The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-07-18
MY
PRISONER
By JAMES BRAlNARD

coming from the penitentiary on the
other bank and half mile upstream.
Whoever was in it was pulling as for
dear life. As soon as he came near
enough to me l recognized the stripes
Of q convict
| / stood under overhanging trees, and
he could not see me. He ran his boat
ashore Just below where l was and
| without stopping to make fast jumped
| out and climbed the bank There he
saw woman within few feet of him.
| shall never forget the agonized look
on his face, and on seeing me 1t
changed to despair.
For Gods sake, help me-" he cried.
II have just escaped from over there,
and they'll be after me right away. |
was put in for crime never commit
ted. Either kill me or give me chance.
If you tell them which way go from
here they viii uvertake Inc and take
me back to what is worse than hell 10
one reared as | was.
looked up into the dense foliage of
a tree above where we stood He took
the hint and. giving a jump, caught a
lower limb, pulled himself up and dis
appeared among the topmost branches.
Meanwhile his boat had floated down
with the current. | saw another boat
shoot out from the penitentiary. 1t
came dashing along, scattering spray
with its oars and making directly
for the spot where | was. Some one
must have seen the convict land and
have marked the location. The boats
occupants jumped ashore directly
where | stood
Now, was not quite up to telling a
deliberate lie, but | was willing t. look
one, especially for poor fellow fleeing
from prison. Before the men had
climbed the bank had turned and was
looking southwark as if intensely in
terested In something When they ap-
peared behind me | turned toward
them. They asked me which way a
man in stripes had gone. did not
reply. But | had indicated the route
he had taken by dumb show, and they
set off in that direction.
Soon after they had gone the man in
the tree called to me to ask IL they
were out Of sight When l told him
that they were he came down and
taking my hand. covered it with kisses.
He was too much moved to say word
go back | said, land keep in hid
ing. will get you some clothing
He went back into the tree, and
went home. caught up some Of my
brothers old clothes and ran back with
them. The prisoner descended and
took them in among some bushes, put
them on and. rolling his striped suit
about II stone, threw it into the river.
Then, Selling my hand, he looked a
world of gratitude, then went Off in a
direction opposite the one his pursuers
had taken.
About Il year after this, while looking
over Il newspaper. | saw mention of
the arrest of an employee of bank
for embezZlement of the banks funds
The item went on to say that the same
bank had suffered in the same way n
few years before. An employee had
been convicted of the crime and had
been sent to tine penitentiary, but had
escaped and had not been found. The
person now arrested had confessed to
having committed both crimes.
| certainly had not forgotten the
young man in whose escape I had as
sisted. Indeed. | had thought a great
deal about him.
One afternoon | was sitting on the
porch reading when Il motorcar was
driven up to the door and well
dressed young man alighted and came
up on to the porch. recognized hin,
at once as my escaped prisoner. To
my surprise, he did not appear to recog-
nize me. He looked at me as though
trying to discover If he had seen me
before.
Whom do you wish to see?" asked
him.
"A young lady who assisted a pris-
oner to escape from the penitentiary. -
- "NS hot otcin tudt she made
much of an impression on YOU"
That was because I was so absorbed
in my flight All my faculties were
rivctcd on making good my escape"
Il can understand that. Well. | am
that girl You are looking for"
His manner changed at once. He
looked at me as though, to use a para
doxical expression, he was obliyious 70
me. He was trying to remember the
girl to whom he owed so much.
Il have learned that you have been
vindicated." l said.
yes, thank God,''
Il confess | was much pleased when
l saw an account of it In newspaper ~
My main object In life now Ia n
show my appreciation, my gratitude II
you for keeping me from being sent
back to prison. l owe you more than
my life"
Il did not tell a lie for you"
You acted what made me n frae
man."
He took seat near me and told mo
his story. 1t was lengthy one and
calculated to melt the stoniest heart
don't know whether l was more NOV.
ed by his own sufferings or those NJ b;s