o a window, which opened into
upper hall, and after a long effc
raise it, and slowly dragged himst
through. Obeying an impulse whi
she could not at the moment contrt
J Marion softly opened her door a