Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-03-07

Gnat no outsider was ever able TO nnu
II may be worth hunting for. He ha.
a son. too. knocking around the city
I \ cheap tough. of the cigarette-eatinE
| type. He'll bear watching, too. now thai
his did mans out"
He slipped revolver from his desI
I drawer into his pocket, unnoticed by tn,
/ stenoSrapher. and left the office on his
mission
CHAPTER IL.
Max Lamar was not the prisons
only voluntary guest that noon.
The grim old archwsy leading
to hopelessness was graced by the pres
ence Of two women who were fire.
quent and welcome visitors to the place
June Travis and. her sweet-faced
mother.
June was a girl OF rare beauty, both
OF soul and of face. Impatient at the
idle. futile life of the girls in her own
walk OF life. she had chosen to change
much of her comfortable leisure into
toll in behalf of released prisoners. She
had learned how cold and desolate the
world may be TO men who have Just
paid their prison debt TO the state. And
she made a point OF meeting such men,
on their release, to speak words of cheer
10 them to find work for them, often to
let them have money that should keep
them honest until they could gain en-
ployment.
Today June had heard that Circle"
Jim BOrden's sentence was to expire at
noon. So noon found her and her moth
er i'm the warden's office, awaiting the
cOnvicrs appearance.
The warden. a man as kindly as his
stern employment would permit, looked
forward with keen interest to the meet
ing of the youthful Prison Angel" and
l the incOrrigible prisoner If anyone
could soften Jim Bordens heart and set
mis- feet in better ways, il was surely
Jim's record. the warden had grave
doubts.
These doubts he voiced as he sat
chatting with the two women. But he
could not shake June's bright hopeful
ness.
Perhaps he has never had a chance"
she was urging. Perhaps the right
word was never spoken to him at just
the right moment. Perhaps"
The door Of the warden's office open
ed. a keeper stepped into the room,
ushering in square-builJ man of fifty
The man with the keeper was clad i'm
an limiting suit of gray; bearing in
its every badly cut the line the unmis-
Il
The powerful figure was lean: the
strons-jawed face wore the prison pal
!or' the powerful shoulders had the
prison stoop. Clothes, face and bear
ing stamped the man as society's foe and
victim The dull fire that smoIdered
behind the deepset eyes gave scant hope
OF broken or penitent spirit. T.,
Yet. in that heavy face were marks
OF intellect, character. power The man
might have used all three to rise TO
great heights Instead he had chosen
| TO employ them 70 sound the lowest
depths. At sight Of him, June's heart
| gave A queer little 'throb. She did not
know why.
The warden rose to his feet, smiling.
and stretching out his hand to the new
| conner
"GOod-by. Jim he said. pleasantly. 81
hope you're going TO take a brace this
time. You can do it. if you try. There's
plenty of chance for you yet, if
His professionally cheerful voice grad
ually died away and his outstretched
hand dropped to his side; beneath the
sullen contempt in the convict's sunken
eyes.
Circle" Jim said no word i'm reply.
He made no move to accept the proffer-
/ ed hand. He simply stood in weary
impotence until the set speech should
be done and he should be at liberty
TO go
4 lock of the unkempt white name
that covered his great head fell down
over his brow. Borden lifted a hand to
| brush il back. June noted that it was
| his left hand, and that he kept his
right hidden in his packet pocket Then
/ as the warden ceased to speak, the
/ man turned to leave the room.
Hold on, Jim interposed the war
/ den. This young lady wants to speak
/ TO you
/ Borden had reached the office door
| But the keeper barred his way. Scowl-
1 ing. he turned to look at June. The girl
| came forward, impulsively, laying 9
| hand on his arm.
| You are going TO let me help you,
she pleaded. You are going to let me
be of use to you-to be your friendT
! "Friend,'' grimIy repeated Borden, the
/ prison "rasp" making his deep voice
| sound as though it needed oiling
/ Friend? Hell"'
But I want to help you" she urged
/ undaunted Il want you to make a man
/ Of yourself. 1t is not too late. If not
for YOU own sake, then for your wife 5
-"
a spasm of pain twisted the heavy
features But at once he regained con-
| troll of himself
My wife," he said, shortly. lis dead.
-Oh, I'm so sorry. so sorry" said
/ June I'm quick sympathy. "But-but
surely you have someone-some daugh-
/ ter-or son for whose sake you can live
/ honestly Some son, perhaps, for whom
YOU can set splendid example of man
! hoOd-Of-'
Circle" Jim shook away her gentle
/ hand. in a violent shudder. His pale
lin twisted back into sudden wild beast
snarl before whose animal rage June
| involuntarily shrank. Then he bolteC
! from the room, pushing past the keeper
! who. after an inquiring glance at. the
| warden, let him 20.
/ you see how II is. Miss Travis be
gan the warden.
But June was not there. She hac
Il sped after the retreating convict. Mrs
Il Travis. worried at her daughters i'm
i petuous pursuit of such hopeless case