Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-06-22
John Alvin, the
Ex-Convict
BY WILLIAM FALL

%. 1921. Western Newspaper Union)

Ten years i'm prison take good deal
out of mans life that can never be
replaced or made up again, and when
John Alvin found the gates of the
state pentcntiary barred behind him
instead of in front of him, he felt
acutely the gap that had TO be brdged
between the Alvin of 1911, the young
bank cashier who had flung his firms
money into the bOttOmeSs pit OF
speculation, and the Alvin of 1921,
prcmaturely bowed, embittercd by
broodlng over his planned revenge,
and walking with the peculiar gait
which made him the object of suspi-
cion to every passing policeman.
He had new suit of fairly good
blue serge, new hat, new pair OF
shoes, and fifty-one dollars in his peck
ct, besides ticket for Cranston.
But Alvin was not going To Grams
ton. He was going to Myrtle, 200
miles in the opposite direction, and he
had asked for Il free ticket 10 Grams
ton TO blind the spies of Howell, his
enemy. He meant 10 Kill Howell, and
had brought upon him. What happened
after that he did not care. There was
no one TO whom he mattered. His
mother might have cared, but Alvin
was confident that she was dead. II
was ten years since she had seen OF
written TO HMM brief, since he en-
tered the penitentiary. And a moth
er's anger seldom lasts ten years.
All the way in the train to Myrtle,
Alvin was busy bridging over the
hiatus in his life. He had been just
an ordinary clerk IN the bank in his
home town, engaged 10 an ordinary
girl who. nevertheless, seemed very eX-
traordinary in his eyes. lie was just
a weak, foolish boy who, believing that
he saw "A short cut TO wealth, had
played with the banks money and lost.
Howell the director, had prosecuted.
and. having considerable influence. had
obtained for Alvin the sentence which
he had heard with dismay and terror
Ten years 10 eXpiate for the theft OF
ten thousand dollars Why, he was
not getting thousand year in those
far-off days when he was engaged to
Isabel
But Alvin was not going to kill
Howell for that. He was going 10 kill
him because he had afterward mar
ried Isabel That was the barb. that
the secret Of his incredible yindictive-
ness lie had never suspected rival
in the smooth, plausible bank director
1t was strange how little Myrtle had
altered. When Alvin descended at the
station ne noticed two or three new
blocks of buildings that had not been
erected before otherwise the streets
were much the same. Nobody rccog
nizcd the dapper young bank clerk in
the grayhaired man who strolled m
the high street, though Alvin knew
several of them. He guessed that
Howell occupied one Of those new
white frame structures that he could
see in the distance very pretty in their
groves of shade trees.
And Isabel was seated on the lawn.
right at the edge of the lawn, under a
tree, watching the passersby in her
ing. As he approached. he saw that
boy some seven years old was stand
ing by her side and that another
sprawled at her feet. Her children,
evidently, He stopped; and suddenly
the veil that obscurcd his mind was
lifted, and with sob he turned away
She had not recognized him.
Ii had grown dark when Alvin final
~ turned toward his enemy's house
He passed the little place of his birth
A light was burning in the parlor
When at last he crouched outside the
room and saw Howell, his feet in slip
pers. stretched out in a chair reading
he forbore TO fire. His hatred needed
the sight of the man to enlSindle it
At last almost reluctantly, he RAISED
the revolver.
Just then his arm was caught iron
behind-not that which held the revol-
yer, invisible in the darkness never
theless he lowered it and swung rouno
to look into the face OF little elderly
lady. His mother stood there at his
side.
john" she whispered, clinglng t.
him. you've come home, John!
knew you would. Father is waiting
for you. He is bedridden now, but he
has forgiven you.
lie wouldn't let me write or SEE
you for years, John, but his illness has
softened him. lie said you would come
home. lie made lie promise 20 walt
for you. We have a light in your room
every night, John"
Then the mists lifted entirely, ano
suddenly he understood that the most
precious love in all the world was his
and, having that, what did he care for
others?
He felt his eyes blinded with tears
as he slipped the pistol into his pockei
and clasped his mother in his arms.