El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-05-09
BY L. c. Nielsen.

" HEY were lying whispering to
each other.
- Five; three men and two wo-
men, each laid out straight and still on
their wooden bench, and each with a,
number Oh the chest
Side by side they were lying on their
backs in a half sitting position, that
they might look at the curious and anX-
ious crowd that passed by all day on
the other side of the glass partition,
which divided the room into two parts
The women had, perhaps from polite
ness, perhaps accidentally, been placed
in the middle, with two men on their
right and one on their left side, which
made you think of party at a picnic
resting on a cool and shady slope.
The man on the right. who wore the
number 49, was a tall broad Shout
dered figure with an immense, coarse
and gigantic head, wild, cruel type OF
the children of the big cities.
He was lying with his eyes almost
closed. but sometimes it was if he
smiled with strangely gentle smile,
which gave his face childlike express
sion and made his course mouth less
brutal, almost good-natured. His fore
head was fractured, cleft from one
temple to the bridge of the nose; the
wound was blush black and swollen.
The next numbers were missing. the
man on his left wearing number 327.,
He was a little stout man with
round and fresh head, smooth shayen
and bald He look as If he were en-
loving joke he had made. Above his
left ear was a red, half closed hole no
larger than the end of a child's finger
The woman next to him was old and
skinny with hard dried-up features.
The other woman was younger, not
yet 40, strongly built deep blush
black cut in her throat was barely
visible.
Outside the glass partition people
were crowding together, old and young;
street vendors who had left their push
carts to peep inside, school boys who
pointed at the bodies with impudence.
nurse girls with babies, that they lifted
up. so they. too, might see the grue-
some sight.
1t was in the middle of the day: Num-
Der S19 stirred imperceptibly. Dark
shadows fitted across his stiffened face
He turned toward his neighbor-
hate to see those children out there.
The jolly little mans face grew more
sly Let them have a look" he said
good naturedaly, let them have look.
ii is good for them 70 see how life Is
The old woman's face grew stern 1T
is disgraceful, that we cannot be left
in peace, not even here"
But the laxative number S2T could
not remain silent very long. Yes" ne
said. 1t is necessary 10 let The chill
dren have look, quite necessary,
tell YOU. 1 remember a story about one
of my friends, Armand, the wine bot
tier"
The shadow of memory flew across
the young woman's face.
II have known him." she whispered.
"he had big red ears. hadn't hey'
Maybe he had" the Interrupted one
said somewhat hurt. 1t is possible.
but once while he was a boy, about the
same age as those three fellows gig
Cling over there, 1t was before l knew
him. he passed by here one day and
went inside just to have look He has
told me about it himself Then as he
stood and looked. he suddenly saw his
father lying here. just as we do now.
The father had not been at home for
month or so he used to 'emigrate' some
times. as he called it, and be had al
ready been here for three weeks
The listeners trembled invisibly, num-
Der 31s's tall figure moved hairs
breadth ,away. a convulsive ferocity
made his expression look still fiercer.
How long had he been here, did you
say?"
..Three weeks. Three weeks before
ANYBODY identified him. Yes, it is nee
essarv that the children, especially the
boys"
Again the old woman raised her froz-
en- voice.
What difference does it make
whether ANYBODY identifies us or not
she gasped, making an unsuccessful at
tempt to shake her hair away from her
temples.
For some minutes there was pain1ui
silence. only the steps of the throns
on the other side of the partition were
heard.
Number $50. who had been lying 81
lent. enjoying his better knowledge.
raised his head and asked with gurg-