Evening star., 1921-12-18

X X X +
| IRON far away sounded the wall OF
the prison siren carrying across the
storm the news that one number was
missing on the night check. that one
steel-barred cell stood empty, that
walls and locks and tempered bolts
had failed and that gray-clad fugitive
was somewhere fighting to safety. For
a long moment it screeched and roared
| while they stood poised and listening.
Voices rose from the street beneath:
five times the club Of the policeman
| clattered against a changing electric
light pole in furtherance Of the warn
ing. Some one called a name. The
| woman looked up wide-eyed.
| They know! They're calling your
! name.''
"Yeh!" The cold smile had not left
his lips. That's what comes Of hav-
i ing reputation. But then. we don't
care. do We? l never paid no attention
to anything jest thought about how
much you loved me and how l was
doing it all for you-and l knew you'd
never forget
"Of course no.. Bart!'' The baby
hands were touching his shoulders,
creeping upward toward his neck.
He whirled. almost savabely. his head
bent toward the> street.
! whats that
! Some ones coming-it sounds like a
mob-so much yelling.' She clutched
1 l.; { Il
relief. NO. it's only the boys with the
papers. They must have gotten out an
extra.'
} 80? Go get one"
I'm safer here than anywhere else.
Hurry and get a paper. 1 want to see
how much they know
! A moment of indecision: then the
woman reached hastily for her cloak
and left the room. The fugitive waited
/ only for the sound of her steps on the
stairs. and with a leap he crossed the
room to where few scattered letters
lay on an untidy writing desk. a
glance sneer. icy-cold. malignant.
| His writing"
/
ginning Of the missive as he pulled it
forth and the pupils contracted.
my darlin'.' eh! Fine way for a
brother to write to- a sister" Then to
the end Of the letter and the words:
Loads of love and kisses. your loving
| husband, Walter" 1t was enough. He
| jammed the letter deep into a pocket
and crossed to the shaded window. there
gently to draw back the curtain and
peer down upon the white thoroughfare
beneath. The woman was crossing the
street. A shouting newsboy Haunted a
paper before her, but she shook her
head: straight on she went, and through
the frost whitened doors of the corner
drug store.
1.-The telephone" He said it nat
uralIy, calmly, almost as though he
had expected it. And five minutes
later the opening of the door found
him lounging easily in the center of
the room. where she had left him.
"well?" He shot the question
quickly. whats the reward?"
"A thousand" Then she colored
and ratified the sheet bought hastily
on the return trip. why. tit
doesn't say. 1t just tells
Bart Carson, Train Robber, Es-
capes Prison. He had cooked his
head and was reading the headlines
Then, still with that slow smile on his
lips, he improvised: Man who con-
fessed to Overland train robberies to
save sweetheart's supposed brother,
wakes up at last. Doesn't care to
serve prison sentence for another
woman's husband"
Bart, what on earth do you mean?'
A different man was looking down
at her now. all the boyishness gone,
the once trustful eyes narrow and
vicious, the mouth grim and hard.
Just what I'm saying! 1 aint in
the habit of going to prison for lying
women's husbands" His hands
clutched and rose above her. and the
short, jagged sentences of pent-up
hatred streamed forth: Don't answer
me, 1t wouldn't be nothing but lies!
IL know-rve got one of his letters
in my pocket. l read it while you
were over there, telephoning for the
sheriff. So I went to the pen to save
your brother, did I? And he signs
himself your loving husband Keep
them lips closed-they don't get no
where with me! 1 found it all out
. eore I'd been in the pen a week-old
Dad Cushman, who went up the same
dav I did, told me. He knew. He
ought to. He'd worked with you both!
Get that: He laughed at me for the
sucker I'd made of myself; then he
went to the warden and tried to tell
him the truth.
But it didn't do no good. So we
waited for our chance-there amt any
prison that can hold a man when
there's others helpin' him. They
smuggled me out tonight in case
of shirts and-and I'm different now.
l aint that soft-eyed cowpuncher
any more, that come in off the range
! to hang on every word you said
until 1 was willin' to go to the pen
for a thing I'd never done, willin' to
take my chances for somebody that
| 1 thought 1 was savin' from disgrace
and who'd be workin' and pleadin' for
a pardon for me-and WE'LL
4 x ::
LIE Strengthened suddenly, and his
- arms dropped limp a second be-
fore they extended toward the door.
| Now I'm out! I've ridden range; I've
rct