The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-12-21

sulky admission, "and 1 struck him
first"
"Good Lord! Were there wit
| n~esseS?"
There was-a Witness" muttered
Henry, a 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 IL
he doesn't swear out warrant
against you'll"
"He won't" said Henry briefly, "and
IL 1 am going to Vienna, he must be
sent to Jail before I 60"
"It's a big order" reflected his faith
er. "We must take time to think mp
some way. / . none, yet"
The very next afternoon both the
Rokesons saw the way"
Tom, coming home from work, found
six Of the Rokeson chickens busily
despoiling his mothers flower garden.
He chased them across the yard.
Five Of them Jew over the back
fence, but one seemed inclined to jump
back into the Morrissey yard.
Tom, in evaporation, picked up a
stone and flung It at the bird, to
hasten its departure. The stone missed
it's mark and whizzed over into the
Rokeson grounds.
By a luckless fate, Henry Rokeson
and his father Glanced to be strolling,
| side by side, toward the kennels. The
random-lying 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 contrition. 1T was an accident.
| It"
1T was an accident" interrupted
Rokeson, turning In grim triumph tC
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"
II surely did" cried Henry, catch
ing the idea.
An hour later, Tom Aorrissey 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 suddenEess that left
him bewildered and breathless.
Nor, thanks to the Rokeson infu-
ence, did he 60 to prison, unrecom-
mended. The warden-another Roke-
o appointee--was informed that
Tom was an unwontedly brutal and
hardened criminal and hat Rokeson
would like to see him well disciplined.
That was Tom Morrissey's introduc-
ton to a living death-to extra hard
labor"-to extra penalties, to a course
Of treatment warranted to crush the
hardest spirit. in short, to the mercy
Of the merciless.
Tom was released from prison at
the end OF his term, and vas sent back
to his native town with the knOwl-
edge that the R~okeson-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
rudy complexion was sallow. His
eyes were lack-luster and as hopeless
as those Of q beaten dog. His heart
was dead within him. On his flesh
were scars that bore witness to name
less cruelties.
Thus married, 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, to 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, Is 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 q detective agency. And, with
In two hours, he had learned the unin'
spring history of the girls life during
the past two years.
Toms trial-fruitless as his defense
had proven-hac eaten deep into his
savings. On his departure to prison
the little cottage had been given vi
by his mother and sister; since they
could no longer continue paying the
loan associations instalments upon It
They had moved to a cheap three
room suite in q poor quarter Of thu
town. And Mabel had sought work ir
q ~neighboring box factory.
And now a new complication hat
arisen. Mrs. Morrisey, always deli
cate, had fallen seriously i'll. The
doctor had said that nothing but s
year in the Adirondacks could saw
her. And "a year in the Adirondacks'
is not paid for out Of the wages Of
box factory operative.
All this, Henry Rokeson learned
and smiled contentedly rs he heart
the report. Then he wrote a note and
dispatched 1t to Mabel at the box fac
tory by his own valet.
Mabel was startfnT for home st ths