Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-26
The Gates OF
Silence
By META SIMMlNS,
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 a womans trick YouH pay
for this the pair o. you. Where's he
gone and what did YOU give him to go
in? That convicts rig out was blind -
She stared stupidity. Jack had got away
or was he stll in hiding in that inner
room? Surely that was not possible, since
the sounds that came 10 her ears still
told her that the very furniture was being
smashed and broken, though in their
anger and chagrin they imagined their
quarry might have taken refuge in
chair leg or the casing Of bed
Rough words, threats-a 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 inca pabe 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 APP
prehension. What was the conclusion OF
that broken sentence Deborah Rimington
had flung across the kitchen to the
warder? What was that silence 1t was
impossible TO keep that silence, alas; that
now seemed sealed inviolate forever,
Running running through the dark
ness. The madness of flight had taken
Huntington by the throat once more In that
moment OF freedom In Bettys room. when
he found himself there by the window
open almost TO the ground, and had
dropped through II and discovered the
able-that the cottage was not
surrounded, that the chief warder's whis.
tie had called the men off. and that now
once again bold dash and he would be
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 Bettys
presence there, so amazing and incredible
that even now it was like the passing of
dream had put new life into him, new
courage. He had caught up a cloak from
the bed-a great circular cloak that Betty
had brought with her to protect her
against the changeabe climate Of the
moorland II would not completely cover
him-unhappily. those grotesque stock
ings would stiu be visible; but at least
he would not he an instant target for all
eyes, and above all, he would have some
protection against the perlshing cold
ton stumbled through the darkness. in
what direction he hardly knew, and, as
he went, heard distanty 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 fall
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. a
black blot against the wilderness of the
frost powdered ground, that was madness
too
They had sighted hm-was II possible
never till that moment He heard the
shrillng Of the whistles heard the words
Of command to halt and surrender and
still he ran blindly now. He heard the
air behind him cut with the singing
message Of bullet, and still he ran;
second short whizzed past him. and a
third
That had not failed Of ts mark. It
struck him sharply He stumbled-stag-
gered 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 hlotted
out
Back IN JAN.
When Rimlugton recovered conscious
ness he found himself lying in the prison
lnhrmary, sick and faint-his body. as Il
seemed. a living pain. For some time he
lay there hardly realizing what had hap
pened But presently the movements
about him-the rough touch Of the or
DERBY, words that took a long time to
hitter through to- his consciousness and
recollection-ru in over him-recol-
lection and despair,
Shot in trying to escape dragged back
in ignominy TO the prison after freedom
a forty eight urs-forty eight hours
that mad meant special work. special
anxiety and special haTdshlps for every
one Of the prison officials What would
the punishment melted out to him for this
he" The official punishment-the unorTi-
cial punishment Of his captors. each Of
whom would now owe him a personal
SrGdge2
He had enough experience Of the Of
deers 10 realize that If prison life hru-
talized their charges, II also. to a Ger
tain extent, brutalized them. and IT re-
ouires very little taste Of an absolute
sutocracy 10 develop the tyrsut in a
man
He turned his face TO the wall ana
cursed the fate that had sent the bullet
wide Of the fatal mark
But the wound though IT had success
sully winged him. was only superficial
one The doctor friendly no longer
treating him. as the did the chaplain
with unveiled suspicion FASTENED 10 as
sure him OF that Nor were others in
authority less ready To show him that lie
had forfeited all claim 10 considprariar
An escape SO determlned-so nearly sue