Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-07
The Gates of Silence
By Meta Simmm5, ANfh0y Qf"HH5hed Up"

| found himself face to face with his aunt
| This was a part Of the kingdom Of 81
/ lence he had never visited, this Inter
! view room Rimington glanced round IL
! CuriOusly he entered, and took Il -
with comprehensive glance and al ~
/ telligence quickened by these starved
mouths during which small things were
great lie saw a small, bare room d.
/ yided 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
section Of the room divided from the rest
by iron bars running from floor 10 ceiling;
| beyond this was a 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
somhre dress, in which every detail
seemed exaggerated 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 Bjmington without words
that his uncle was dead. He stood star
ing stupidity at the little figure that
seemed TO make the desolaton OF the bare
room complete. and sai I'd no word Speech
] does not come readily TO a man after
months Of imprisonment at BrImouth.
It 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 man. she demanded in
her small, clear voice that was like the
rote OF a fairy flute, Remington had often
laughingly told her 1T is my nephew,
John Rimington. that / wish to see"
A Great Change.
This is John Idmington,' the warder
said, CIvilly enough The question caused
him no surprise, he was too well accus-
| toned 10 the change that prison works in
q mans looks, to the levelng influence
of prison dress and discipline, that speed
lily brings into line the prince and the
peasant
But TO Rimngton the question was
shock and an awakening. He realized
now, as he had hardly realized before,
that he was in no way different in ap-
pearancc from those other shaven clowns
among whom his days were passed
Yes, It is !, 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 Ia
low pitched servilty 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. II 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-
preve. The doctor thought perhaps it
was the excitement of the nome secre-
tary's letter-but / knew better. David
had been dying for weeks and the Lord
gave him his release. He was glad to
60, JaCk-and well prepared to meet his
Maker That is what few Of us can
say
To Be Continued in Next Issue.