Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-07
"The Gates of Silence
By Meta Smmtns, Author of"Hushed Up

found himself face to face with his aunt
This was part of the kingdom of 81
lence he had never visited, this inter
view room" Rimington glanced round ii
curiously as he entered, and took il in
with a comprehensive glance and an in
telligence quiCkened by these starved
mouths during which small things were
great, He saw a small, bare room di-
vided by iron ratings into three portions
and having two doors-the door from his
own world by which he entered and the
door by which the visitor from the other
world enters. The visitors door led into a
section of the room divided from the rest
by iron bars running from floor TO ceiling;
beyond this was space about three feet
wide, where the warder stood, and be-
yond that, behind another railing a space
where he himself stood
Mrs. RimingtOn was in mourning Her
sombre dress, in which every detail
seemed exaggerated-the crepe heavier
and deeper, the veil longer and more vol.
luminous, the lawn cuffs and collar wider
and more snowy than ever he had seen
before-told Rimington. without words,
that his uncle was dead He stood star
ing stupidity at the little figure that
seemed to make the desolation of the bare
room complete, and said no word. Speech
does not come readily to a man after
months of Imprisonment at Bilmouth
1t was the woman who broke the silence
first. She threw back her veil with the
imperious little gesture Rimington re-
membered, and turned to the warder
who is this MANI" she demanded in
her small clear voice. that was like the
tote of g fairy flute. Rimington had often
laughingly told her. at is my nephew.
John Remington. that | wish to see"
A Great Change.
This is John Rimington,' the warder
said, civilly enough. The question caused
him no surprise; he was too well accus-
toned to the change that prison works in
a mans looks, to the leveling influence
of prison dress and discipline, that speed
lily brings into line the prince and the
peasant.
But to Rimington the question was a
shock and an awakening. He realized
now, as he had hardly realized before
that he was in no way different in APP
pearance from those other shaven clowns
among whom his days We're passed.
Yes, it is l, aunt" he said and his
very voice was changed, the hesitating
voice of one who seldom speaks Even
more than the physical change in the
man before her, this change of voice from
the gay, pleasant tones she knew to
low pitched servility hurt the woman
staring at him with wide eyes behind the
bars of the cage.
"Oh, jack didn't know never
guessed" she said, falterngly
He could see that her small face was
gray and pinched, that the large brown
eyes seemed almost too big for the tiny
face out of which they looked Under
the Widows bonnet the plentiful brown
hair had turned almost white. If the
months had brought change to John Rim
ington they had not spared Deborah Rim
ington.
Your uncle is dead, Jack" she said
He died the day after you got your re-
prieve. The doctor thought perhaps it
was the excitement of the nome secre-
tarys letter-but | knew better David
had been dying for weeks and the Lord
gave him his release. He was glad to
go. Jack-and well prepared to meet his
Maker. That is what few of US can
say"
To Be Continued in Next Issue.