The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-12-14
THE
SKYLINE
SPRUCE
bv Edison MARSHALL
~ Gibson NaImH



change. II was true that 90 far a.
facts went he was no better off,
when he had como 20 himself he had
found his mind a blank regarding not
only his career OF crime. but all the
years that had gone before. Even
his own name eiuded him. That OF
Kinney had an alien sound In hi.
esra
The past had simply ceased 10 exist
for him. and because II IL some way
the key 20 tho future. tho latter
seemed likewise hiank.--a toneless
gray that did not In tho least waken
his Interest. Indeed the only light
that funk into the unfathomahie
darkness Of his fcrgctfuinsss was
that which played In his dreams a,
night Sometimes these were In
ordina'eiy vivid. quite In contrast to
the routine OF prison iife
He felt II he could only recall thes.
dreams clearly thoy would interpret
for him the mystery OF hla own life.
He wakened. again and again, with
The CONSEQUENCES Of having dreamed
the most stirring. amazing dreams.
but what they were he couldn't tell.
Tie could only remember fragments.
such ~ q picture Of rushing waters
recurring again and aEain--and
sometimes an amazing horizon. a
dark line curiously notched against
pale green background
They were not all had dreams, Ia
reality many OF them stirred him and
moved him happily. and he would
wsken to ind the mighty tides Of his
blood surginK ficrceiy thru the
avenues OF veins Evidently they re-.
called some happiness that Was for
gotten. And there was one phase. a,
least. Of this work In the road gangs
that brought him moving. intense de-
light II Was merely the sight Of tho
bird life. sbcunding In the fields and
meadows about the towns
There had been quite northern
migration lately. these late sprsnk
days The lesser sonwsters were al.
ready mating and nesting. and he
found secret pleasure IN their CHEEKY
calls and busting activity. But they
didn't hegin 20 move him as ala the
waterfowl. passing IN long v-shaped
riocks That strange. wild wsnderer',
greeting that the gray geese called
down 60 their lesser brethren IN the
meadows had a really extraordinary
effect upon him. II always caught
him up and held him. stirring some
deep. strange part OF him that he
hardly knew existed. Sometimes the
weird. waiiing sound brought him
quito 10 the edge % profound dis
covery. but always the fiocks sped
on and out OF hearing before he
could quite grasp Il. when the moon
looked down. thru tho barred win
dow Of his cell. he sometimes felt the
same way. A great. white mysterious
moon that he had known long AFRO.
II was queer that there should be a
and the cold. white satellite that rode
In the sky. Ban Kinney never tried
70 puzzle cut what u was. but he
always know II with q knowledge not
10 b denied
Tn. last Of the waterfowl hnf
passed by now. but the northern mi
grafton was not yet dcne. The suu
sfill moved north: warm. north-blow-
Ing winds blew the last Of the lower
ing. wfntry clouds hack 20 tina Arctic
seas whence they had come. And
b@caus. the road work the convsct-
were dosng brought them. this after
noon. In sight Of the railroad right
os-wny. Hen now and then caught
sight Of other wayfarers moving
slowly. but no less steadily. toward
the north The open road beckoned
northwnrd. shess full. bainy. lafs-
April days and various tasssred men.
mostly varabonds and tranp-. passed
the gang from time 10 tim. on this
same northern quest
Ben thought about them ~ birds
Of passage. and the thought amused
him- And At the sight OF q small.
stopped figure advancing toward him
up the railroad rtght-of-way he
paused. leaning on his pick
Because Ben had paused. for the
FIRST time In an hour. his two guards
looked up TO see what had attracted
his attention. They saw what seemed
TO them q whits-hairsd old wandcrer
Of 60 years or more: but at first
they were wholly at q ioss 10 explain
Ben's fascinated look Of growing In
terest
IL was true that the old man
scarcely represented the usual worth
less. criminal type that took TO
vagabondage. As he paused 20 scrus-
inize tho convict gang neither in
science nor fear. one Of which was