Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1917-01-20
II want. Did he attack you on the

"On his own doorstep" was the
sulty admission, "ond l struck him
FIRST"
Good LordI We're there Wit
nesSr~t"
There wds-a Witness" muttcrcd
Henri vision of Malu'S rear-surlc6-
en- face rising before him.
AN. You want me- 10 get him jailed
for that" stormed his father in dis
gust. "Why. man, youu be lucky if
Ac doesn't swear out a warrant
against YOU
He won't" said Henry briefly, "and
il am going to Vienna, he must be
sent to Jail before | go"
It's Il big order" reflected his faith
or. 1--WE must take time to think up
some way. see none, yet"
The very next afternoon both the
RoteSonS saw the way"
Tom, coming home from work found
six Of the RoEcson chickens busily
dcspoiiinG his mothers flower garden.
lie chased them across the yard.
Five of them few over the back
fence, but one seemed inclined TO Jump
back into the MorriSSey yurd.
Tom. iu transportation, picked up a
stone and flung it n the bird. 10
hasten its departure The stone missed
its mark and whizzed over into the
RokeSon grounds.
BY luckleSs fate, Henry RokeSon
and his f1fIst. .l.rr,4 r., -, --,..ffy,.,-
side by side. toward the kennels. The
random-hying stone struck the elder
itokeson sharply in The face. cutting
The skin slightly. aul bruising the sur
rounding flesh.
"Oh. I'm so sorry called Tom. in
quick contrition. III was an accident.
It"
1T was an accident" interrupted
Rokeson. turning in grim triumph to
his son, 9ud StdncEing the few drops
OF blood on his cut cheek, that Will
send You % Vienna, Henry, my boy.
You witnessed the assault"
81 surely lid" cried Henry. cutch-
ing The idea.
A hour later, Tom MorriSScy was
arrested or a warrant charsin. him
with assault with intent 10 kin"
Tom found himself railroadcd
TO states F;ison on two-year
senteacc-vith al suldcnncss that left
him bcwildcrel and GREATNESS.
Nor, thanks C. the Roheson Influ-
eEce, did he - to prison, unrecom-
mended. The understandable Roke-
son appoiDtec--waS informed that
Tom was an unw0ntedly brutal and
hardened criminal and that RokeSon
would like to see him well disciplined.
That was Tom Morrisscy's iHtro9Uc-
ton to living deuta-to rXtru hard
labor"--to extra penalties, 10 course
Of treatment warranted to crush the
hardest spirit. in short, - the mercy
of the mercilcSs.
Tom was released from prison at
the end of his term, ard VAS sent back
To his native town with the knOWl-
edge that the Rokeson-ruled police
had instructions to watch him as a
dangerous character.
His once-buoyHnt 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 beaten dog. His heart
was dead within him. On his flesh
were scars that bore witness to name
less crueltics.
Thus married, body AMI soIl, he was
turned out upon a world that had been
forcwarncd 10 Shun or punish him.
In short, he was an cX-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
ia. 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 Il 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 eatCH deep into his
savings. On his departure to prison
the little cottage had been given up
by his neither and sister; since they
could no longer continue paying the
loan associations instalments upon it.
They had moved 10 cheap three
room suite in 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 i'll. The
doctor had said that nothing but n
year in The AdirOndacks could save
her. And "a year in the AdirOndacks"
Is not paid for out of the wages Of a
box factory operative.
All this. Henry Rokeson learned,
and smiled cOntentedly as he heard
the report. Then he wrote q note and
dispatched it to Mabel at the box fac
tory by his own valet.
Mabel was starting for home at the
end of hard days work. when the
note was handed to her. She read it
rs she walked homcward. Half aloud,
aud in Grass wonder. she read: