Meade County news., 1915-09-02
CHAPTER v.
Tho Chain Gana.


While Griswold was graphing
afresh with the problem of escape, and
planning to desert the Belle Julie at
the next landing, Charlotte Farnham
was sitting behind the locked door OF
her stateroom with writing pad on
her knee over which for many min.
utes the suspended pen merely hov.
cred. She had fancied that her re.
solve, once fairly taken, would not
stumble over simple matter of de.
tall. But when she had tried a dozen
times to begin the letter to Mr.. Gal.
braith. the simplicities vanished and
complexity stood in their room.
Try as she might to put the sham
deck-hand into his proper place as an
impersonal unit Of class with which
society is at war, bA perversely re-
fused to surrender his individuality.
At the end of every fresh effort she
was confronted by the inexorable sum-
ming-up: in world of phantoms there
were only two real persons; man
who had sinned, and a woman who
was about to make him pay the pen
atty.
1t was all very we'll to reason about
1t, and to say that he ought to be
made to pay the penalty; but that did
not make 1t any less shocking that
she, Charlotte Farnham, should be the
one to set the retributive machinery
in motion. Yet she knew she had the
thing to do, and so, after many in
effectual attempts, the letter was writ
ten and sealed and addressed, and she
went out to mail it at the clerks
office.
AS 1t CHANGED, the engines of the
steamer were slowing for a landing
when she latched her stateroom door.
The doors giving upon the forward
saloon deck were open, and she heard
the harsh voice of the mate exploding
in sharp commands as the steamer
lost way and edged slowly up to the
river bank. A moment later she was
outside, leaning on the rail and look
ing down upon the crew grouped about
the inboard end of the uptilted landing
stage. He was there; the man for
whose destiny accident and the con-
ventional sense Of duty had made her
responsible; and as she looked she
had a fieeting glimpse of his face. q
1t Twas curiously haggard and woe
begone; so sorrowfully changed that
for an instant she almost doubted his
identity. The sudden transformation
added fresh questionings, and she be-
gan to ask herself thoughtfully what
had brought It about. Then the man
turned slowly and looked up at her as
If the finger Of her thought had
touched him. There was no sign of
recognition in his eyes; and she con-
strained herself to gaze down upon
him coldly. But when Belle jules
bow touched the bank, and the wait
ing crew melted suddenly into a tenu-
Gus line Of burden-bearers, she fled
through the deserted saloon to her
stateroom and hid the fatal letter un-
der the pillows in her berth.
That evening. after dinner, she went
forward with some Of the other pas
sengers to the rallied promenade which
was the common evening rendezvous.
The Belle Julie had tied up at a small
town on the western bank Of the great
river, and the ant procession of rousta-
bouts was in motion, going laden up
the swing stage and returning empty
by the foot plank. Left to herself for
a moment, Charlotte faced the rail
and again sought to single out the
man whose fate she must decide.
She distinguished him presently; a
grimy, perspiring unit in the crew,
tramping back and forth mechanically,
staggering under the heaviest loads,
and staring stonily at the back of his
file leader in endless round; a picture
of misery and despair, Charlotte
thought, and she was turning away
with the dangerous rebellion against
the conventions swelling again in her
heart when Captain Mayfield Joined
her.
JUDI W6hICu " ouON yOup hC
said; and he pointed out gang Of
men repairing a slip in the levee en-
bankment below the town landing. It
was a squad of prisoners in chains.
The figures Of the convicts were
struck out sharply against the dark
background Of underground, and the
reflection of the sunset glow on the
river lighted up their sullen faces and
FURNISHED the use-worn links in their
leg-fetters.
"The chain-gang," said the captain,
briefly That's about where the fel-
low that robbed the Bayou State Sc
curity will bring up. If they catch him.
He'll have to be mighty tough and
well-seasoned II he lives to worry
through twenty years of that. don't
you think?"
Rnk Miss Farzham could not an