The Monmouth inquirer., 1924-04-24
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Beauty and the Beast
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/ f1ercely down upon the roof of the
big gray state prison, which looked
even more grim and forbidding in
this food of light.
Liline, the little daughter Of the
warden, was playing hopscotch in her
| garden, which she thought the most
beautiful place in the world, because
amidst the black walls and the black
soil there were three big geraniums
and deep well in which you could
see the blue sky.
Happy. light-hearted and gay, I'M
conscious of all the crimes that were
being expiated around her, she was
basking in the sunlight ike a dragon
fly
Suddenly she heard noise as if
somebody was rubbing against the
wall, and she turned her eyes toward
tie big iron gate which was ajar.
With the agility of a cat tall man
dressed in the gray prison garb was
sliding down the wall into the gar
den.
Then he closed the gate and barred
| it with the heavy iron bar which was
SO high up that Liline could not reach
it even if she stood on tiptoes. When
he had done that he beayed deep
sigh of relief
Being used to see the TRUSTEES
working all around her, Liline looked
at the prisoner without surprise,
! though she did not know him. She
! thought, though, that he looked very
, ugly. His feet were naked, and his
! immense coarse fists had broad, fiat
fingers.
He came walking toward Iiline now,
who had once more continued her
game of hopscotch, but Immediately
stopped as she saw him coming and
ran toward him took hold Of his
blouse. He opened his fists that look
ed like huge octopuses, ready to fas-
ten upon the white throat of the lit
tie girl. She raised her bright, in
nocent eyes and said:
go back little, please. My stone
is right up against your foot, and if I
kick it / might hurt you"
The mans fists relaxed. He fell
back. Liline made another hop ana
shouted gleefully:
"There it isl l have won! Now let
us both play together, will your"
She ran toward the wall, picked up
a spade and gave it to him.
eve win play gardener, and l viii
let you keep the spade, so, you see,
/ am nice to you"
At the sight of the glittering steel
the man opened his eyes wide, stared
wildly about him and stammered in a
hoarse voice: mo, will not! l must
not. must not touch that.
"Now, you are not nice at all, said
Liline with pout, and threw down
the spade. MANY of the others are
much nicer than you are. There is
Green: he is always ready to play"
"Oh, Green is a rusty" the man
growled.
81 do not know what that means,
but he is certainly nice. tell you.
he helps father, and he always does
as 1 tell him to. If you do not like TO
dig, let us play something else. Do
YOU know how to sprinkle flowers?"
She took hold of his blouse and con-
tinued: Come this way now over to
the well. You will have to draw the
water; it is too deep for me-"
The man followed her sheepishly.
When, they had reached the well she
climbed up and looked down into the
deep, black hole.
The man was staring at her white
neck. which looked still more delicate
and white against the black space.
Then he jumped back, shut his eyes
with a mighty effort and painted; DO
not lean overt Do not lean over so
far, it gives me the creeps."
Liline stood up and said, laughing
": "Why, there is no danger of me
falling down as long as you are here"
But without daring to look at her,
vet the man pushed her far away
from the well, and did it so roughly
that the tears came into the eyes OF
the girl.
'sYou are hurting me" she cried.
at thought you were nice, but you
are mean. Green never hurt me"
He looked at the crying little figure,
then with an effort he said, softly:
"Don't cry, dear; don't cry. did not
want to hurt you, honesti But you
must not touch iron or lean over the
well. l won't hurt you any more.
She smiled through her tears and
said: Then pick some geraniums for
me, will you, and won't cry any
more"
He picked some flowers and hand
ed them to her awkwardly. She took
the flowers and stuck them in the
bosom of her dress. Then she looked
ND at him with childlike coquetry and
said: "They look nice against my
white neck, don't they? Just like
blood"
The man, afraid to look at her,
buried his face in his big hands and
shouted:
"Take the red away, take it away.
for Gods sake!"