Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1915-02-18
no. 6, SECOND TIER
sy RALPH =. HOLMES.
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me big gong nc the farther end oi
the room changed generously. and for
the first time in the long six months
no. y, second tier. united his apron
.and formed I'm line with the others.
No. IL, behind him. inquired I'm q
whisper what was up-was No. al
IN. or was he ready to retire on his
fnrtune?
There was q ring Of satisfaction In
No. SIS muttered reply that No. II
noted, and the truth dawned.
your last day. Ell? Well. good luck
to you. Hope they don't get you
akafn."
That night. in his cell, No. 6 thought
It all over. II was the last night he
would ever spend In q cell. he said
the last.
After twelve o'clock tomorrow he
wol ID no longer be No. 9. second tier.
Mem would call him Cummings. On
they had before-Tom Cummings. per-
haps. and some day Mr.. Cummings.
Yes. some day they would call him Mr..
Cummings.
The warden shook hands with him nc
noon the next day. and told him TO
brace up and be q man.
Il know you can do Il, Cummings.
You've worked hard here and behaved
yourself, and it's In you"
"A strong May sun warmed Cum
mings' heart when he went out. and
the soul within him quivered with de-
light and expectancy, like a seed push
ing its first sprout above the loan.
At the railway station the ticket to
the city cost one dollar, and on the
train he planned the spending OF the
rest. His clothes had been returned
TO him. as wrinkled as when he had
stepped out OF them half q year be-
fore, and he needed new ones That
would take eight or nine dollars. His
supper and a cheap. clean bed for the
nignt would take most Of another, and
then he would start to look for work.
But. better than his expectations, an
upholsterer gave him a job that very
afternoon, and put him to work repair.
Ing couch.
True to the principles OF his new
life. he made no secret OF his past,
and, with child's trust I'm human ma
ture, he told Of his plans for the fu-
ture. the new life he was to lead to
win back the place In the world he
had fallen from. And his confidence
was not misplaced.
The next morning Cummings went
to work with a step whose telltale.
measured tread sucked a quickening
springiness from the cool air. He was
Cummings now, and he was working
land justsfyins his exisJence--she nrss
step In his upward climb had been
made.
Life. with its myriad possibilities,
doomed large before him as never be-
fore. The world was giving him his
chance now, and he was taking II. The
BLOOD pumped through his veins Joy
ously. The prison pallor would be
gone In a week.
Turning a corner. he brought up In
front OF the police station.
He shuddered involuntarily, and
then smiled. The last time he had en-
tered It irons had bitten into his
wrists. and a crowd of newsboys had
laughed at his heels. Passersby had
looked at him with curiosity and pity.
None Of them did that now, and he felt
the difference with glow OF satisfac-
hon.
But why not 60 into II again-for
once q free man? Why not stand
again before those men inside-this
time without trembling. with q mind
not searching for a plausible lie? Why
not make the antithesis complete?
An undeniable desire was on him 10
face them again unafraid.
He walked round the block once. try
ing to find a plausible excuse for pre-.
senting himself. They would not
know him-he did not want them to.
Hundreds such as he passed through
their hands. and they had seen him
but once.
He felt Of skeleton key that he
had designed one evening In his cell,
and. with special permission, had fash.
Toned. He knew something OF the
locksmith's trade. and he knew his
key was different from any he had
ever seen.
Might IL not be of use to the police ?
He hardly hoped to convince them OF
that. but II was the excuse he needed.
The sergeant at the desk directed
him 10 the inspector on the second
floor. The inspector eyed him closely,
but babe him be seated, and listened
to half the suggestion before he said
anything more.
Then he asked blunfly:
when did you get out?"
There was that i'm his tone that
brought back - cummings vivid recol.
lections Of night six months before,
when the same voice had told him he
hed-that he had taken the money,
and did know where II was.
Its sound was unpleasant now, but n
had no terror for him. He was Thomas
Cummings now. upholsterer. and he
answered unashamed.
Yesterday noon. didn't think
you'd remember me. figured this key
out one night and the jailer let me
ale It out the next day. It's different
from any Of the old kinds. because
it"
Never mind about the key. We
don't want IT," the inspector inter
rupted. and with the next words his
tone took something Of humor into IL
And we don't want you round here
either. You know too much about
skeleton keys. Yoa get out OF town
tonight, II We find you roand her 70