, 1921-08-20

t1lIluk QOhA On Ah0Af
not sec the clock-face from whore
they stood. and when Bronson cook
out his watch and looked at II. the
girl turned her lace to his appeal
ingiy. but did not speak.
ut Will be only q little while now
he said. gently. He thought he had
never seen SO much trouble and fear
and anxiety in so young = face. and
he moved towards her and said. in
q whisper. as though those inside
could hear him, "contrci yourself II
you can" and then added. doubtfuliy,
and still In a whisper. You can take
my arm IL you need it." The girl
shook her head dumbly. but took 4
step nearer him. as II for protection.
and turned her eyes fearfuily towards
the gate. The minutes passed on
slowly but with intense Significance,
and they stood so still that they could
hear the wind playing through the
wires Of the electric Light back of
them. and the clicking of the icicles
! as they dropped from the edge OF the
prison wall TO the stones at their feet.
And thea slowly and laboriously.
and like a knell. the great gong of the
prison sounded the first stroke OF
twelve; but before II had counted
llItt AAtlt A4AAI oha0lAAg al
the city about them a great chorus
of Changing bells and the shrieks and
footing OF Whistles and the booming
OF annon From far down town the
big bell OF the State-house. with its
prestige and historic dignity back OF
It. tried to give the time. but the
other bells raced past It, and beat out
on the cold crisp air joyously and
u~proariously from Kensington 10 the
Schuylkill; and from far across the
Neck, over the marshes and frozen
ponds. came the dull roar of the
guns at the navy-yard, and from the
Delaware the horse tootings of the
ferry-boats. and the shrieks OF the
tugs. until the heavens seemed 70
rock and swing with the great well
come.
Gallagher looked up quickly with a
queer. awed smile.
TITS Christmas" he said, and then
he nodded doubtfully towards Bron-
son and said. Merry Christmas, sir"
1t had come to the waiting holiday
crowd downtown around the State
house. to the captain of the tug fog
bound On the river. to the engineer
sweeping across the white fields and
sounding his welcome with his hand
on the %bell-cord. to the prisoners be-
yond the walls. and to the children
all over the land. watching their
stockings at the foo of their beds.
And then the three were instantly
drawn down to earth again by the
near. sharp click of opening bolts and
locks. and the green gates swung
heavily in before them. The iafl-yard
was light with whitewash. and two
great lamps in front of round rehec-
tors shone with binding force in
their faces, and made them start sud
denly backward. as though they had
been caught in the act and held in
the circle of a policeman's lantern.
In the middle of the yard was the
carriage in which the prisoners wife
and her mother had come, and
around II stood the wardens and
turnkeys in their blue and gold uni
forms. They saw them dimly from
behind the glare of the carriage
lamps that shone in their faces, and
saw the horses moving slowly
towards them, and the driver holding
up their heads as they slipped and
slid on the icy stones. The girl put
her hand IN Bronson's arm and
clinched 1t with her fingers, but her
eyes were on the advancing carriage.
The horses slipped nearer TO them
and passed them, and the lights from
t!re lamps now showed their. backs
and the paving-stones beyond them,
and left the cab in partial darkness.
1t was a four-seated carriage with a
movable top, opening into two halves
at the centre. 1t had been closed
when the cab first entered the prison,
a few hours before, but now its top
was thrown back, and they could see
that 1t held the two who sat
facing each other on the farther side,
and on the side nearer them. stretch
ing from the forward seat to the TOP
OF the back. was a plain board coffin,
prison-made and painted black.
The girl at Bronson's side gave
something between a cry and a shrek
that turned him sick for an instant,
and that made the ofice-boy drop his
head between his shoulders as though
some one had struck at him from
above. Even the horses SHE'D with
sudden panic towards one another,
and the driver. pulled them in with an
oath of CONSERVATION. and threw him
self forward to look beneath their
hoofs. And as the carriage stopped
b girl sprang in between the wheels
and threw her arms across the lid
of the coffin, and laid her face down
upon the boards that were already
damp with the falling snow.
Henry, Henry. Henry" she
moanedi
The surgeon who attended the
prisoner through the sickness that
had cheated the country Of three
hours of his sentence ran out from
the hurrying crowd of wardens and
drew the girl slowly and gently away,
and the two moved on
triumphantly with their sorry victory.
Bronson gave his copy to Gallagher
to take to the office. and Gallagher
laid it and the roll of money on the
city editors desk, and then. SO the
chief related afterwards, moved off
quickly to the door. The chief looked
up frcm his proofs and touched the
roll of money with his pencil.
Here, What's this." he asked.
wouldn't he take it?"
Gallagher stopped and Strengthened