The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-10-20

| he told the warden III 60 right to
his cage and see him. wantta have
| a talk with him."
Between two guards Clay climbed
the iron steps to an upper tier of cages
at the Tombs. He was put into cell
which held two BEDS one above the
other, as in the cabin of an ocean liner.
BY the side of the hunks was narrow
space just long enough for a man to
take two steps In the same direction.
An. unshaven head was lifted In the
lower bunk to see why the sleep of its
| owner was being disturbed.
"Pve brought you cell mate, Shiny"
explained one Of the guards. you
want to be civil TO him. He's just
croaked friend Of yours
"For de love o. Gawd. Who did he
crOak2" ~
"'Sllm' Jim Collins. Cracked him
one on the bean and that was a-plenty.
| Hope you'll enjoy each others society,
gents" The guard closed the door and
departed.
"Is that right? Did youse do up
Slim or was he klddin' me?'
~ don't reckon wen discuss that
subject said Clay blandly, but with a
note Of finality In his voice.
mo offense, boss. It's an honor to
have so distinguished gent for cell
pal For that matter amt no cheap
rat myself. Dey pinched me for shown
de queer. I'd ought to get fifteen
years." he said proudly.
This drew grin from Lindsay,
though not exactly merry one. IF
you're anxious for long term you can
have some of mine," he told the coun-
terfeiter.
"May5e you'll go up Salt creek"
said Shiny hopefully.
Afraid the allusion might not be I'M
derstood, he thoughtfully explained
that this was the underworld term for
the electric chair.
Clay made no further comment. He
found the theme gruesome one.
= Anyhow, I'm glad dey didn't put no
holster nor damper-getter. wit me. I'm
partickler who I meet. De whole pro-
flesh is gettin' run down at de heel.
I'm dead sick Of rats who can't do
nothin' hut lift pokes," concluded the
occupant Of the lower berth with dis
gust.
Though Clays nerves were of the,
best he did very little sleeping thar
nj ph nv n N
Even If he had fair field his plight
would be serious enough. But he
guessed that during the long hours of
darkness Durand was busy weaving
net of false evidence from which he
could scarcely Vdisentangle himself.
Unless Bromfield came forward at
once as witness for him, his case
would be hopelcss-and Clay suspected
that the clubman would prove only a
broken reed us support The fellow
was selfish to the core. He had not,
in the telling western phrase, the CUTS
to go through. He would take the line
Of least resistance.
Beatrice was in his thoughts great
deal. What would she think of him
when the news came that he was a
murderer, caught by the police in a
den of vice where he had no business
to be? Some deep instinct of his soul
told him that she would brush through
the evidence to the essential truth. She
had failed him once. She would never
do It again. He felt sure of that
The gray morning broke. and brought
with it the steaming smell of prison
cooking, the sounds of the Gagged I'M
derworld, the sense of life all around
him dwarfed and warped to twisted
moral purposes, A warden came with
breakfast-a lukewarm, muddy liquid
he called coffee and stew in which
potatoes and bits of fat beef b0bbed
like life buOys-and Clay ate heartily
while his cellmate favored him, be.
tween gulps, with q mOnologue on
ethics, politics, and the state of society,
as these related especially to Shiny the
Shower. Lindsay was given to under
stand that the whole world was ION de
spud," but the big crooks had fixed the
laws so that they could wear diamonds
instead OF stripes.
Presently guard climbed the iron
stairway with visitor and led the way
along the deck outside the tier of cells