The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-31
With low cry he leaped forward.

delicately and gracefully constructed.
and the bearer placed 1t with pride upon
the leaf Of the warden's desk. The
other. which he placed beside II. was
a thing of strips and strings and wooden
pegs, the model which Bright had first
seen upon the end of the bar in the
river front saloon
The warden was himself that smooth
well groomed type Of alert young pro-
fessional man that our country breeds
to-day. He had none of the bloat and
buster of a machine politician about
him. 1t soon became plain that he
viewed his office as "A mission to the
men in the prison, and nothing else.
He looked at the two machines upon
his desk and lifted his brows inquir-
inEiy:
That" said Mr. Bright, laying his
hand upon the model, lis one of the
most useful and remarkable machines
ever devised. 1t came out of your prison.
II Is patented in the name of the in
ventor, Jacob Inflow, who l understand
Is serving a life sentence. He is my
partner. | have come to ask for the
privilege of showing him his own ma
chine, which he has never seen before"
The warden looked politely incredu-
lous.
III you have been led to believe" he
said, that any such complicated piece
of machinery as that could be devised
and produced in the prison and taken
out of the walls without my knowledge,
you have been grossly deceived.
1T is entirely out Of the question
Inflow is a skilful mechanic but slightly
off mentally 10
drawing, and / think has talked of a
very intricate mechanical device which
he expected to build and patent, but
nothing but drawings ever came of it..
As matter of fact Inlows mind is
now failing rapidly.
"A month ago he began to lose his
nerve and go all to pieces. Yesterday
we had to take him off the machine.
To-day he is doing field duty. / feel
certain, Mr. Bright, that in some way
you have been deceived"
"Will you send for the man and let
his own demeanor and his own story
convince you Of the truth or falsity of
my statement" asked Mr.. Bright in
| an even incisive voice.
Certainly" answered the warden.
Jake" he said when the old man
''''''N' a'i'S - +'iAs III u lls ITO IL
interested in you"
The old convict gazed curiously fol
moment from one man 10 the other
and then his eyes lit up as he caught
| the glitter Of the machine of nickellet
steel where it rested on the desk. With
low cry he leaped forward and ther
stopped abruptly. He remembered thai
| he was "A prisoner.
| with folded arms ha Ct,,1 ,,,,ftg,,,
and looking, not where his eyes wished
to rest, but into the face of the war,
den. 1t was an unusual exhibition of tn,
effect of a lifetime of prison discipline
The old mans knees were trembling IL
| his eagerness His striped shirt heaveC
violently under the humping of hi
aged heart. Yet he did not move.
The warden nodded, and he crosse,
to the desk at bound. With a peculiar
humming sound that was like the pur
Of an animal he passed his hands owe
the machine, taking in every line of il
beautiful proportions, gloating over /
J with eyes full OF fondness. As he locke,
the prison worn face with its past,
pallor, with its CHASTITY humps and hol
lows that were almost like the feature
OF skeleton seemed to take on a full
ness and a radiance.
Oddly enough he did not at first seen
to notice the old model When he di,
he picked it up and scanned it curl
ously, butt also critically. A smile, hal
cynical and half Triumphant playe,
about his lips; but when he saw tn
many awkward woman tied knots wit
which the several parts had been boun
together his face sobered and he pu
| IL down and .fFgava oil NJ Nt-ith
reverence.
After all however, his ideal was tn
polished, merchantable machine. Tha
to which he had become attached dur
ing the long years of his Imprisonment
was not model, not thing Of patches
OF makeshifts and crudities, but a glow
ing Ideal. The polished thing of nickelle
steel and enamel was the realizatio
: Of his dream,
Inflow said the warden, gravely