The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-01-28
4. !; &. G., 49, 1, p :. ;<.SUNE
Iy.....' O.: Tie PAGE
? a7aoled cowict Breaks His
Cod Rec oIItons. but Is
Saved BY Dying Woman.
By FRANK FlLSON.

| " dIutI ti:NViich', NiNPPAAAo sSeA WV AAs
Gus hand upon the young mans shoul.
der. The chief wants to say good
| bye to you"
The convict stepped out Of his cell
and followed the head warder obed-
iently Three years of discipline had
taught him to ask no questions. to
demand no reasons He hardly dared
to hope that the pardon board had
granted his petition.
Tention. Eyes 'front.'" said the
head warder mechanically, and the
convict mechanically obeyed. But the
governor stretched out his hand and
took the ccnvict's in hearty clasp.
THE board OF pardons has granted
you yoar freedom Graves he said.
Il strongly recommended 1t at the
last monthly meeting ! f1ow that
YOU VIII run STRAIGHT IN future. If you
shouldn't. remember nat the dis onor
and shame will be mine, and it will
be just so much harder for the rest Of
Us. Here's 2 letter RON your mother
in Mar'eton' he ada d handing the
massive 10 TIE prisoner
Graves read i Snd the governor
watched him curouslv The Young
fellow had impressed him favorably
ever since he had entered the peniton.
tiary three wears before to serve first
sentence f0l r6 ~. lie had been 2
model nrison, but he seemed curl
ously hard ~ n now he seemed
unaffected eitaor by the letter or by
his release ~ folded the missive
and put it in ~" handkerchief pocket
Of his serge 'nnic
Yes. sir. ~ IN straight in future"
he answered
Good answered the governor.
And my advice to you Is, go home to
your mother You have about thirty.
seven dollars coming to you. Go
home. face the world in your home
town. be man and begin your life
anew. You VIII find people kinder
than you imagine. Good morning"
He prasped the prisoners h nd
again and dismissed him. Graves
went out Sublned and deferential
though he seerod. he remained total.
~ unmoved, the governor shook his
head as he watched HIM pass through
the doorway
AS a matter Of fact. Philip Graves
Was deeply moved. but for all that he
had not the least intention of return.
ing home. During his period of i'm
prisOnment he had been thoroughly
initiated into the possibilities of
crime by his fellow convicts He
would have liked TO re-establish him.
self in the favor of his fellow citizens,
but the idea seemed laughab,e His
old mother In Mapleton was doubt less
able to exist without him: his sisters
held good positions and could take
care Of her. He took the train to the
capital and spent his ioney in two
DAYS Of riotous living
The second evening found him pen.
niless. It was cold and dismally wet,
and the long tramp through the dismal
suburbs had not raised his spirits He
sat down on the sidewalk and buried
his head in his hands That WAS the
first time he had ever seriously consid-
cred the future.
'ForS,ng's Il NUTS game one of
the other prisoners had told him soon
after he was brought 10 tht all.
Take my tip, lad cracking a CRIBS
the only ttlng worth while Why all
you've got 10 10 is 10 walk in after
the lights are cut, take Your nick md
walk ont araln But say. don't carry
gun, for that don't pay. Just trust
to your legs If you have to get away
, quick.
A middle.aged man in well.made
suit. and bearing all the marks OF
prosperity, hurried by. not casting a
glance at the eX-convict at his feet.
Graves rose and followed him AT the
end Of the street was a long country
lane, with finely built scattered houses
lining 1t. each in its garden The man
turned into one and let himself into
the home with key Graves watched
him. Then he felt in his pockets Ar
: the bottom of one. hitherto overlooked
by him. was dime Graves knew
where he could get all the whisky he
wanted for dime-if he chose tha
/ time when the bartender was not
looking his way He went there
Take your fill boy. said the har.
tender good-naturedly. looking round
Just at the least appropriate time II
guess you need it on a night like this
Graves tossed off the fiery liouid
set down the glass, and went on,
He walked the streets until his head
swan from the liquor II was very
dark and the rain fell steadily. Graves
was wet to the skin He walked an
unreasonable time, until at last loot.
ing up. he saw the house into which
the prosperous man had entered
A fame of anger burned in hi.
heart. hotter than the fire in his brains
Good resolutions What were ,har
for such as he' They were for ~.
I rich. for those who could afford ~
keep the laws. He was no fool IN no
bound by such a code
He crept up the garden. felt q lowo-
window. and found that he could r.iso
it. A minute later he vas gropipg in.