Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-27

I
Rough weather for a dog to be abroad
in, yet Betty Lumsden felt she would
have given all the world held for her
in exchange for the freedom to run out
into that rain and hide behind its blind
ing veil from this desoate house and the
terrors II held for her
The temptation was so strong upon
her that with an effort, she turned back
from the door, closed it behind her and
went back TO her vigil by the bed Of the
sleeping woman
Lighting and shading the lamp, she sat
down and forced herself to read until
subdued sounds from the kitchen told
her that William Vogel had returned
from his weekly shopping expedition to
the local town. She laid down her book
and went out to him.
VogePs Return.
He was standing by the table taking
out his parcels, his dripping garments
forming little pools Of moisture about
his feet on the brick floor. AS Betty
came out he looked up and favored her
with smile. 1t almost seemed as
though. cross grained in everything, this
man enjoyed the weather that gave the
rest Of the world just cause to grumble.
I'm most ready for cup o tay miss,
II you are" he said, in his characteristic
way 1t meant quite honestly that he
would be glad to make it for her; she
knew that.
And I brought you bit O. reading
Seems dul-like here wi no books save
duh trash"
From his inner pocket he drew out
folded newspaper and a couple Of gaudy-
colored penny periodicals. He had never
before showed her so much consideration,
and Betty-the new Betty, who had
learned to suspect the world dreaded the
Greeks bearing gifts. she thanked him
and took the papers, but she did not look
at them. He was disappointed in this
she could see that More than once she
surprised him in a glance Of sly curiosity
toward her.
Only when he was gone she seized the
local paper and saw what he had wished
her to see. The paragraph stared up at
her from the page carefully folded to face
the outside.
"YELLOW DRESS AND CHAINS FOR
CONVICTS.
The two conVIcts, Ernest Winch and
John Rlmlngton, who made a daring dash
for liberty from BIlmouth jail a fortng ht
ago, have been sentenced by the visiting
magistrates to punishment diet for AZ days
and to wear yellow dress and chains for
period not exceeding six months.
winch, In addition. has been sentenced
TO the severest logging which BIlmouth
has known for 20 years. He Is to receive
80 lashes OF the cut for his murderous at
tack on the warder who effected his cap
ture."
Betty Lumsden stood staring at the
paper like a woman in a dream
The yellow dress chains punishment
diet; they were only so many words to
her, and yet her Imagination leaped to all
their hideousness,
With a bitter cry, she bent her head
on her hands and burst into tears.
Not for the man in prison, writhing
under this new. this unspeakable humil-
iation. alone did she cry. Her tears flowed
for him generously-bu she cried for her
self also Leaning her head there against
the settle where for a few brief minutes
the man she loved had sat and been min
istered to by her, she cried with an aCh-
ing longing for all that now. it seemed to
her she never could have-that happiness
that seemed the birthright of every wom-
anal that a mans love has to give,
mans strong arms to encompass. The
tears trickled down between her closely
interlaced fingers. and In that moment
the bitterest, as 1t seemed of all her
agony-she knew her heart poured out
like water" dissolvedsn an agony of long
ing for the wonderful, indehnable What
Might Have Been of wife and mother
that now. alas! could never be hers
In the inner room the woman on the
bed had opened her eyes; her white lips
moved freely, and a sound, faint and un-
certain as the cry OF a newly born infant
issued from them; but the girl in the
kitchen, her head buried In her hands
heard nothing.
The woman on the bed did not cry
out again She lay with staring eyes up
raised to the white roof with its black
bisecting rafter, once more very, very
still
1t was very cold in Jack Rimington's
cell The slate floor and iron walls
seemed to give out cold as ice walls and
floors might have done, but .the man who
sat crouched on his stool in the cor
ner was hardly aware of the cold, though
his teeth chartered and his fingers were
numb He made no effort to move;
movement had become a thing of dread
to him-eVery movement however slight,
was accompanied by the clank of the fet-
ters about his waist that were fastened
by riveted rings about his ankles. He
felt something less than human as he
sat there, clothed in the uniform of his
disgrace in those garments that were so
hideously grotesque that even among this
world of grotesquely habited clowns he
stood out a thing Of mockery, conspic-
uous among a thousand.
As in mirror he saw himself, and only
in the big ape house at the ZOO had he
ever seen a sight more abhorrent than
this mental reflection presented to him.
His wizened furtive, shamed face above
the livery of degradation was less than
human--he was ashamed to stand up
right in this parti-colored livery Of dis
grace. Who had designed a garment so
hdeous-the right side Of the jacket and
the right halves Of the breeches drab, the
left bright canary, to which the addition
Of the seven foot chains adds a suhtly
hideous note?
II Betty could see him now--Betty. who
had shrunk from him in non-recogniuon
even before!
Crouching there in the dimness, hun
CRY and cold and full Of a duh pain, Rim
ington was suddenly aware that his hands