The daily Alaskan., 1913-12-02
AUNT BETTY'S
 PRISONER
 By M. QUAD Copyright. 1918, by Associated Lit erary Press.

body's surprise the place was given to Uncle Jerry Stills.
 Uncle Jerry was fifty years old, and his wife, who was always called Aunt Betty, was a couple of years younger. They were nice old people They were liberal with what they had and knew about as much of the wickedness of the world as two children. The sheriff had lived with them for four or five years when he was homeless orphan, and he owed debt of gratitude which he wanted to pay. He knew their soft spots. and when they were ready to take possession of the stone jug he said:
 "Now, listen to me! This is a jail and not an orphan asylum. No one will be sent here who Is innocent or deserves pity. All prisoners are here because they deserve to be. Every last one will lie and play the hyDocrite and must be carefully watched. There must be no foolishness with them. Uncle Jerry. you mustn't trust one of them as far as you can sling a bull by the tail.
 And. Aunt Betty, you must harden that kind heart of yours. know you'd like to adopt every tramp in the state and let him swing in hammock and have ham and eggs every meal, but it's a different thing here"
 The Jail was without a prisoner just then. At length a prisoner arrived to be cared for by Uncle Jerry and Aunt Betty. He lad been tried for grand larceny and given a sentence of six months. He did not look more than nightccn years old and had face as innocent as that of a child. He had tears in his eyes when he arrived at the jail.
 What a shame" exclaimed Aunt Betty after a look at the prisoner.
 He is rather young" replied Uncle Jerry.
 Aunt Betty sighed and said nothing more. She didn't know whether or not she'd tell the boy she pitied him. There was something she did do when she passed in the next meal, and she couldn't help herself. She looked sor- rowfuI. and she asked the prisoner if he had mother. He studied her face for a moment and then answered that he had.
 At Aunt Bettys next visit to the cell she carried two extra dishes not pro. videI for by the rates, and when the prisoner had thanked her he timidly asked:
 Good woman, dare I ask you to write to my mother for me|
 If I write her she'll know you are in jail, and that will hurt her terri bly,"
 You must tell her. but you must tell her that the whole world has been against me. Nobody is willing to give me a show"
 You poor boy" she pityingly said.
 "They say l stole a watch from a farmhouse, but I never, never did. A tramp who came later took the watch VI
 And didn't they get him"
 No. and because they didn't they arrested me and sent me here. l was a poor boy, you see, and had no one to Icfricnd me"
 What a shame! What a burning shame! Why, the judge and jury ought to be here in your place."
 "I want you to write to mother and tell her so. l don't want her to think I've become q wicked boy
 Uncle Jerry had to go out on busi- ness one afternoon and was not eZ- pcctcd home until o'clock in the evening. At 6 o'clock Aunt Betty pre- pared supper and invited the prisoner to sit at table with her. She reasoned that it would upIift and make a man Of him. He ate a full meal, speaking words of gratitude between mouth fuls. and then rose up and took her by the throat and banged her head against the wall and took the prison key off its nail and opened the door to liberty. It was cold weather, but he went without hat or coat.
 It took Aunt Betty about ten min utes to realize what had happened, and then she ran to the street bare hcadcd-not to shout for help, how ever. At venture she turned to the right and ran for her life down the street and out in the country. Half mile from the jail she caught sight Of her poor innocent boy" So did he of her, and he legged it like a rabbit. Over fences and across fields he led her, but she was a hound on the trail and ran him down at last.
 Then, as soon as she could get her breath, Aunt Betty cufred and wallop- ed and spanked and pulled hair until that young man cried for mercy. On the way back to jail he got a cuff about once in every twenty feet, and when he found himself once more in his cell he was a thankful boy, indeed.
 "Is everything all right?" asked Uncle Jerry as he arrived home,
 "Yes. all right" was the answer.
 q found out about that boy today, He's a tough one. He has no mother and has been in jail about ten times, He's a slick thief and the biggest liar in the United States. l hope you