Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-26
The Gates OF
Silence"
BY META siMMINs,
Author Of flushed Up"
TODAY'S INsTALLMENT.

With a cry Betty started TO her feet
A rough hand was on her shoulder an
CRY, unfriendly faces surrounded her.
"This is q womans trick. You'll pay
for this, the pair O you. Where's he
gone. and what did you give him TO go
in9 That convict's rig-out was blind -
She stared stupidity. Jack had got away
or was he still in hiding in that inner
room? Surely that was not possible, since
sne sounds that came to her ears still
told her that the very furniture was being
smashed and broken, as though In their
anger and chagTin they imagined their
quarry might have taken refuge IN
chair leg or the casing Of a bed
Rough words threats contemptuous
stirring Of the PROSTATE body on the floor
and then the tramp Of departing feet
Betty Lumsden was left alone with the
woman who was without sign of life. and
vet lived. the woman incapable Of move
ment or OF speech.
And only as the sound OF their going
grew more faint, coming less distinctly,
winnowed by distance, did the wonder
obtrude itself in Betty s. mind. triumph
ing even over distress and pity and ap
prehenson. What was the conclusion Of
that broken sentence Deborah Remington
had flung across the kitchen to the
warder? What was that silence It was
impossible 10 keep that silence, alas, that
row seemed sealed inviolate forever.
Running running through the dark
reEs The madness OF flight had taken
Rmington by the throat once more in that
moment Of freedom In Betty's room, when
he found himself there by the window
open almost to the ground. and had
dropped through Il and discovered the
inconceivabl e-that the cottage was not
surrounded, that the chief warders whis
Tie had called the men off. and that now
once again a bold dash and he would he
out in the Open-under cover, perhaps.
before they had exhausted even the slight
hiding place the cottage afforded
The food and drink and warmth-more
than this. the unexpected JOY OF Betty's
presence there, so amazing and incredible
that even now IL was like the passing Of
a dream-had put new life into him, new
courage. Tie had caught up cloak from
the bed--a great circular cloak that Betty
had brought with her to protect her
against the changeable climate Of the
moorland II would not completely cover
him unhappily those grotesque stock
ings would SIN be visible, but at least
he would not be an instant target for all
eyes, and above all, he would have some
protection against the pershlng cold
With the desperation Of hope RiminE-
ton stumbled through the darkness, in
what direction he hardly knew. and, as
he went. heard distsutly the view halloa
of the pursuers.
His speed increased but the ground was
becoming difficult More than once he
stumbled and saved himself from a fan
only by staggering sprawl that lost him
time and breath--lessened the space be
tween him and those that followed. whose
footsteps sounded nearer now.
No hope OF reaching cover. since TO
take cover here would be but to sit down
and wait for capture; and TO run on.
black blot against the wh,teness of the
frost powdered ground, that was madness.
too
They had sighted him-was it possible
never til that moment He heard the
shrilling of the whistles heard the words
Of command TO halt and surrender. and
euli he ram lndly now He heard the
air behind him cut with the singing
message of a bullet and stil he ran. a
second short whizzed past him. and a
third
That had not failed Of its mark It
struck him sharply He stumbled-stag-
gsred on-felL He heard the noise Of
voices growing louder the tramp Of feet
and then darkness closed his senses and
the world Of pain and fear was blotted
out
Back In JAN
When Rimington recovered conscious
ness he found himself lying In the prison
infrmary. sick and faint-his body, as il
seemed, a living pain For some time ne
lay there hardly realizing what had hap
nRnfd RuF pTpgpUTiy &c
about him--the rough touch Of the or
derry, words that took a long time to
filter through to his consciousness and
recollection-rushe in over him-recol-
lection and despair
Shot in trying to escape ragged back
in ignominy TO the prison after freedom
Of forty eight hours--fortv-e eight hours
that had meant special work special
anxiety and special hardships FOR every
one Of the prison officials. What would
the punishment melted out TO him for this
be- The official punishment-the unofri-
cal punishment Of his captors each OF
whom would now owe him personal
grudge7
He had enough experience Of the Of
hcers TO realize that II prison life bru-
talized their charges, II also. TO Ger
tain extent, brutalized them. and II re-
quires very little taste OF an absolute
autocracy to develop the tyrant in a
ssnan
He turned his face 10 the wall and
eursed the fate that had sent the bullet
wide Of the IA tai mark
But the wound, though il had success
fully winged him, was only a superficial
one. The doctor, friendly no longer.
treating him, as the did the chaplain,
with unveiled suspicion, FASTENED to as
sure him Of that Nor were others in
authority less ready to show him that he
had forfeited all claim 70 consideration
An escape so determined-so nearly sue
cessful-the irony or the phrase bit into
RiminRtons sOul-was an onense not
lightly to be condoned The governor
had already suffered something Of The
pangs OF losing the $500 that would have
been forfeited by the successful escape
and regarded him with no lenient eve
From no quarter did Remington fail to
hear Of the bitter penalty he must be
expected TO pay.
To Be Continued in Next Issue.