River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-06-25

Never mind" He chuckled under
Dis breath. And as for a hat! Say.
kid. ! a get any kind of a hat you
want to wear. But I'll tell you about
1t in the morning"
No 60,1OS and Bill Hawkins were
o u of their hunks next mornine before
the changing of the bell Bill grinned
very knowingly as they pulled into
their baggy gray suits. He crooked his
right index finger and held il before
the boy.
See that?" he asked.
Yes replied Montgomery. wonder.
ing.
ut is exactly one inch, that second
joint. I'm going TO measure you for
your suit. Turn around"
Montgomery turned. facing the door.
and Bill stepped behind him. he felt
the finger joint pressing against his
shoulders as Bill took the dimensions
for the piece of the coat be was to
fashion surreptitiously. AS be worked
he explained his scheme in a whisper.
THE color of the cloth Is all right
he said. but it is the baggy shape of
the coat and pants that gets an es-
capped convict In Dutch. I'll remember
these measurements and sWipe the
stuff and cot 1t in the shop. I'll do
Une piece at a time. In the cutting
loOm there's Isaacs. The Butcher on
my right and Idaho Shorty on my left.
They'll be blind They won't say a
thing to anybody. aud they won't see
n thing. III smuggle in the suit piece
by piece and swipe the basting stuff,
needles and thread" He finished the
three dimensions of the first piece Of
the coat he was to make and was salts
fed.
"One piece at a time" he said to
himself. when / get EN- all done I'll
sew EN- together by hand right here in
this handsome little one room fat.
When the suit is ready you're to put it
on under your prison clothes. Then
when you get on the outside you can
peel off. stick a hat OF your head and
beat It," He laughed softly to him
self
Anu as " udlSs ne uISPGl GO4 Ill
get one swiped. IN old castotf kelly
from one of the prison Offices"
The boy wondered at the goodness
and kindness that lay hidden in the
heart of this old offender against soci-
ETY.. who looked almost a monStroSity
and yet was as gen.le as a child.
"Just keep your young noodle clear"
olu;,11 D;n GTNNn'4 b0 ~, INV bt1rru
Whenever you see a chance that prom
Uses tell me about it, and Wen talk 1t
Y All the time I'll be working on
on this suit. and I'm going to make a
swell job of it. See?"
And suppose do get out, Bill" sug-
gested Montgomery, 'and | patent my
inventions and make a fortune, how
am / ever going to repay your
""Well, I'm fifty years years old.
now,'' replied the burglar. when |
get out I'll be sixty five and still a
burglar, perhaps. Mebbe I'll be able
to run in on you somewhere and you
can help me keep straight. give me a
Job, lock me up at night and treat me
like a human being in the daytime. |
amt peer treated like a human being
in so long I've clean forgot how it
feels"
The old burglars face clOuded for q
moment, and his heavy jaw clamped
tighter.
Say, kid" he said huskily, never
breathe it, will you? ! had a boy of
my W once. He'd be just your age
if he'd lived | wanted him to live
and that's why I'm here. | needed
more money than | could make to send
him to the mountains to be cured OF
the white bugs-the T, B. | just had
to get the money and so | went in on
a house breaking job. Well, the boy
didn't get to the mountains; he died of
consumption. The cops got me and !
came to this place for my first bit
One of the gang hOllered and the bulls
got all the loot. When | got out after
my bit the boy was dead and his
mother was-well. she was worse than
dead. they told me. 1t amt the man
who goes to prison that does all the
suffering. It's his wife and babies
that take the punishment"
Both were silent as they finished
preparing to answer roll call and
march to the mess hall for breakfast
bill" Montgomery finally suggest
ed. perhaps if ! get out and all goes
0MRggl HM WALL