The Washington herald., 1914-05-28
The Runaways.
BY JOHN D, nARRY

They were two runaways, driven while still chh-
dren from what they called home by neglect and abuse
and by the longing to be free. In each other they
found companionship One enemy they had in COM
mon the police In escaping arrest vasrsnts they
displayed precocous ingenuity Together they led an
exciting life, devoted mainly to petty crime
One night they planned an especially daring ad-
venture. house. unoccupied for several weeks. they
would enter and rob. They agreed to meet near BY
in the early evening.
On the way, of them. while crossing the street
was run down by carriage and seriously hurt A
woman in the carriage took him to hospital There
he was placed in clean warm bed and cared for The
other after waiting for long time resolved to do the
the robbery alone. He was caught and sent to a
reformatory.
In this way the two separated.
For several years the boy sent to the reformatory
lived in world of vice. The evil he knew he spread
among Others The evil the others knew he acquired.
BY the time of his release he hardened The next
day he resumed the old ways. Within few months
he was in prison. On returning to the world he
went straight back to crime. The only happy times
were when he drunk Then he could laugh at
life and sing. Gradually his face turned yellow; his
teeth grew blackened and broken; his shoulders
stopped; his hair showed patches of gray.
Passers-by, familiar with prisoners, recognized
him for what he was
His walk was shutting. His eyes were furtive.
About him seemed to hang the atmosphere of the
prison
The boy knocked down by the carriage recovered.
The woman who had taken him to the hospital gave
him some work to do in her house. She also sent Kim
to school She made him feel that some one was in
terested in him. At first he astonished and
picous. His luck seemed too good to last. But while
he had If he resolved to be happy.
Often he would compare his situation with what
it had been. Where once he had been hungry and
cold, he was now well fed. Where he had been scold-
seemed to be living in another world Perhaps he'd
wake up and find he had been asleep
But he did not wake up. Instead he forgot It
only at long intervals that he thought of the old
life. Then it seemed unreal. He was interested in
many things now, in study in friends, in work for
the woman that had grown to be like mother. Some
day he should go to college
Then the whole world would open before him.
the beautiful world of opportunity.
Thirty years later they met in the street. those two
One was walking beside woman somewhat younger
than himself, and two children. He was handsomely
dressed, erect. bright-eyed and alert. The other
sinking up. showed face yellow and lined the mouth
twisted the chest hollow the eyes sunken and blood
shot.
They looked at each other.
The sot held out his hand and mumbled.
The man drew from his pocket some change,
passed it quietly, and turned away. as if en-
barrassed.
The woman protested. Vie will spend it in drink
See, he is heading for that saloon now. What
dreadful looking objectW
Il suppose oughtn't to have done it, he said.
"But l didn't have the heart to refuse"
One of the children looked up inquiringly. "He
was bad man, wasn't he, father?"
The father did not reply.
They walked on rapidly. eager to reach home.