Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-06
TODAY'S INSTALLMENT.

SO The days passed, and the weeks
heightened into months until just-as it
seemed to him-when he had got to that
stage Of his prison life when the outer
world had become more or less Of an alb
straction, and the inner life OF the prison
a more or less numb pain, the news came
to him that for some reason his time OF
probation had been shortened. and that,
instead Of spending the probationary nine
months at Norwood Scrubs, he was to
be drafted off at the end Of the third to
one of the regular convict establishments.
The thought OF the Journey from Lon
don to Bimouth-which, after the vei Of
mysterious secrecy which is Characteristic
| OF prison discipline in such matters was
withdrawn he finally learned was his
destination-did not, oddly enough MI
Jack Rimngton with any sense Of shrink
ing on the contrary, he felt a certain
quickenlns Of interest in him under the
crust Of apathy that every day had
seemed to be hardening upon his heart
To leave this whitewashed cell to
breathe air that was not the contami-
mated air OF a prison eXercisesyard to see
green grass that was not overshadowed
by prison walls-p perhaps to hear birds
sing, the more he let his Imagination
play over the pitiful fact OF his journey
from one place Of degradation to another
the more Rlmingtons excitement grew
oil a.
it cost him, perhaps this change saved
him his reason. or at least arrested that
mental degeneration that was undoubtedly
in progress.
During the first weeks Of his impris-
onment his mind had wrested with the
problem Of the crime Of which he was
accused until his brain had reeed
Who had killed Fitzstephen2
lie had forced himself to face the facts
Of the money lenders death from every
point OF view, to callously fix the guilt
upon hrst one and then another Betty
even-a crime of madness; the man who
had escaped prison and the death Of
the rope TO die at the hands Of Anthony
| harrington. Paul SAKE himself For a
time the conviction of SaNe's implication
in the crime was So strong as to induce
that paroxNsm of despair in which all
things sorid had slipped from beneath his
| feet, but gradually the conviction had
died. 1t was not Pau SAKE. II was not
Betty, no, never again would that
thought cross his mind The weary
tTeadmili Of his thoughts had never
brought him any nearer to a solution, a
clew or a hope. and gradually the
!
strivngs had ceased
Even the glad vision that had some
times comforted and sometimes mad
dened him, when he had seen in imagi-
nation his cell door flung open and a
remorscful governor come to inform him
that the criminal had confessed and
that he was free-eveu that had passed
also. He had begun to acquiesce in
his lot-heEun to settle down to he a
number, a man without a name. a small
nut or rivet in vast and complicated
| piece ~ machinery when just in time had
come the mercjful awakening of the
change to Bllmuuth
The shame of mouG-
THAT was the phrase that came to Rim
| ingtons mind when ne saw his fellow
| travellers collected and himself mirrured
! in the person of each one of them. The
htdeous prison garb. marked ironically
with the symbols of swift digit. the
rlnged stockings and the great boots.
He felt sick with shame at the sight Of
/ them familiar as il was To be linked
| 10 these men with the shaNen heads and
| the evil, degraded faces chained to them.
and paraded for all the world TO see A
rare sight 20 be pointed out To- fortunate
| children on station platforms 10 he ieere6
at perhaps spat upon by the yirtuous
| free In his cell thinking of this Jour
/ ney Himingtou had thought Of none OF
/ these things. Now the thought Of them
was to poison every moment Of what had
/ doomed up as great and glorious event
4 i'm his life
/ He dreaded lest any one should recog-
uIze him as he stood i'm his infamous
garh waiting beside the train while
/ about him his companions laughed and
/ 1oNcd and made the most of this mo-
! meu' OF comparative freedom He need
mott have feared. even Betty herself might
have looked twice at The tail figure. a