Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-01-01
he
Rec::o1l1pense
(copyrisht. 1911. Wsstsrn Nswspapsr On
81 ALBERT GALE RUSSELL


BOZ: 'Itl, he passed beyond the iron-guard-
cd portals. -. f.. -.
Twenty years." he groaned out
yengefully, gone, lost! And this"
He tore the letter to pieces and q
stern settled calm baff1ed the momen-
tary spasm Of emotion. "Ihave other
work before me, all. cut out" he
snarled, his tones kissing. his eyes
flaming. II have waited for 1t, I have
nursed 1t, and now--let Robert Price
beware ~
he walked on in the dull, dreamy
daze Of man getting accustomed to
new existence. He had planned out
every step he would take when his
freedom was secured. Under new and
unusual conditions, however, he could
not reason clearly, calmly all at once.
In the course Of an hour he had
reached quiet spot. He sat down,
his eyes fixed on vacancy, his mind
drifting back over his past life.
Always its crisis stood out in bold
relief. Wildly he recalled an episode
twenty years agone which had torn
him from home, friends. liberty. Since
then his wife had died, his little child,
Eulalle, babe at the time, he had
never seen. His closest friend had
been Robert Price, also married and
the father Of promising lad of five
years. Dwight and Price had been like
brothers, had worked in the same mer-
camille establishment, and, catching
fever of speculation, had gone west.
At that time Alaskan territory was
a field just opening up to prospector
and exploiter. Vast mining and tim
Der tracts were available. Hungry
promoters seized upon what they could
In the way Of presumption, to develop
later. In order to do this 1t was nec-
essary that legal occupation of each
tract should be accomplished. Dwight
and Price pooled their little capital
to hire dummies to settle on various
tracts Of land, later acquired title and,
had their scheme gone through, would
have become holders of an enormous
bulk Of valuable property.
So fragrant was the action Of the
land grabbers that the government be-
gan an Investigation. Glaring fraud
was unearthed, dozen persons were
arrested, among them Dwight. His
friend and partner escaped and hur-
ried back East. The government de-
termined to make an example,. All
the schemers had acquired was for
feited and John Dwight was returned
to the states under sentence of
twenty years Imprisonment
Beginning his long jail ordeal
Dwight felt all the bitterness of a
wrong, betrayed man. In a cowardly
way Price had left him to bear ali the
brunt Of their mutual evil doings. He
did not go near his imprisoned part
ner, fearing to be dragged into the
| case. Only once, and then two years
after entering upon his long term of
Imprisonment, did Dwight hear from
Price. It was through the medium of
an unsigned note, which read:
'There was only one thing to do
to run for safety and did it. Better
one free than both shut away from our
helpless ones. Your wife has died,
your little girl am caring for. She
will be brought up to think her father
dead. Better SO. IF have acted the
coward and traitor, let my efforts to
care for your little one and a haunt
ing remorse for leaving you bear
the burden alone"
After that. day and night, John
Dwight cursed the false friend. In
the newspapers he read Of 1.-THE sue
cessful. merchant, Robert Price, ~
prominent In this and that public
| movement. The contrast of wealth
position, prominence with his own
wretched environment fairly mad.
dened the lonely prisoner. One mo.
| tive now guided his life: to await the
day Of freedom, to forge the neglect.
| ed links of evidence connecting
Dwight with the land frauds, to pub.
Mcly drag him from his high place
| among the mighty and down to the
| level Of the. common criminal.
It was few days after his release
| from prison that Dwight crouched
amid the strubbery surrounding g
beautiful mansion. There was nc
fierce vengeance and hatred in his
face now. Tears were rolling dowr
his cheeks. His hands were clasped
! in an ecstacy of emotion. His glance
| was riveted on a lighted room within
/ which stalwart, handsome youne
man, a little golden-haired child II
his arms, stood enrapt, listening to {
happy-faced woman at the piano.
Z Man and wife, he was the son OF
dead Robert Price, she the daughter
| Of the convict martyr the little smil
ing cherub his granddaughter.
/ i Eyes, better that ] suffered" sobbe{
Dwight. Dead Robert Price has done
his share to work out our fatal enigm.
Of life" !. -
r. Two days later John Dwight ap
peared at the doors Of the peniten
tiary. II am frtendless, alone in tn,
world" he told the warden. .sTak,
me In. Let me end my days In til,
only home / know"
They humored him far enough t,
employ him as q guard. One morning
they found him dead at his post, ,
happy smile on his face, telling tina
he was at peace with all the world.
| Catarrhal Deafness Cannot Be Cured
e local .Dplieations, e they eannq, reach
md thst s 81 = . Go constitut.on ma remedy