Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-30


YES. May send for them?" asked
Nance eagerly.
"Of course you may. The women
inmates of San Quentin are not re-
uuired to wear q prison uniform, al
though we furnish one If necessary"
"Hurrah for our side" Nance replied
cheerfully.
"You read and write, of course,
Nance?"
do / look like dumb-bellP"
neutrality-suspicious. are the
prison rules. Read them, and then
obey them strictly. Failure to obey
them will lead to disciplinary measures,
and repeated attractions may lead to
solitary confinement. If you prove to
be good girl, you'll receive credit for
good behavior in the shape of reduc-
ton in the length OF your sentence.
Good conduct will also render you ell
gibJe for parole after you have served
half Of your sentence: If you should
get into trouble. tell me about 1t first.
try to give my girls square deal,
but very few of them try to give me
one. If you should think you're not
being treated fairly, I'll always be glad
to discuss your grievances with you.
You will meet some terrible women
here and you will also meet some who,
had they been spared the unfortunate
them here, would be ladies. Convic-
ton doesn't mean that a person is de-
void of all human attributes. You will
keep your person and your cell clean
You will not be locked in your cell
unless you misbehave. Your cell-it is
really a nice little room-will be sacred
to you alone, and you will have the
freedom Of the building and grounds
will assign you 10 a cell and show you
~ 81
clothes and come down and join the
women in the recreation room yonder."
You'll do" Nance declared. and
held out her hand. Her cell proved to
be exactly what the matron had said
| it was-a small, neat white room. with
neat little white bed and washstand
and small chest of drawers, not unlike
that of room in a hospital, save for
the steel door with an orif1ce in the
center of it and connected by a lock-
ing mechanism with all the doors in
that tier of cells so that the throwing of
a lever locked them all simultaneously.
Nance surveyed 1t with satisfaction
This will do me nicely" she said.
Thank you ever so much, matron."
She unnacked her suitcase, slowed
her few belongings in the chest of
drawers. removed her hat and sat down
on the bed to read the printed list of
terested her. She discovered she could
write letters once month and receive
visitors once a month"; she behaved
herself. "I must be mothers little
| lamb" she decided. "This Is some
joint to get out Of, but where there's
| as will there's a way" And she set
herself resolutely to discovering the
way.
Before 1ocking-up time she thought
she had discovered 1t. 1t was the fish,
ermen IN the cove just of San Quentin
Point who suggested it to her. In her
stroll around the grounds she inspected
the fence. It was 16 feet high, Of
quarter-inch steel mesh, set on steel
posts bedded in concerto. and it ran
along a concrete base. A barefooted
woman, using her toes to cling to the
mesh, could climb the fence readily
enough, we're 1t not for an 18-inch top
ping of barbed wire, strung in strands
4 inches apart and set inward at an
angle Of IS degrees. One could not
possibly surmount that. Nor could one
! burrow under the concrete base in day.
| light, even were the means available.
| Nor could one do it at night because
then one was locked in the cell. But
one could stroll down the main walk
to the sentry box just outside the en-
trance and appraise the situation there.
AS Nance suspected. the gate was kept
locked and the guard had the key:
indeed, the gate was never opened ex-
cept to admit new prisoner or an
official, or to provide an exit for a dis
! charged prisoner or official. However.
Nance did not despair, for the gate wsS
narrow-two feet-and there was no
topping on 1t. She decided she would
climb over it some day when the
guards pack was turned: ergo, the
| thing to do was to induce the guard to
turn his back!
For month Nance gave her thoughts
over entirely to this problem.
| Lanny came into Dr. Burt's Office and
| laid q letter on his desk It was dated
from San Quentin, on the cheap prison
stationery, and read:
Dear Miss tanning:
~ can receive visitors next Sunday.
| Won't you please come over and visit
me? I'm 50 lonely. and you were so
kind to me when I visited DR.. Burts
ofhce. I have never forgotten you and
~ S' NANCE BELDEN.
Gust think, stevie," Lanny declared
proudly. She hasn't forgotten me, the
poor dear"
ct suppose you'll 60 over"
Indeed shall. It would be terrible
| If didn't You'll send her something,
won't you, Stevie? think that might
please her. I think she'd appreciate
portable photograph and couple of
dozen records. I understand model
prisoners are permitted such luxuries."
Stephen smiled. well, I'll stand for
that expense, too, Lanny. And I shall
await with interest the report you will
have to make on your return" Lanny
beamed.
The following Sunday afternoon,
therefore, the matron admitted Lanny
to the visitors room and sent for
Nance, who arrived on the run and cast
herself joyously into Lanny's welcoming
arms. Then Nance led the latter into
corner and, speaking swiftly and in
low voice, said:
I'VE aren't permitted to be alone with
our visitors, Lanny You'll notice the
matron remains in the room. She won't
listen to what we have to say, but she
keeps her eyes on us. Will you snug
gle letter out for me? I've got one
all written, but the matron reads all
our letters before posting then-and
can't have her read this one. It's to
very dear friend, and I just couldn't
bear to have her read it. Besides, If
she read it she wouldn't mail it,"
Lanny's face grew grave. do you
realize, my dear, what you are asking
me to do?"
Certainly. I wouldn't ask anybody
but you to do 1t, Lanny dear You're
SO understanding. If you can smuggle
the letter out for me, it will mean that
within a month I'll be out, too. I'm
sorry cannot give you all my conf
dence, Lanny, but just can't. You're
the only woman on earth I'd trust, the
only woman who has ever been kind to
me. And, oh, Lanny dear, do appre-
ciate your friendship So" And Nance
commenced to weep.
Lanny comforted the girl and con-
sidered her request. Considered it SYM
fnafhakiNallHr frn for OF knarf hn run