The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-09-30

sulky admission, and struck him
first"
Good Lordl Were there wit.
nesses7"
There was-a Witness" muttered
Henry, vision Of Mabel's fear.strick.
en- face rising before him.
"And you want me to get him Jailed
for that!" stormed his father in dis
gust. "why, man. you'll be lucky If
he doesn't swear out a warrant
against you'll"
"He won't" said Henry briefly. land
II I am going to Vienna, he must be
sent to Jail before I 60"
"It's a big order" reflected his faith.
er. 1--WE must take time to think up
some way. see none. yet"
The very next afternoon both the
Rokesons saw the way"
Tom, coming home from work, found
six Of the Rokeson chickens busily
despolling his mothers flower garden.
He chased them across the yard.
, Five Of them few over the back
fence, but one seemed inclined to jump
back into the Morrissey yard.
Tom, In evaporation. picked up q
stone and flung it at the bird. to
hasten its departure. The stone missed
Its mark and whizzed over into the
Rokeson grounds.
By a luckless fate, Henry Rokeson
and his father CHANGED to be strolllng,
side by side, toward the kennels. The
random-nying stone struck the elder
Rokeson sharply in the face, cutting
! the skin slightly, and brulsing the sur.
rounding flesh.
"Oh, I'm so sorry" called Tom, in
quick contrltion. ut was an accident.
It"
! ut was an accident" interrupted
Rokeson, turning in grim triumph to
his son. and stanching the few drops
/ Of blood on his cut cheek. "that will
send you to Vienna, Henry, my boy.
You witnessed the assault"
81 surely didl" cried Henry, catch.
ing the idea.
An hour later, Tom Morrissey was
arrested on a warrant charging him
with assault with intent to kill"
Tom found himself railroaded
to states prison on a two-year
sentence-with a suddenness that left
him bcwildered and GREATNESS.
Nor. thanks to the Rokeson infiu.
ence, did he so to prison, unrecom-
mended. The warden-another Roke-
son appointee-wns informed that
/ Tom was an unwontedly brutal and
hardened criminal and that Rokeson
would like to see him we'll disciplined.
That was Tom Morrissey's introduce
ton to living death-to extra hard
labor"-to extra penalties, to n course
Of treatment warranted to crush the
hardest spirit, In short, to the mercy
Of the merclless.
Tom was released from prison at
the end Of his term. and was sent back
to his native town with the knowl-
edge that the Rokeson-ruled police
had instructions to watch him as q
dangerous character.
His once-buoyant step had taken on
the "prison drag" His formerly square
shoulders were bent. His tanned and
ruddy complexion was sallow. His
eyes were lnck-luster and as hopeless
as those Of n beaten dog. His heart
was dead within him. On his flesh
were scars that bore witness to name
less cruelties.
| Thus marred, body and soul. he was
turned out upon q world that had been
forewarned to shun or punish him.
In short, he was an ex-convict. And
hundreds. just like him. are sent forth
from prisons. every day. t, take up
again the burden Of life with just the
same hideous handicap.
Another event Of local Importance
occurred on the day Of Toms release.
Henry Rokeson came home from Wen.
ma. His term Of service. as attache
there. had expired. His father had
died six months earlier. And Henry
had come back to take into his hands
the reins Of civic and financial power
that had slipped from Hinkle Roke.
sons dead fingers.
He made inquiries about Mabel,
through detective agency. And, with.
in two hours, he had learned the unin-
spring history Of the girls life during
the past two years.
/ Toms trlal-fruitless as his defense
had proven-had eaten deep into his
savings. On his departure to prison
the little cottage had been given up
by his mother and sister; since they
could no longer continue paying the
loan associations instalments upon II.
They had moved to a cheap three.
room suite in b poor quarter of the
town. And Mabel had sought work in
a neighboring box factory.
And now a new complication had
arisen. Mrs. Morrisey, always deli.
cate. had fallen seriously Ill. The
doctor had said that nothing but q
year In the Adlrondacks could save
her. And "a year In the Adirondack 49,
is not paid for, out Of the wages Of q
box factory operative.
All this, Henry Rokeson learned,
and smiled contentedly as he heard
the report. Then he wrote a note and
dispatched It to Mabel at the box fac.
tory by his own valet.