Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1922-02-23
The Former
Convict

By DOROTHY WHITcoMR

John Hawse munched his twenty.
cent supper with the furtlve lrresolu.
tion Of the ex-jailbird that he was.
Three years In prison leaves its stamp
upon man, and the ,lOckstep, the
dropped voice, the shrinking from
men, the automatism of action follow
the released convict as mute witnesses
to- his past.
Reform the prisoner" say some.
Associations have been founded with
this beneficent object. John Hawes
smiled bitterly at the thought. He
had been bookkeeper; he had stolen
a paltry sum to provide comforts for
his sick wife.
His wife had never visited him In
prison. He had never seen his son.
Minnie's last words to him before they
took him AWAY had been of forgive
ness; but Minnie's father was not the
type that can condone having a jail
bird for son-in-law. He had taken
her away.
Now, desperate and bitter, he ate
his cheap meal irr silence. The last
of his money was gone. And SIMS
ter voices had been whispering in his
ears.
There was "Red," who had served a
half dozen sentences for burglary.
He had shown Halves, with whom he
had been In the penitentiary, in a
rough, well-meaning way the folly of
trying to live down his past.
That night Halves had yielded to
the temptation. He had seen "Red."
RED" knew that man of Hawes' ad-
dress, gentleman, In spite of his
past, would be Of use to him. To
gether they might pull off job or
two. For instance, there was the new
big house up Marsden way. The old
guy who lived there wouldn't put up
much Of fight, even IL he woke, and
it was said he had dinner service of
solid silver, and his wife had jewels.
So much "Red" had learned from
prOwling about the neighborhood. II
Halves didn't join him he was fool.
Halves agreed to Join him.
At midnight Halves stood shivering
outside the house. The coup was to
be pulled off In half an hour; "Red"
would come by with cart, and the
spoiis were to be dumped inside.
At fifteen minutes past the hour
Halves climbed to the window of the
dining room, thrust up the piece of
wire between the windows, and forced
back the catch. A match revealed the
silver service.
Halves had burlap bag to hold
these articles, but that part Of the
work was to come later. There were
the jewels, left, as RED" believed,
upon the bedroom bureau at night.
The moon shoue through the win
dow. After moment Halves made
out the figure of child In the bed.
This, then. could not be the place. He
crept out.
He entered the dining room,
switched on the lights again, and
turned to the silver He had just
taken up the first piece, a coffee pot,
when he heard light football behind
him. He turned, to see the child
standing in the door, looking at him.
Daddy" said the child.
Hawes cursed his folly in going up
stairs
Daddy said the child, a smile
upon its lips.
"Hush!" said Halves gently, and
closed the door behind 1t.
At that instant he heard plainly the
creaking of the wheels of the bakers
cart In the rear of the house. He
must act Immediately.
Daddy" said the child more
loudly.
Hawes was becoming frantic.
I'm not your daddy" said Halves.
"Daddy's upstairs" A sudden thought
came to him. "Go back to bed" he
said softly. "Daddy will come pres
emily"
The child toddled toward the door
and began rattling the handle. Halves
sprang forward and opened the door
to see a woman descend the last of
the flight and stand looking at him.
The child toddled toward her.
'Daddyp 1t cried again.
"Minnie!" Halves cried.
She was in his arms and no other
word had been spoken. 1t was his
wife, restored to him.
John! How did YOU find me?" she
gasped. "Come In here
"Father died last week." she said,
half sobbing with JOY. Before he
died he forgave you. He wanted me
to find you. telegraphed toto that
place-but they knew nothing of you.
l always needed you, John! knew
that could turn fathers heart at
the end-but 1t came suddenly, and
there was only the deathbed mes
sage: Tell John to come home."
HAYES held her In his arms, and in
that moment the balance was struck
between good and evil. His life was
renewed, and the future miraculously
bright. As he sat there he heard the
creaking Of the bakers cart as It'll
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