The Washington herald., 1910-08-01

father would believe it. that nerved me
to get through with II.
He is that one I said. the fourth
from the end"
The chief Of police looked at me stern
ly You are sure Of that?'
Quite sure" I was surprised at how
steady my voice had grown.
The chief Of police said something in
lifted voice, the line Of prisoners fled
out with enc Of the policemen. and left
the man I had pointed out alone IN frort
Of me. It was then I noticed how his
hands were awkwardly carried in front
OK him. held by two steel bands around
his wrists, with chain like a bracelet
chain swinging between. The sight OF
affected me strangely. / had a new
bracelet which also had two bands with
chain between, but they were OF gold,
and both were worn on the one hand.
The chief OF police came and stood be-
side me, and said, Look at this person.
Miss Fenwick:" and 1 had been looking
at him all the time, as II by doing that
could make him understand how ter
ribly wished I had never seen him.
Can you take your oath-could you take
your oath in open court that he is the
mann"
The CHIEFS voice sounded solemn, and
those words oath" and open court"
made me feel frightened But I saw
he held up his hand. palm out. and
mechanically I held up mine. YES" I
repeated after him. Il can take my oath
in open court" My voice sounded very
loud to me, and clear, and not at all
like my own.
There was a pause. and now they were
no longer looking at me. but at the man
standing alone in the middle OF the room.
as II the chain between his wrists had
made him different from them, as II he
wasn't a man at all. but a stone. Yet
l couldn't look at him like that de was
not at all dreadful 70 look at. only so
alone and fiiercely proud and wretched
| looking that something ached inside OF
me Just TO see his face.
Then the chief OF police nodded at the
policeman and said. THAT will do" But
before the man could move forward the
prisoner had walked straight up 10 the
rail. and standing there scarcely two feet
from me, IN such a low voice that only
/ could hear, Il am sorry I frightened
you this morning" he said. If had
known you were passing should have
managed It differently"
This all happened so quickly that I
had hardly seen how dark his eyes were
before father thrust between US. and
heard his voice. sounding very low. and
saying something about Internal impu-
! dence and not presuming 70 come near
me. The policeman touched the dark
mans elbow. He started, half turned on
/ the man. made a movement with his
hands; but then ne felt the jerk OF the
chain. The blood rushed 20 his face.
With the policeman holding his arm he
/ walked away across the room. and 1
wondered what sort OF place he was being
/ taken 10. Il wasn't until the door had
closed upon him that I realized how
angry father was Mr.. Dlngley was say
! ing that prisoners ought not to be per-
mitted 10 speak without permission. but
/ the chief leaned over his desk. smiling
at me. and asked, What did the prison
er say to your"
HE apologized for frightening me-" I
answered
Stin smiling. as II he were coaxing a
/ child. Exactly what words did he use,
Miss Fenwick?"
could have repeated them exactly,
but hesitated. for the last words he
had let slip lad sounded oddly In my
mind-"If I hsI known you were there ]
should have managed II differently" He
seemed 10 make himself so absolutely
responsible for what had happened And
when l thought how Mr.. Dingley had
twisted my words about I was afraid
afraid that If I repeated the ones thai
this man had spoken they would some
how get twisted into a meaning-perhap,
not the true one-that would be bad fol
him. was so upset. I said. and 81
startled by the mans speaking to me Al
all I hardly thought I could repeat theH
word for word.
Father put my coat around me ant
said. Il hope this is all. very coIdly.
Yes" the chief said. except that thi.
young lady must understand that she /.
not to speak OF what she saw this morn
ing"
Remember. Ellie" father said. 'qi
your friends talk to YOU about il, 70,
have heard and seen nothing"
1 murmured, "Of course" and follow
ed father out OF the prison with a yer,
strong conviction that nothing was real
AS we walked home again an the "a
miliar surroundings seemed dreemlike Il
me-the Plaza. with its high iron railing
and the shops facing upon II. and our
own green palm farther up the street
fiuttering on the sky Father himself
so silent and walking on without eve,
turning his head TO look az me. seemed
quite a different person from the father
who had gone with me the day before
merrily, 10 buy my bracelet. Tn,
thought Of the man with the dark eve
and the chain between his wrists file,
all my mind. What could he be? Tn,
sense OF warmth that had come with hi
smile. and that very curious sensation
I had had when he had come up close (,
the bar and spoken TO me- were with m,
yet His voice had been pleading anC
deferential, surely nothing in it to re
sent. The memory Of his face made m,
forget the chain between his wrists: a
II he himself had been greater than an,
OF the people around him.
We had reached our own door. but be
fore father could put his key in the lock
the door opened from within, and Their
in the hall stood Halle Ferguson. he
new blue bonnet on one side, her fac
crimson with haste and excitement.
"Oh. Ellie. she gasped. "have vol
heard? I've been waiting the Ionges
time for you. Isn't It awful? john,
Montgomery has shot Martin Rood. an,
they say it's about the Spanish woman.