The Washington times., 1925-06-03
New and Amazing Serial erbes in Detail One Mans
Long But Losing Battle for Freedom As Told
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THE memory wars repagnant.
fhelped clear away and wash
the dishes and then EsteIle sat
down with me to show me some
snapshots and other pictures
which she reverently produced
from her trunk. A picture OF
q. little country schoolhouse, one
of her mother, one of her baby"
brother, and so on. She kept
up a running fire of recollec-
stions. completely lost to her
present surroundings. AS she
bent over the collection I stole
q long look az her profiled face.
It was beautiful-saintly.
suddenly realized that I was
with a good woman-the real
kind-one that l could under
stand if no one else could.
We spent the afternoon talk
ing-or rather she talked and
listened. We went on straw
rides, to barn dances. Sunday
school picnics. weddings, chris
Jennings together: 1t was night
before we knew it.
Out in the hall as was bid.
ding her boodby she leaned
against me.
'I never knew you until to-
day, DopaId,' she breathed. 4'And
thank You so much"
gulped out some sort of an
swer and ran down the stairs.
close to the breaking point.
On the boat going across the
bay it suddenly occurred to me
that no thought of whiskey
had entered my head. nor had
I entertained a single un-platonic
thought all day. 1 felt that it
had been one of the happiest
days Of my life.
CHAPTER VIII
( A RIzoNA STATE PENITEN-
a TIARY. Florence, Ariz.,
March 1s.--I had been on parole
little less than four months
when Christmas time arrived, and
q number OF my friends. incIad-
ing Harry Barbash and his fian-
Gee, and Lucy White, arranged 4
Surprise party In my apart
ment.
Il had previously persuaded ;
Harry. who was secretayy of the !
Prisoners Welfare Bureaa, to
share the apartment with pe, and
eAad proved a happy choice.
Lucy White. ethereal. graceful,
elender and clever. was a special
writer on our newspaper. Edith.
as far as the others knew. was
merely an enthusiastic supporter
OF the cause represented. They
OF course had no inkling of the
true relations between us.
The night before Christmas.
Harry succeeded in getting me to
20 to the Orpheun: Theater with
him, and when we arrived home
he managed to. steer me straight
into my own room and remained
with me there until I retired. I
thought his actions rather strange
hut had not the remotest idea
Of the reason.
Christmas morning when L a.
woke 1 thought 1 heard subdued
hiIarity somewhere near. but imag-
ined it was in one of the adjacent
apartments. It was not until I
opened the door of the livinS
room some time later that
learned the significance Of what
I had heard.
Surprise Party.
The shades were drawn, and
there. in the semi-darkness. stood
a gorgeous Christmas tree ablaze
with numerous electric lights. !
stood amazed and /had not yet
comprehended that the tree was
in my honor when from behind
curtains and chairs popped my
friends with peals Of laughter
and a chorus of Merry Christ
mas"
While Harry and had been
at the Orpheum the night before
the ladies had invaded the apart
ment and fixed the tree, with all
sorts OF presents for the con-
spirators and myself heaped at
the base.
To say that 1 was astonished
is putting it mildly. / had spent
ten Christmas days in prison and,
before that, two in the wilds of
Colorado. / had not even seen a
Christmas tree in twelve years.
and had not spent a home
Christmas for an even longer
period.
A happy morning followed.
Breakfast. prepared by the ladies
In our small kitchen, was pro-
duced as il by magic and was