Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-24
FROM NOW ON

Tony wasn't the only one who had that,
for no one had ever claimed that there
was any analogy between pehltentlary
and health rcsort-but the JOwl was
most curiously gaunt, and drawn IN
ward as though the man were SUCKING
I'm his checks. and yet the skin seeiheu
to be stretched tight and hard as
drumhead. Very curious! 1t must
be because he couldn't see the sbarp
little black eyes. full of fire. that put
life and soul into that scarccrow frame.
Old Tony turned, and their eyes met.
The old man lifted his hand as though
to wipe his mouth--and there was
little ilirt of the fingers in Dave lien
dcrson's direction. 1t was the old, IN
innate little signal that had passed be-
tween them unnumbercd times i'll the
thousand years that they had spent to-
gcther here in the pcnitcntary's car
penter shop--but he had been quite
wrong about the eyes. Something
seemed to have filmed across them, veil
ing their lustcr. And suddenly Dave
Henderson swallowed hard. Sixty-two
days! Old Tony hadn't much more than
that. Perhaps another year at the out
side, and the old lifer would be free,
too.
Dave Uendcrson's mind reverted to
Lieutenant Joe Barjan, Of the plain
clothes suuad. 1t was perfectly true
that playing lone hand against the
police of all America was desperate
game-dcsperatc in the sense that sue
cess was in jeopardy.
That was what made his brain con .
fused and chaotic now. He was afraid
not of Barjan, not of all the police III
the United States in physical way;
hn ha, hnt
five years that he had now paid would
gond him on more than ever to face
any physical risk, take any physical
chance-but he was afraid now, sick
with fear, because his mind would not
respond and show him clearly. definitely
the way to knock Barjan and his
triumphant grin from that nightmare
wall, and
A guards voice snapped sharply at
his elbow.
Yes, of course. He had been stand
ing idle for u few SecOnds-perhaps an
hour. Automatically he bent over the
bench, and automatically his plane drew
n neat. clean shaving from the work in
front of him.
The guards voice snapped again.
You're wanted" said the guard
curtly. There's Il visitor to see you.
the bench, and followed the guard; but
the act was purely mechanical, born out
of the years of discipline and obedience.
A visitor-for him. There was no one
in the outside world. not a soul, who
cared for him; not many even to whom
his existence was of enough interest
to cause u second thought-eXcept Bar
jan. And Barjan had visited him yes
tcrday. Another viSitOr--tOday Well,
whoever it was. the visitor had been
in no hurry about it The little at
tcntion was certainly bclated! His lips
thinncd bitterly. Whoever it vas had
waited almost five years. lie had never
had visitor bcfore-cXccpt the police.
1t was an event, The bitterness grew
deeper, and ranklcd. He had asked for
no human touch. or thought. or con-
Sidcration: he had asked for none, and
he had given none; he had made his own
bed and ne had not whincd because II
had proved to be rack of torture. He
was not whining now. and he had nc
desire to change the rules of the game
that he himself had elected to play.
This was no visitor-it was an IN
truder!
But curiosity. as he crossed the prison
yard and entered the main building,
tempered the SullPn untagOniSm that had
harcd up in his soul. Who was it that
was waiting for him there along the
corridor in the wire melted visitor $
room, where. like some beast with its
keeper pacing up and down in front OF
the cage, he was to be placed on cx-
hibition? lie searched his brain for
an answer that would be even plausible.
Not Square John Kelly. Kelly might
have come il Kelly had been left to
himself. but Kelly was the ono man
he had warned off from the beginning
there was that matter of $4,000. and
caution had prompted him to avoid any
sign of intimacy between them. There
was no one else. Even Kelly. perhaps,
wasn't friend any more. Kelly would
| perhaps. simply play square, turn over