Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-29
BY FRANK L. L.,PACKARD
(AUTHOR OF "THE MIRACLE MAN")
Copyright, 1891 bv Public LEDGER Company

thing wrong with the old bomb thrower.
Yes, he rcmembered--old Tony's strange
appearance that afternoon. He ratified
again and again on the bars. Old Tony
was moaning now.
| Footsteps on the run sounded along
the iron gallery. A guard passed by ;
another paused ut the door.
Get back out Of there ~ growled the
guard. Beat it Get back to your
cot !"
Dave Henderson retreated to the
center of the cell. He heard old Tony g
door opened. Then muffled voices. And
then voice that was quite audible
one Of the guards
IT guess he's sNiffcd out. Get the
doc--and. yes, tell the warden, if he
hasn't gone to bed yet.
Snuffcd out! There was queer,
choking sensation in Dave Henderson 3
throat. A guard ran along the gallery.
Dave Henderson edged silently close up
TO the door Of his cell again. He
couldn't see very much-only CLEAN
Of light from Lomazzi's cell that fell on
the iron plates of the gallery. There
was no sound from within the other cell
now.
Snuffed out The thought that old
Tony was dead affected him in a
numbed. cropping sort of way. It had
come with such startling suddenness
He had not grasped It yet. He Won
dcred whether he should be sorry or
glad for old Tony-death was the lifer's
goal. He did not know. 1t brought,
though. great aching into his own
soul. It seemed to stamp with the ul-
innate tonight the immeasurable void in
his own life. Old Tony was the last
link between himself and that thing Of
priceless worth that men called friend
ship. Millman had denied it. outraged
it, betrayed it; and now old Tony had
swerved in his allegiance, and turned
away at the call Of greater friend.
Yes, death could not be anything but n
tricrd to Tony. There seemed TO be no
longer any doubt of that in his mind.
Footsteps. several Of them. came again
along the iron gallery, racketing through
the night. but they did not pass his
cell this time: they came from the other
direction. and went into Lcmazzi's cell.
II was strange that this should have
happened tonight! There would be no
more shoulder touch IN the ock-step for
the few days that were left no smile Of
eyes and lips across the carpenter shop !;
no surreptitious, intimate little gestures
Of open-hearted companionship 1t
seemed to crown in an appalling way, to
bring home to him now with new and
appalling force what. five minutes ago,
he had thought he had already appre-
cated to its fullest and bitterest depths
Loneliness. He was alone-alone-
alone.
The murmur of voices came from the
other cell. Time passed. He clung
there 70 the bars. Alonc-without help I!
The presence of death seemed to have
infused itself into and to have become
Synonymous with that thought. II
seemed irsidiously to eat into his soul
and being. to make his mind sick and
weary. whispering to him to capitulatc
because he was alone. ringed about with
forces that would inevitably Overwhelm
his puny single handed defiance-be-
cause he was alonc-and it would be
hopeless to so further alone-without
help.
lie drew back suddenly from the door.
conscious ior the first time that he must
have been clutching and straining at
the bars with all his strength. His
fingers. relaxed now. were stiff. and the
circulation seemed to have left them.
a guard was opening the door. Behind
the guard. that white haired man was
the warden. Iic had always liked the
warden. The man was stern, but he