The Lamar register., 1912-07-24
Miss Graham's HEROES
by Carl Jenkins

o8L0O bouuAu8 aiOuhu IAS WI SA "a 49,
house TO where her father sat reading
On The vsranda-
Yes. It sounds like IT, was the In
different reply.
But It's Q bloodhound after pris-
onsr who has escaped nom the chain
Gansi"
VERY likely
And the poor fellow wfll be recap
tzrsd and terribly punished! Father.
fafhsr. why don't you DO somsthinsI
n yoa don't, I will"
Daughter. come up here and take
. soat Now. then. ever since those
eoovicts from the state camp have
besn working on the big ditch you
have been all upset. You have been
fall Of pity for what you call the poor.
Innocent men, and you've been heard
to hope that all Of them might es-
eApe- You are wasting your sympa-
thiss. They deserve no pity. They
aE0 . wicked lot, and you don't want
10 carry this fad too far"
.6ome may be wicked and deserve
thsdr punishment" admitted the girl
with moisture in her eyes. but not all.
When I have been out in my electric !
have seen"
"Oh. you have been looking the gang
over to find a martyr and a hero. have
your"
Father. there is one man who can't
possibly be guilty of any crime. He Ii
born a gentleman. He has been edu-
Gated There are no hard lines in his
face. No one can make me believe he
10 guilty"
But he was tried by a Jury and
sent there by Judge"
Then they made an awful mis-
take"
well, don't you make another. Bet
ter take some other road when you
ride out shouldn't think 1t would
be a pleasant sight for young lady
to pass a chain-gang."
There was one man in the chain
gang whose face almost haunted Myra
Graham. He was what she had de-
scribed to her father. This one con-
Wet stood out above all the others
Even the guards with their rifles who
lowered about seemed to pay him de-
ference. He had Strengthened up and
looked square into the girls eyes three
different times as she passed. and she
had read shame. humility. appeal In
the look. Her sympathies had been
touched. She had almost decided to
appeal to her father to make an In
vestigation and seek to secure a par
don. She had heard Of dozens Of cases
where men had been wrongfully con-
victed, and this was surely another in
stance.
Miss Graham and Mr.. Lee Benedict
were not actually engaged. but as Aunt
Linda. the colored cook of the Graham
mighty clus to I'll"
Mr.. Bennett was a frequent caller
and was welcomed by all 1t was un-
fortunate that he should appear on
the afternoon OF the blood hounds bay.
He not only did. but he brought news
Of the escape and recapture of a pris-
oner. He also had words of praise for
the dog. He had received no hint of
the feelings Of Miss Myra in the mat
ter. and he even spoke of her hero to
call him a desperate of the worse
type, anu " Suo thot any ohc hdu pue
to glance at him to realize the fact
81 have glanced at him. and beg
your pardon" was the stiff reply.
Why. the gang is distributed for
half a mile along the highway"
Il am aware Of the fact"
And a young lady riding out alone
Has encountered nothing to offend.
Mr.. Bennett"
But the hero yoa particularly men
ton"
Let US NOT discuss the case fur.
Their"
There was . diRsrence-a misun.
derstanding-almo a rupture MT
Bennett rode away in a perplexed
mood. and Miss Nyra looked after him
and said to herself that 1t was such
men as he. acting a. Jurors. who sent
Innocent men 70 the chain gangs as
carelessly az thsy shot quail
Her father had suggested that she
take some other road when riding
about, and she would heed the sugges
ton, but she found herself more II
earnest about the gentlemanly convict
that she cared to be- She was almost
startled to find herself wondering Il
she could not aid him to escape.
For three days Miss Myra did mo-
ride out at all Then the runabou